Senior Manager of Behavioral Economics Team - Investment Strategy

Discover and share breakthrough behavioral insights using one of the largest investor datasets in the world 

About Vanguard

Vanguard has incredible people and an inspiring mission: To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success. If you are interested in making a positive impact on the long-term financial security of households across the globe and have a passion for data, research, and working in teams, this is a great opportunity for you. 

About The Team

The Investment Strategy Group (ISG) is a global team that serves as Vanguard’s in-house think tank, with subject matter experts based in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. The team produces industry-leading research to help shape perspectives, plays a central role in developing Vanguard’s investment and advice methodology, and informs decisions about our investment offerings and strategies. As the Behavioral Economics Team within ISG, we aim to discover, share, and apply breakthrough insights about investor behavior to drive better decisions and outcomes for all investors.  

Role Overview

We are seeking a senior manager within the Behavioral Economics Team to lead research to deepen our understanding of how investors think, feel, and behave. You will serve as a player-coach for junior researchers conducting rigorous and relevant research to improve investor outcomes. You will represent Vanguard as an ambassador at high-profile events to shape the conversation about investor behavior with media, policymakers, industry stakeholders and clients, and the academic research community. You’ll have the opportunity to work with senior business partners to inform Vanguard products and services as well as collaborate on surveys and experiments to understand how and why investors think and behave as they do. In this role, you will leverage one of the largest investor datasets in the world, including rich administrative data on millions of self-directed retail investors, advised clients, and retirement plan participants. 

Key Responsibilities

• Develop Others: Coach, mentor, and manage junior researchers to unlock their potential and help them conduct rigorous and impactful projects. Provide regular performance feedback and shape personal development plans to help crew achieve their goals. 
• Conduct Research: Perform scientifically rigorous research that is relevant to millions of investors, timely, and impactful. Analyze various datasets, including administrative data, surveys, experiments, third-party, and public datasets. 
• Shape Vanguard’s Views: Help shape Vanguard’s perspectives on behavioral economics, household finance, investment advice, and public policy. Distill insights into high-impact written materials, such as research memos, articles, blog posts, white papers, and academic journal publications. 
• Serve as an Ambassador: Present research to a wide range of audiences, including investors, advisors, regulators, media, and industry and academic conferences. 
• Inform the business: Provide internal consultation services as a subject matter expert on behavioral economics. Prepare and deliver insight presentations and action recommendations. 
• Stay Updated: Keep up with the latest trends in behavioral economics across academia and industry, identifying new ways to amplify research rigor and impact. Work with academic partners in research collaborations. 
• Enhance Team Capabilities: Proactively identify opportunities to enhance team research capabilities, such as new data sources or analytic techniques. 

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Ph.D.-level research experience in Psychology, Economics, Finance, Decision Sciences, or a related quantitative field required. 
• Experience managing behavioral researchers required. 
• Minimum of eight years related work experience in research roles or equivalent educational experience. 
• Proven experience conducting, writing, and publishing high-impact research on behavioral economics, household finance, and/or investing required. 
• Proven experience writing code to access, transform, and analyze data (Python preferred). Experience working with administrative data and AWS tools preferred (Athena and Sagemaker). 
• Intellectual curiosity and a passion for generating and pursuing “big ideas” through research. 
• Servant-leader mindset and willingness to prioritize team success above personal achievement. 
• Openness to learning new ideas, skills, and ways of working with a diverse set of teammates and stakeholders. 

Special Factors: This is a hybrid role based in Malvern, Pennsylvania: Tues, Wed, Thurs in the office and Mon, Fri optionally remote. Vanguard offers relocation assistance for this role.

Special Factors

Sponsorship

Vanguard is offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.

To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.