Our investment professionals thrive in a culture that pushes them to question the status quo, overdeliver for clients, and work together to shape the future of the industry. At BlackRock, you’ll forge meaningful relationships within your team and across the firm – expanding your network as you tackle complex challenges with a collaborative approach, integrated research and risk management. In an environment that feels welcoming and inclusive, you’ll discover opportunities to hone your skills, develop new expertise, gain mentorship, and build the investment career you envision. Business Unit Overview: BlackRocks Fundamental Fixed Income team offers an array of fixed income products designed to meet specific client risk and return profiles. Incorporating the expertise of BlackRocks sector specialists, each client portfolio is tailored to reflect specific investment guidelines and objectives with respect to interest rate exposure, sector allocation and credit quality. Job Purpose/Background: We are seeking a highly motivated senior Associate to join our European Investment Grade Credit Research team in London. The primary focus will be on the insurance sector, but there may be opportunities to expand into other financial sub-sectors (e.g., banks and real estate) across both investment grade and high yield to support growing platform investment needs. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in supporting our investment decision-making process by providing high-quality, fundamental credit research and insightful analysis. This role offers a unique opportunity to be part of a high-performing team within one of the world’s leading asset management firms. Key Responsibilities will include: • Taking on full responsibility, with minimal oversight, for conducting in-depth fundamental credit analysis on primarily European investment-grade companies, with a primary focus on the Insurance sector. There will also likely be opportunities related to other financial-related sub-sectors (e.g., banks, real estate) across both IG and HY. • Preparing detailed research reports and investment recommendations for portfolio managers and other internal stakeholders. • Engaging with management teams, industry experts, and rating agencies to gather insights and validate assumptions. • Presenting credit opinions and trade ideas to the investment team, supporting portfolio construction and risk management decisions. • Tracking and analyzing bond market trends, new issuance and secondary market activity in the related sector(s). • Collaborating with other credit analysts and team members across difference sectors to share knowledge and market intelligence. Experience and knowledge required: • Extensive primary analyst experience (5 years) covering the insurance sector, ideally within an asset management, investment banking, or credit rating agency environment. Experience covering other financial-related sub-sectors (e.g., banks and real estate) and HY is advantageous. • Strong knowledge of the European insurance sector, including regulatory frameworks, capital structures, and key credit drivers. Knowledge in other financial-related sub-sectors (e.g., banks and real estate) and HY is advantageous. • Comprehensive knowledge of credit rating agency methodologies. • Extensive experience engaging as a primary analyst with company management, industry experts, and external parties such as rating agencies and sell-side analysts. • Demonstrated ability to prepare and present detailed research reports and investment recommendations to senior stakeholders. • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with a capacity to present complex ideas clearly and persuasively. • Strong attention to detail and ability to work under tight deadlines while managing multiple priorities. • Familiarity with European bond markets, including new issuance and secondary market activity, is advantageous. • Proficiency with financial data platforms and research tools such as Bloomberg, FactSet, or similar. • Proficiency in English is mandatory. Proficiency in an additional language is advantageous. Competencies required: • Strong interest in a career credit research analyst pathway. • Analytical thinking: Ability to process large amounts of complex financial data and market information to form well-reasoned credit and investment opinions. • Attention to detail: Meticulous approach to analyzing financial statements, market trends and credit risks. • Problem-solving: Strong capacity to identify key issues, challenge assumptions, and find creative solutions to analytical challenges. • Decision-making: Confidence in making sound investment recommendations, even in the face of uncertainty or incomplete information. • Communication skills: Clear and concise writing and verbal presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex credit analyses to both technical and non-technical audiences. • Collaboration: Effective team player who works with colleagues across research, portfolio management, and risk management teams. • Initiative: Proactive in seeking out relevant information, staying updated on market developments, and anticipating potential risks or opportunities. • Time management: Ability to prioritize tasks and meet tight deadlines while maintaining the quality of research and analysis. • Adaptability: Comfortable working in a fast-paced and evolving market environment, with the ability to adjust to new information quickly. • Integrity: High ethical standards and commitment to ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements and internal guidelines.