Associate Director - Fixed Income

Role Purpose

Lead the Fixed Income Indices business by driving product strategy, benchmark governance, client engagement, business growth and operational excellence. The role is responsible for strengthening CRISIL's fixed income benchmark franchise, expanding index adoption across institutional investors and developing innovative index solutions aligned to evolving market and regulatory needs.

Required Experience: 9 to 12 years

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Strategy & Innovation

• Develop the long-term product roadmap for fixed income indices.
• Conceptualize new benchmark families across government securities, corporate bonds, money market, target maturity, ESG, factor-based, duration and credit strategies.
• Work closely with valuation, research and analytics teams to identify new product opportunities.
• Drive commercialization of innovative index concepts.

2. Business Development Support

• Build relationships with CIOs, fund managers, product teams and risk teams.
• Partner with Sales and Business Development teams during client engagements.
• Present index methodologies and product capabilities to asset managers, insurers, pension funds, PMS, AIFs and wealth managers.
• Identify opportunities for customized benchmarks and investable index solutions.

4. Benchmark Governance & Regulatory Oversight

• Ensure compliance with the regulations impacting the business
• Oversee index methodologies, consultation papers and governance committee requirements.
• Coordinate with Legal, Compliance and Risk functions on regulatory matters.
• Drive high standards of benchmark integrity and transparency.

5. Index Operations & Delivery

• Oversee daily index production and publication.
• Ensure operational resilience, quality controls and business continuity.
• Continuously improve operational efficiency through automation and process enhancement.

6. Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the index team.
• Build technical capability across methodology, analytics and operations.

7. Strategic Initiatives

• Work with strategic partners such as exchanges, asset managers and benchmark users.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI and technology to improve index development and operational efficiency.

Preferred Experience

• Strong understanding of Indian fixed income markets.
• Experience in benchmark construction, capital markets, portfolio management, valuation or investment research.
• Knowledge of mutual funds, insurance, pension and AIF ecosystem.
• Ability to engage with senior institutional clients.
• Strong product thinking with commercial orientation.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and strategic initiatives.