Research Associate - ASEAN

About This Role

Working closely with Analysts covering companies across various sectors in the ASEAN region, the Research Associate builds and maintains earnings models and financial analysis. This role is for a proactive individual with strong financial modeling skills who can develop differentiated insights and support client-facing work within a global team.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain earnings models and financial analysis, using automation and AI tools where useful to work efficiently, while applying strong judgment to check outputs, catch errors, and know when something needs to be built or verified by hand
• Stay on top of relevant news developments in the sector globally, not just regionally, and quickly communicate the read-through and implications for covered companies and themes
• Go beyond what's readily searchable through channel checks, expert conversations, store visits, and industry contacts
• Develop differentiated, non-consensus insights on companies, sectors, or themes, and translate them into clear, well-argued research reports
• Respond quickly and accurately to data and analysis requests from internal and external clients, often on short notice
• Support the Analyst in client-facing work: marketing materials, meeting prep, and increasingly, direct client interaction
• Exercise editorial judgment on written output, ensuring reports reflect real analytical value and a clear point of view

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or above
• 1 year of equity research or relevant industry experience preferred (buy-side, consulting, or operating experience in relevant sector also considered)
• Solid grounding in financial modeling and accounting fundamentals, plus comfort working with modern research and productivity tools (Excel, Python, AI assistants, Bloomberg/Fact Set, alternative data sources)
• Genuinely proactive; someone who takes initiative, asks the next question, and doesn't wait to be told what to check
• Sharp, quick thinking; able to react in real time to breaking news, results, and shifting market narratives
• Comfortable operating under tight, often compressed deadlines without sacrificing accuracy
• Willingness and ability to collaborate with global teams across time zones, including the US, which may require flexibility outside standard Singapore hours
• Strong interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity, with the ability to work effectively across a diverse, global team

About the Company

Morgan Stanley is known as a global leader in financial services, always evolving and innovating to better serve clients and communities in more than 40 countries around the world. In the Research division, it offers timely, integrated analysis of companies, sectors, markets, and economies, helping clients with their most critical decisions.