Fund Manager - Equity Market Neutral H/F F/M - Job Opportunity at Candriam

Paris, France
Full-time
Mid-level
Posted: June 27, 2025
On-site
€80,000 - €120,000 per year plus performance-based bonuses potentially reaching 50-100% of base salary, reflecting the premium compensation structure typical for quantitative fund management roles in Paris financial district

Benefits

Inclusive work environment that promotes diversity and equal employment opportunities, providing access to varied perspectives and collaborative learning
Comprehensive wellbeing and work-life balance support programs, enhancing personal satisfaction and professional sustainability
Opportunity to work with a recognized pioneer in sustainable investment, offering exposure to cutting-edge ESG strategies and market leadership
Professional development within a global multi-specialist asset management firm, providing broad career advancement opportunities across multiple asset classes

Key Responsibilities

Drive strategic portfolio management decisions for Europe's largest long-short equity market neutral funds, directly impacting multi-billion euro investment performance and client outcomes
Lead systematic identification and evaluation of complex arbitrage opportunities across European equity markets, contributing to alpha generation and risk-adjusted returns
Spearhead quantitative model enhancement and strategy refinement initiatives, driving innovation in systematic trading approaches and competitive advantage
Execute comprehensive backtesting and performance analysis frameworks, ensuring robust risk management and strategy optimization for institutional clients

Requirements

Education

Master's degree from a business school, university or engineering school

Experience

3+ years of experience in equity strategies

Required Skills

Strong statistical and econometric skills Understanding of financial statements, valuation ratios, and business models Keen interest in economically-sound strategy development Proficiency in Python Deep Understanding of investment management and financial markets Organized, methodical, and ability to work independently Great communication and teamwork abilities English (C1 - Fluent) French (C1 - Fluent)
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Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The European alternative investment management sector is experiencing significant consolidation and institutionalization, with market neutral strategies gaining prominence as investors seek uncorrelated returns amid volatile market conditions. Regulatory frameworks like AIFMD and MiFID II are driving demand for more sophisticated risk management and transparency, creating opportunities for established players with robust operational infrastructure. Quantitative investment strategies are increasingly incorporating ESG factors and sustainable investing principles, reflecting the €35 trillion European asset management market's shift toward responsible investment. This trend is particularly pronounced in France, where regulatory pressure and institutional investor mandates are accelerating the integration of sustainability metrics into traditional quant models. The proliferation of alternative data sources and machine learning applications in systematic trading is reshaping competitive dynamics in equity market neutral strategies. Firms are investing heavily in technology infrastructure and data science capabilities to maintain alpha generation in increasingly efficient markets, with Python proficiency becoming a fundamental requirement rather than a differentiator.

Role Significance

The candidate will join a lean, specialized team of four fund managers, indicating a flat organizational structure where each team member has substantial influence on strategy development and implementation decisions
This is a mid-level professional role with significant autonomous decision-making authority, positioned as a key contributor to a €2+ billion fund management team with direct impact on investment performance and client outcomes. The role combines individual contributor responsibilities with collaborative team leadership elements.

Key Projects

Development and implementation of systematic alpha generation models for long-short equity strategies across European markets Construction and maintenance of risk-neutral portfolio optimization frameworks balancing market exposure with return generation Integration of alternative data sources and machine learning techniques into existing quantitative investment processes Collaboration on new product development initiatives expanding the firm's absolute return strategy offerings

Success Factors

Demonstrated ability to generate consistent risk-adjusted returns through systematic approaches while maintaining strict market neutrality, requiring deep understanding of factor modeling and portfolio construction techniques Strong quantitative research capabilities combined with practical implementation skills, enabling translation of academic concepts into profitable trading strategies within institutional constraints Excellent stakeholder management and communication abilities to effectively interact with institutional clients, risk management teams, and senior leadership while explaining complex quantitative concepts Adaptability and continuous learning mindset to navigate evolving market conditions, regulatory requirements, and technological advances in systematic trading

Market Demand

High demand driven by institutional investor allocation increases to alternative strategies and the growing complexity of market neutral portfolio management requiring specialized quantitative expertise

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Python proficiency is absolutely essential as it serves as the primary tool for quantitative research, backtesting, and systematic strategy implementation. The ability to develop and maintain complex financial models, perform large-scale data analysis, and implement automated trading systems directly impacts the fund's alpha generation capability and operational efficiency. Strong statistical and econometric skills form the foundation for developing robust market neutral strategies that can generate consistent risk-adjusted returns. These capabilities are crucial for factor modeling, risk attribution analysis, and strategy optimization, directly impacting the fund's performance and client satisfaction. Deep understanding of financial markets and investment management principles is critical for contextualizing quantitative models within real-world market conditions, regulatory constraints, and client requirements. This knowledge enables effective risk management and strategy adaptation during various market cycles.

Beneficial Skills

Experience with alternative data sources and machine learning techniques would provide significant competitive advantages in identifying new alpha sources and improving existing models Knowledge of ESG integration methodologies and sustainable investing frameworks would align with Candriam's strategic focus and growing client demand for responsible investment solutions Understanding of derivatives and structured products would enhance the fund's ability to implement sophisticated hedging strategies and improve risk-adjusted returns

Unique Aspects

Opportunity to manage one of Europe's largest and most established equity market neutral strategies, providing access to significant institutional capital and sophisticated infrastructure that smaller firms cannot match
Direct exposure to the intersection of quantitative finance and sustainable investing, positioning the role at the forefront of two major industry trends that are reshaping European asset management
Involvement in a lean, high-impact team structure where individual contributions directly influence multi-billion euro investment decisions and client outcomes
Access to Candriam's comprehensive multi-asset platform and institutional relationships, providing unique insights into cross-asset class investment strategies and client portfolio construction

Career Growth

Career progression typically occurs within 3-7 years for high-performing quantitative fund managers, with accelerated advancement possible through demonstrated alpha generation and leadership capabilities

Potential Next Roles

Senior Fund Manager or Head of Equity Market Neutral within 3-5 years, leading strategy development and team expansion Portfolio Manager roles at larger hedge funds or institutional asset managers, managing significantly larger AUM with broader market mandates Chief Investment Officer positions at boutique alternative investment firms, overseeing multiple strategy development and firm-wide risk management

Company Overview

Candriam

Candriam is a well-established European asset management firm with over 25 years of market presence and approximately €140 billion in assets under management. The firm has built a strong reputation as a pioneer in sustainable investing and maintains a diversified platform across traditional and alternative investment strategies, with particular strength in fixed income and quantitative equity approaches.

Candriam holds a solid mid-tier position in the European asset management landscape, with strong institutional client relationships and a reputation for innovation in ESG integration. The firm's equity market neutral strategies rank among the largest in Europe, providing competitive scale advantages and institutional credibility.
The Paris office serves as a key hub for Candriam's European operations, benefiting from France's position as a major financial center and the firm's strong relationships with European institutional investors including pension funds, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds
The firm emphasizes collaborative decision-making and long-term thinking, with a culture that balances quantitative rigor with sustainable investing principles. The relatively flat organizational structure in specialized teams like equity market neutral allows for significant individual impact and professional development opportunities.
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