Business Manager - Systematic

CTC Lateral - Website & LinkedIn; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 175,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous time off

Insurance coverage

Paid parental leave

Free breakfast and lunch

Wellness reimbursement

Job summary

Chicago Trading Company (CTC) based in Chicago, Illinois is seeking a professional to support operational excellence in their systematic trading business. The role emphasizes collaboration with senior leadership and a commitment to continuous improvement and ethical excellence.

Qualified candidates will possess relevant degrees and experience in systematic trading or program management. A competitive salary of $175,000 – $225,000, along with a hybrid workplace model, generous benefits, and a strong commitment to diversity are offered.

Qualifications

• Experience in systematic trading or consulting in options/volatility strategies.
• Proven track record in program management with expertise in OKRs.
• Genuine commitment to CTC’s values of diversity and ethical excellence.

Responsibilities

• Assist in building roadmaps and track project progress.
• Drive data requirements for model research use cases.
• Optimize workflows and recommend enhancements for continuous improvement.

Skills

Options risk understanding

Exceptional communication skills

Adaptive problem solver

Program and process management

Education

Bachelor or Master’s degree in Business, Computer Science, Engineering or related field

Job description

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 markets 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 CTC makes a positive impact on the markets, the lives of our employees, and all the communities to which we belong.

This high‑visibility role directly supports senior leadership and is pivotal in scaling and driving operational excellence for CTC’s systematic trading business. You will collaborate closely with quantitative researchers, traders, technologists, and cross‑functional enterprise teams to accelerate strategic initiatives – expanding product offerings, optimizing execution costs, and strengthening risk management frameworks.

What You’ll Do

• Assist in building roadmaps, reviewing interdependencies, and help with sequencing.
• Help team members break projects down into smaller, incremental commercial steps. Track progress and drive accountability.
• Anticipate breaks in project plans, elevate and adjust plans as projects pivot.
• Improve team communication by getting right stakeholders in the room, re‑centering focus by summarizing the current state, shepherding projects to sensible next steps and defining what good follow‑ups look like.
• Develop solid understanding of data processes and infrastructure. Understand current and future downstream data use cases. Drive data requirements as they relate to model research use cases.
• Help business leads drive high degree of consistency between research and production.
• Drive cross‑team collaboration with other businesses and departments.
• Assist in supporting technical upgrades to management tooling.
• Optimize workflows: map end‑to‑end processes, identify bottlenecks, and recommend enhancements or new tools to enable continuous improvement.
• Foster a high‑performance culture: create a collaborative culture committed to problem solving, high quality delivery, and ongoing refinement of processes.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in Business, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (preferred).
• Experience in systematic trading, quantitative/technical program management, or consulting in options/volatility strategies – or similarly complex environments.
• Understanding of options risk (Greeks, volatility surfaces), internalization/externalization trade flows, and delta hedging fundamentals.
• Proven track record in program and process management across engineering and trading, with expertise in OKRs, dependency mapping, and post‑incident analysis.
• Exceptional communication skills – capable of producing clear, concise reporting, making decisive recommendations, and driving swift execution.
• Adaptive problem solver with a growth mindset – able to learn from setbacks, pivot quickly, and champion continuous improvement.
• Genuine commitment to CTC’s values of diversity, ethical excellence, and equal opportunity – thriving in a fast‑moving, collaborative environment.

Compensation

Salary Range: $175,000 – $225,000 USD.

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

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

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), 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 ensures each person feels included, engaged, and empowered. 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 reasonable accommodation, please contact us at [e-mail]. Note that this email account will not receive non‑disability related inquiries.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Information submitted by job applicants may be subject to review and analysis by automated systems, including Artificial Intelligence, 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.