Lead Alpha Researcher, Systematic Equities

IMC; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

IMC in London seeks a Lead Alpha Researcher to join our Systematic Equities team. You will lead a senior research effort, developing and scaling alpha generation, predictive modelling, and machine learning across our global equities business.

You will manage researchers across Europe, shape the research agenda, and drive production deployment of high-impact alpha ideas, coordinating with traders, researchers, and engineers worldwide.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in a quantitative field (ML, statistics, CS, engineering, physics)
• 5+ years in developing systematic intraday trading models and alpha signals
• Proven track record of profitable signals in production trading

Responsibilities

• Lead research, development, and deployment of alpha signals across equities
• Manage and grow the European alpha research team
• Define alpha research priorities and agenda
• Improve production trading performance through rigorous validation
• Establish best practices for methodology, validation, and deployment
• Foster a culture of rigour and collaboration across global offices
• Develop scalable research tools, datasets, and modeling frameworks

Skills

Python

Machine Learning

Leadership

Research

Statistics

Model validation

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Master’s or PhD in ML/Statistics/CS/Engineering/Physics

Tools

Python

Job description

Lead Alpha Researcher, Systematic Equities

London, United Kingdom

The Role

IMC is seeking a Lead Alpha Researcher to join our Systematic Equities team in London. This is a senior hands‑on research and leadership role focused on developing and scaling alpha generation, predictive modelling, and machine learning capabilities across our global equities business.

You will lead a key part of the European alpha research team, managing researchers and driving a portfolio of high‑impact alpha initiatives from idea generation through production deployment. You will work as part of a closely coordinated global alpha initiative, helping to set priorities, develop researchers, elevate research quality, and scale high‑impact ideas across regions.

Working closely with traders, researchers, and developers globally, you will drive the discovery, validation, and deployment of new sources of alpha that improve production trading performance.

Our Systematic Equities business benefits from significant advantages in market access, execution quality, global reach, and technology. The continued growth of machine learning and data‑driven research creates opportunities to unlock these advantages and tackle some of the most impactful problems in systematic trading.

IMC competes and wins as a team, with open idea sharing and collaboration across disciplines, desks, and offices.

Responsibilities

• Take a leading role in research, development, and deployment of alpha signals and predictive models, contributing to a globally coordinated alpha effort across equities markets.
• Manage, grow, and develop a core part of the European alpha research team.
• Help define and prioritise the alpha research agenda.
• Deliver measurable improvements in production trading performance through robust research, disciplined validation, and close collaboration with trading teams.
• Establish and uphold best practices for research methodology, validation, reproducibility, and deployment across the alpha research team.
• Foster a research culture built on scientific rigour, intellectual curiosity, open idea sharing, and continuous improvement.
• Drive the development of scalable research tools, datasets, and modelling frameworks that increase team productivity.

Skills & Experience

• Master’s or PhD in Machine Learning, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or another quantitative discipline.
• 5+ years of experience developing systematic, intraday horizon trading strategies, predictive models, and alpha signals.
• Demonstrated track record of generating profitable, value‑adding, and orthogonal signals in a production trading environment.
• Experience managing, mentoring, or leading researchers in a high‑performance research environment.
• Demonstrated ability to influence research direction, prioritise opportunities, and drive impactful research outcomes.
• Strong practical experience applying machine learning techniques to prediction problems, with a clear understanding of overfitting risks and robust model validation.
• Deep understanding of statistics, experimental design, hypothesis testing, and research methodology.
• Strong programming skills in Python.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across research, trading, engineering, and global office locations.