Singapore Internship

This is an opportunity to work as a research assistant within the Strategy and Research (S&R) team of a diversified global macro hedge fund. S&R is a reasonably small team that operates across the entire firm, covering global financial markets. This means the role offers great responsibility and the chance to make a big impact from day one.

The S&R team works directly with the investment team at the firm, and the core objectives of the team are to:

• Analyse key macroeconomic and policy issues for the global economy, including:

• Provide general day-to-day insight on data, monetary and fiscal policy, and other market developments.
• Carry out in-depth analysis on particularly important themes, such as global trade or the US election.

• Provide trade recommendations.
• Maintain a suite of models, including general macroeconomic models as well as asset valuation models and technical indicators.

This is a 13-month internship designed for economics (and potentially finance) students who have completed their undergraduate degree and intend to study a masters, or masters graduates. We would also consider students currently undertaking their undergraduate/masters who are able to partake in an industrial placement, with some flexibility on the duration of the internship, though the length would need to be at least 8 months.

MKP recognizes that diversity and inclusion is a strength and is a necessary element in the success we plan to achieve.  MKP is committed to fostering and cultivating an inclusive environment where diversity is embraced and celebrated.

Recruitment Process

Stage 1: CV screening

Stage 2: Analytical questions – If you pass stage 1 you will be asked to answer some analytical questions which will test your knowledge, analytical and communication skills. 

Stage 3: In-person interview with S&R team member and an assessment on general number reasoning, statistics and maths.

Stage 4: Two further in-person/Zoom interviews with senior S&R team members

Salary: Competitive + opportunity for discretionary bonus

Job start date: Summer 2024

Job end date: Summer 2025

Company Description

MKP Capital Management is a global alternative investment manager.  Since its founding in 1995, the firm has operated with a long-term approach to investing, focused on diversifying and uncorrelated alpha strategies. The objective of the firm’s discretionary global macro strategies is to produce high risk-adjusted returns over the long-term by using a disciplined, repeatable investment process within a strong risk-management framework. MKP believes that integrity, transparency, and alignment of interests are essential, uncompromising parts of our business model.

At MKP Capital, we are keen to hire highly motivated and passionate people. Given MKP’s firm-wide belief in valuing our employees and our performance driven culture, every employee is given the opportunity to truly make an impact during their time with MKP. Each person at MKP contributes to the firm’s success and longevity. Our culture harnesses the power of collaboration to produce individual and collective excellence.  MKP recognizes that diversity and inclusion is a strength and is a necessary element in the success we plan to achieve.  MKP is committed to fostering and cultivating an inclusive environment where diversity is embraced and celebrated. 

The head office of MKP is located in New York, with two smaller offices in Singapore, London and Miami. The Singapore office is home to 5 staff members, including one assistant portfolio manager and members of the Strategy and Research team.

A research assistant will provide assistance to S&R in regards to all of the core objectives above, but the primary responsibilities will be to:

• Take responsibility for the smooth running of MKP’s suite of models and core data outputs. This will involve ensuring models run daily and that key outputs are stored and are easily accessible.
• Manipulate economic and financial data for projects and day-to-day analysis.
• Contribute to the expansion of S&R’s Asia models, datasets, and chart tool infrastructure.
• Provide commentary to the rest of S&R and the investment team on the key data trends and forecasts.
• Help to expand MKP’s macro forecasting and asset valuation models to a broader range of economies and markets.
• Provide day-to-day support to the head of S&R, including creating presentations and charts for internal and external meetings.
• Provide support on core S&R projects.

The candidate will work directly with the investment team, a very high performer with strong numerical and quantitative skills are required.

Other requirements include:

• Very comfortable working with data. The following skills are essential:
• Eviews or other statistical software: Ability to manipulate and display data, basic modelling techniques, programming.
• Excel: Good knowledge of key functions including pivot tables, VLookups, If, etc.
• Coding: Ability to work with data via some form of programming language, with Python a plus.
• Strong knowledge of economic theory, policy and data, with a focus on macroeconomics- preference for economics degrees or those with high macroeconomic content.
• Strong drafting skills and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely.
• Fluent English is a requirement, with Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean a plus.
• Proactive can-do attitude, ability to problem solve, and drive to complete projects.
• Quick learner who can adjust to work on a wide variety of tasks and projects.
• Exceptional interpersonal and analytical skills, with attention to detail.
• Comfortable voicing opinions and receiving feedback within a highly collaborative culture.