Full-Time

Quantitative Researcher

Systematic

Chicago Trading Company

Chicago Trading Company

501-1,000 employees

Proprietary trading using quantitative strategies

Compensation Overview

$200k - $300k/yr

+ Annual discretionary bonus

Chicago, IL, USA + 1 more

More locations: New York, NY, USA

Hybrid

Hybrid workplace model; required on-site schedule is not specified.

PhD

Category
Quantitative Finance (1)
Required Skills
Python
Quantitative Research
Machine Learning
Pandas
Risk Management
NumPy
Data Analysis

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Requirements
  • A PhD in a science or engineering field is strongly preferred, such as Statistics, Mathematics, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Operations Research, or Electrical Engineering.
  • At least five years of experience as a Quantitative Researcher on a top systematic trading team.
  • A demonstrable track record of generating positive profit and loss.
  • Advanced programming skills and experience with the software development lifecycle.
  • The ability to blend academic rigor with practical application in fast-paced trading environments.
  • A commitment to quality and delivering commercial outcomes.
  • Python skills, including experience with NumPy and Pandas libraries.
Responsibilities
  • Analyze market data to develop economic and market microstructure hypotheses.
  • Build predictive and explanatory models describing financial markets.
  • Apply thorough research processes to real-world business problems to generate revenue.
  • Conduct independent, high-quality research in quantitative finance.
  • Communicate complex ideas and research results effectively in writing and verbally.
  • Drive innovation and results through analytical expertise and business acumen.
  • Partner with Trading and Technology to strengthen, scale, and evolve the firm's trading capabilities.
  • Work on a research desk with researchers, traders, and engineers on quantitative problem-solving, trading strategy generation, back-testing, statistical analysis, and system design.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with a wide variety of market and alternative data.
  • Expertise in United States options markets, options pricing models, volatility surfaces, and risk management techniques.
  • A strong track record of publications in an industry setting.
Chicago Trading Company

Chicago Trading Company

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CTC trades its own capital in stocks, options, and futures for institutional clients. A team of traders, quants, technologists, and operations staff uses algorithms and data analysis to identify trading opportunities and execute trades. Profits come from timely pricing, risk management, and efficient execution, financed by its own balance sheet. The firm differentiates itself with internal capital generation, a collaborative culture, and offices in Chicago, Boulder, London, and New York to access global markets, aiming for steady profits by refining quantitative methods.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

Debt Financing

Total Funding

$300M

Headquarters

Chicago, Illinois

Founded

1995

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • CTC hired Citi's Ben Miller in September 2024 to grow EMEA ETF sales.
  • Open roles in 2026 span FPGA, AI, quant research, and execution engineering.
  • The firm expanded at 425 South Financial Place, showing continued headcount and capital investment.

What critics are saying

  • A 2023 data breach exposed Social Security numbers, passports, and licenses.
  • CTC still advertises privacy contacts, suggesting lingering remediation and compliance burden.
  • ETFs, systematic trading, and market making face brutal competition from Optiver and Jane Street.

What makes Chicago Trading Company unique

  • CTC specializes in options market making, not generic multi-manager trading.
  • It operates across Chicago, London, New York, and Amsterdam.
  • Pyth network integration in 2025 signals serious on-chain market-data infrastructure.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Parental Leave

Wellness Program

Flexible Work Hours

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

6%

1 year growth

6%

2 year growth

6%
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