5-7 years of experience in market data vendor management or related fields within financial institutions.
Proven track record in managing senior-level relationships with major market data providers.
Expertise in negotiating complex contracts and commercial terms.
Broad knowledge of cross-asset market data including equities, fixed income, and derivatives.
Familiarity with leading market data platforms like Bloomberg and FactSet.
Strong financial management skills including budgeting and cost optimization.
Demonstrated leadership abilities with experience in team development.
Responsibilities
Serve as the senior relationship owner for key market data providers and strategic partners.
Lead complex commercial negotiations for contracts and pricing structures.
Develop vendor strategies that align with the firm's investment needs.
Build strong relationships with senior vendor executives for escalations.
Partner with internal teams to understand market data requirements across asset classes.
Assess new market data solutions and emerging providers for investment alignment.
Oversee market data expenditures and identify cost optimization opportunities.
Benefits
Opportunity to shape the firm's market data strategy.
Collaborative work environment with senior business leaders.
Leadership role with team development responsibilities.
Access to cutting-edge market data solutions and technologies.
Engagement with top-tier financial information providers.
Full Job Description
A leading global investment management firm is seeking an accomplished market data professional to oversee strategic vendor relationships, commercial negotiations, and market data management initiatives across its investment platform.
This senior leadership position requires a combination of deep market data industry knowledge, strong commercial expertise, and the ability to manage complex relationships with leading financial information providers. The successful candidate will play a central role in shaping the firm's market data strategy, optimizing vendor partnerships, and ensuring that investment professionals have access to the information and services necessary to support their trading and investment activities.
Working closely with portfolio managers, trading desks, research teams, and senior business leaders, this individual will oversee a broad portfolio of market data relationships spanning multiple asset classes and investment strategies. The role also includes responsibility for leading a small team, strengthening vendor governance, and driving efficiencies across market data operations.
Serve as the senior relationship owner for key market data providers, financial information services, exchanges, and other strategic data partners.
Lead complex commercial negotiations involving enterprise agreements, contract renewals, licensing arrangements, pricing structures, and service commitments.
Develop and execute vendor strategies that support the firm's evolving investment requirements while optimizing commercial terms and managing associated risks.
Build strong relationships with senior vendor executives, serving as the primary escalation point for commercial, service, and contractual matters.
Evaluate vendor performance, service quality, contractual compliance, and opportunities to improve existing relationships or introduce alternative providers.
Market Data Strategy & Investment Business Support
Partner with portfolio managers, traders, research professionals, and investment technology teams to understand market data requirements across asset classes and strategies.
Provide commercial and product expertise across traditional market data, pricing services, reference data, exchange data, and other financial information products.
Assess new market data solutions and emerging providers, balancing investment requirements, product capabilities, cost, and contractual considerations.
Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure market data services are appropriately sourced, licensed, implemented, and maintained.
Support strategic initiatives involving vendor consolidation, platform enhancements, data sourcing, and improvements to the firm's market data infrastructure.
Financial Management & Vendor Governance
Oversee market data expenditures, budgeting, forecasting, and cost optimization initiatives in partnership with Finance and Procurement.
Identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary spending, improve commercial arrangements, and maximize value from existing vendor relationships.
Establish and monitor vendor performance standards, service-level commitments, and governance frameworks.
Support oversight of market data inventory, usage, entitlements, licensing obligations, and associated operational controls.
Ensure vendor arrangements align with internal policies, contractual requirements, and applicable regulatory and exchange obligations.
Leadership & Operational Improvement
Lead, mentor, and develop a team responsible for market data vendor management and related commercial activities.
Establish priorities, promote accountability, and ensure effective execution across vendor relationships and strategic initiatives.
Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, improve reporting, strengthen controls, and introduce automation across vendor management processes.
Work collaboratively with Technology, Operations, Data Management, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and Procurement to resolve complex issues and implement improvements.
Provide senior management with clear reporting on vendor performance, financial exposure, strategic initiatives, and commercial opportunities.
Required Qualifications
Significant experience in market data vendor management, strategic sourcing, commercial management, or market data relationship management within a hedge fund, asset manager, investment bank, or other sophisticated financial institution.
Demonstrated success managing senior-level relationships with major market data providers, exchanges, and financial information vendors.
Broad, cross-asset market data knowledge, including equities, fixed income, derivatives, foreign exchange, pricing services, and reference data.
Familiarity with major market data providers such as Bloomberg, LSEG/Refinitiv, ICE Data Services, FactSet, S&P Global, and other institutional financial information platforms.
Experience supporting investment professionals and understanding the market data requirements of portfolio management, trading, and research functions.
Strong financial management capabilities, including budgeting, vendor spend analysis, forecasting, and cost optimization.
Understanding of market data licensing, entitlements, exchange agreements, vendor governance, and contractual compliance.
Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a team while remaining actively involved in strategic vendor relationships and commercial negotiations.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage senior executives and influence business decisions.
Strong analytical and organizational capabilities, with a proactive approach to problem-solving and process improvement.
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Economics, Information Technology, or a related discipline preferred.
