Job Application for Finance Associate at Bridgewater Associates

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About Bridgewater

Bridgewater Associates is a premier asset management firm, focused on delivering unique insight and partnership for the most sophisticated global institutional investors.

Our investment process is driven by a tireless pursuit to understand how the world’s markets and economies work — using cutting edge technology to validate and execute on timeless and universal investment principles.

Founded in 1975, we are a community of independent thinkers who share a commitment for excellence. By fostering a culture of openness, transparency, and inclusion, we strive to unlock the most complex questions in investment strategy, management, and corporate culture.

Explore more information about Bridgewater on our website here.

Our Culture

Our culture is anchored in excellence, meaning constant improvement, and it is deeply tied to our mission. Because markets are objective, competitive, and getting smarter everyday, we need to keep rapidly improving to have any chance of beating them. Truth is our most essential tool for engaging with the markets and constantly improving because once you know what's true about your problems and opportunities, you can determine how to get better. Valuing truth means being transparent about your decision-making and mistakes, giving and receiving feedback with humility, and fighting for the best answers over hierarchy, ego, or self-interest. Operating this way is hard – it's only possible because we build meaning in our work and relationships. This meaning comes from the audacity of the mission, and the joy of working alongside people who make you a better version of yourself. The culture, like Bridgewater itself, is always evolving. In 1997 our founder Ray Dalio wrote down his lessons, starting with a Philosophy Statement which remains our foundation. This later evolved into a set of 300+ Principles. In 2022, when Ray transitioned the company, we re-underwrote several of those principles and evolved others, with a specific focus on Meritocracy. Today the culture sits, alongside our people, as our most important edge. When we get it right, it’s the engine that powers everything else.

Explore more information about Bridgewater’s culture on our website here.

Finance Department

Finance leads Bridgewater’s financial strategy and serves as a strategic advisor to businesses across the firm. We partner with leaders to translate strategy into financially sound plans, evaluate growth opportunities, and make informed decisions about how to allocate capital. Our work builds financial resilience and drives long-term shareholder value, supported by rigorous analysis, reporting, and controls. We are also transforming how Finance operates, using AI and automation to deliver faster insights and focus more of our expertise on the decisions that shape the firm’s future.

About the role

Finance Associates are core members of the department from day one. You will partner with leaders across the firm, build the analysis behind important decisions, and communicate the “so what” behind the numbers. Finance Associates work across areas such as business planning and analysis, corporate finance, and investor relations, gaining a broad view of how Bridgewater operates.

Every Finance Associate joins the Finance Associate Program, which helps early-career finance professionals develop, grow, and connect within Bridgewater’s Finance organization. The program has three pillars:

Training and professional development: Training in AI, finance fundamentals, advanced Excel, and financial modeling, with a path tailored to your role.
Mentorship and exposure to leadership: A one-on-one mentor from among Finance’s senior professionals with opportunities to learn from leaders across the organization.
Community and cohort engagement: Join a cohort of FAs across Finance who come together to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and build relationships through discussions and events they help organize.

What You Will Do

Build financial models and analyses that inform leadership decisions and translate insights into clear recommendations.
Drive critical processes including planning and budgeting, financial reporting, capital planning, valuation, and liquidity analysis.
Partner with business leaders to pressure-test decisions before resources are committed.
Use AI tools and automation to make Finance’s work faster, more accurate, and more scalable.
Prepare concise materials and narratives for senior leadership.

You Will Be A Fit For The Role If You Are

Analytical: Detail-oriented and able to turn numbers into a story, separating the big from the small.
AI-minded: Energized by using AI to redefine what finance can do, with hands-on curiosity about AI tools and large language models.
An owner: Proactive and gritty, with the drive to carry work from idea through execution.
An independent thinker: Comfortable using data and logic to challenge assumptions thoughtfully.
A clear communicator: Able to explain complex ideas simply, ask sharp questions, and build trust with senior stakeholders.
Feedback-oriented: Eager to seek and give feedback, and quick to learn from mistakes.

Minimum Qualifications

This role is for graduating seniors in the Class of 2027 completing a four-year degree from an accredited undergraduate institution with an academic focus or demonstrated interest in finance, accounting, economics, business, or a related field.
A strong academic track record and demonstrated math and analytical ability.
Evidence of leadership on or off campus.
Proficiency in Excel and experience using AI tools to improve analysis or streamline work.

Compensation

The wage range for this role is $85,000 - $110,000 inclusive of base salary and discretionary target bonus. The expected base salary for this role is between 80% - 90% of this wage range.

Physical Requirements

The anticipated onsite requirement for this role is four days per week at our New York City campus.

Why Choose Bridgewater?

It takes all types to make Bridgewater great. We seek a diverse group of innovative thinkers and push them to engage in rigorous and thoughtful inquiry. We develop people through an honest examination of their abilities and performance, enabling personal growth and professional development. We strive to provide you opportunities that will challenge you and unlock your potential.

One of our core priorities at Bridgewater is to enable our employees to build a great life and career, and we believe our benefits are an important extension of that philosophy. As such, currently Bridgewater offers a competitive suite of benefits. Explore more information about Bridgewater’s benefits on our website here.

Bridgewater reserves the right to change its current benefits program at any time, in a manner that is consistent with applicable federal and state regulations.

This job description is not a contract and confers no contractual rights, privileges, or benefits on any applicant or potential applicant. Bridgewater has the right to change any and all terms of this job description, including, but not limited to, job responsibilities, qualifications and benefits. Nothing in this job description constitutes an offer or guarantee of employment. Please note that we do not provide immigration sponsorship for this position.

Bridgewater Associates, LP is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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Bridgewater is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions will be made without regard to race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status, civil union status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity or expression, present or past mental disability, learning disability, physical disability, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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Finance Associate

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