Execution Research Fellow

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Viking is seeking an Execution Research Fellow to join our trading and technology teams for a project-based fellowship of 10 to 12 weeks, with a target start date in Fall 2026. This is an opportunity to conduct applied research on high-impact problems at the intersection of market microstructure, data infrastructure, and execution optimization.

The Fellow will work directly under the direction of Viking’s Head of Execution Research, contributing to defined project workstreams and benefiting from close mentorship throughout. We are open to different start dates and schedule arrangements for the ideal candidate. This is a fixed-term fellowship with no expectation of or pathway to full-time employment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Fellow will support applied research across three core project areas:

• Market Data: Assist in evaluating, cleaning, and analyzing high-frequency and tick-level market data across asset classes and venues. Support work on data quality assessment, normalization, and storage efficiency.
• Market Infrastructure: Support the assessment and documentation of Viking’s trading infrastructure, including connectivity to exchanges and execution venues. Research and summarize emerging technologies and best practices in low-latency and high-throughput execution systems.
• Optimal Routing Decisions: Support quantitative analysis of order routing across venues, including work on transaction cost analysis (TCA) data. Research algorithmic routing strategies and smart order routing (SOR) design.

In addition to these core workstreams, the Fellow will contribute to Viking’s broader research effort by sharing findings and insights across the trading and investment teams.

QUALIFICATIONS

Across Viking, we attract motivated, intellectually curious, and analytically rigorous people who are passionate about learning and creating impact. The ideal candidate will possess the following traits:

• A strong performer currently enrolled in a Master’s degree or PhD program in Computer Science, Statistics, Financial Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field
• Prior hands-on experience working with tick data or other high-frequency market data (academic or professional)
• Proficiency in Python, including experience with data-intensive libraries (e.g., pandas, numpy, polars, or similar); familiarity with SQL and data engineering tools a plus
• Exposure to market microstructure, execution algorithms, or trading systems — through coursework, research, or prior experience
• Ability to execute well-defined research tasks under direction, with strong attention to detail and follow-through
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present quantitative findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Proactive, self-motivated, and committed to excellence

APPLICATION

• Please submit your resume / application through the Viking career site: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vikingglobalinvestors/jobs/6005845004
• Please remember to indicate your school name on the application page.
• Note: Please merge your resume and brief research supplement into a single PDF file (resume first, supplement second) before submitting. Applications missing either component will not be reviewed.
• The research supplement should describe a relevant research project you recently completed. Please include:
  • The research question you were trying to answer
  • The data you used (including any tick or market data)
  • Your approach, including statistical or algorithmic methodologies
  • Your findings
  • The computational environment (e.g., language, main libraries, etc.)

The base compensation for this fellowship is $195,000, prorated for the engagement period. In addition to base compensation, Viking employees may be eligible for other forms of compensation and benefits, such as a discretionary bonus, 100% coverage of medical and dental premiums, and paid lunches. Actual compensation for successful candidates will be individually determined based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, a candidate’s skill set, experience, and education. For more information on our benefits, please visit www.vikingglobal.com/life-at-viking/

Viking is an equal opportunity employer. Questions about your candidacy and requests for reasonable accommodation in the recruitment process should be directed to [email protected].

CONTACT: Viking Campus Recruiting Team[email protected]