Senior Quantitative Researcher - Systematic

Chicago Trading Company (CTC) is a premier proprietary trading firm specializing in options market making.  Our collaborative culture fuels innovation in quantitative research, systematic trading strategies, and cutting-edge trading technology.  For over three decades CTC has provided critical liquidity across derivatives exchanges worldwide - making them fairer, more transparent, and more efficient.

We strive to be the most innovative firm in the industry today, tomorrow, and long into the future while upholding ethical excellence. We believe that CTC makes a positive impact on the markets, the lives of our employees, and all the communities to which we belong. Started in 1995 by a team of forward-thinking Traders, we are proud to call ourselves an industry leader that keeps making markets and each other better.

Quantitative research is a key driver of innovation at CTC and one of the pillars upon which our firm is built. We are seeking a Quantitative Researcher to partner with Trading and Technology to strengthen, scale, and evolve the firm's trading capabilities within one of the quant research teams. As a Senior Quantitative Researcher, you will be embedded on a research desk, working closely in a dynamic environment. This includes partnership with other researchers, traders, and engineers on quantitative problem solving, trading strategy generation, back-testing, statistical analysis, and system design.  

Our environment of collaborative innovation and intellectual curiosity allows us to share our victories while continually challenging ourselves to stretch the limits of our creativity. Take advantage of this opportunity to apply the scientific method to business problems as part of the Quant team at CTC! 

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own the PnL of your research end-to-end, from hypothesis through production and stay accountable for live performance  
• Analyze market data to build economic and microstructure hypotheses; set and manage a research roadmap based on expected ROI  
• Build predictive and explanatory models that translate directly into trading revenue  
• Take signals and strategies from research to production, partnering with engineering to deploy, monitor, and maintain them in live trading.  
• Evaluate research by its marginal contribution to portfolio P&L, risk, and capacity net of costs, and use that to make the case to senior leadership for where the team invests next.  
• Lead projects and mentor junior researchers, raising the quality and commercial impact of the team's work  

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• PhD in Statistics, Mathematics, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Operations Research, Electrical Engineering, or related field (strongly preferred) 
• 7+ years as a Quantitative Researcher in a top systematic trading team, with a demonstrable track record of generating and owning PnL  
• Experience leading or mentoring researchers, or owning a research roadmap  
• Strong commercial instincts and fluency in trading business models and the competitive landscape of systematic trading firms  
• Advanced Python (NumPy, Pandas) and software development lifecycle experience  

NICE TO HAVES

• Expertise in US options markets, options pricing models, volatility surfaces, and risk management  
• Experience with a wide variety of market and alternative data  
• Track record of publications in an industry setting  

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this role is listed below. This role is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. The discretionary bonus will be dependent upon the individual’s skills, experience, qualifications, and firm performance. 

Salary Range

$200,000—$300,000 USD

Most teams at CTC, with the exception of Trading, follow a hybrid workplace model, subject to change based on business need.

OUR BENEFITS 

We strongly believe in the well-being of our employees and their families so we offer outstanding benefits to support you both professionally and personally. These benefits include generous time off, insurance coverage, paid parental leave, free breakfast and lunch (plus healthy snacks, of course), wellness reimbursement, and a variety of other benefits focused on providing the best employee experience. 

(Disclaimer: interns and contractors are not eligible for benefits at CTC) 

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY and INCLUSION

At CTC, we aim to cultivate a workplace that celebrates diversity and each person feels included, engaged and empowered. Where each of us feels we belong. We are committed to having a diverse workforce and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. CTC does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. 

If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or to apply for a position, please contact us at View email address on job-boards.greenhouse.io. Note that emails sent to this email account for non-disability related issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

Information submitted by job applicants may be subject to review and analysis by automated systems, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), as part of the recruitment process. Such systems are utilized to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our hiring procedures. Applicants are advised that any information provided may be evaluated by AI tools to ensure an equitable and thorough assessment.