Quantitative Developer - Derivatives

IMC Trading; Illinois; On-site; USD 175,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

IMC Trading in Chicago is seeking a Quantitative Developer - Derivatives to join our Pricing and Risk (PAR) team. You will work at the intersection of quantitative modeling and high-performance engineering to price complex derivatives and manage risk across multiple asset classes.

The role emphasizes building production-grade C++ and Java systems, collaborating with quants and traders, and delivering scalable, accurate models with low latency.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a trading or financial environment working on pricing or risk systems.
• Strong understanding of derivatives pricing, especially options and volatility.
• Solid background in mathematics, physics, computer science, or a related quantitative field.
• Extensive C++ and/or Java skills, with experience building production systems.
• Experience working closely with quants, traders, or similarly technical stakeholders.
• Ability to translate quantitative models into reliable, scalable systems.
• Experience with PDE methods or other advanced numerical techniques is a strong plus.
• Familiarity with numerical analysis (stability, convergence, error propagation) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement high-performance numerical algorithms for pricing and risk.
• Build and improve models that reflect real market behavior, balancing accuracy, stability, and latency.
• Own core components of the firm’s pricing library, from models to calculation graphs to central infrastructure.
• Work closely with quants and engineers to ensure models are robust, explainable, and production-ready.
• Contribute across the full lifecycle: research, implementation, validation, and performance optimization.
• Write clean, maintainable production code in C++ and Java.

Skills

C++

Java

Derivatives pricing

Quantitative modeling

High-performance computing

PDE methods

Numerical analysis

Traders collaboration

Education

Quantitative field degree

Job description

We’re looking for a Quantitative Developer - Derivatives to join our Chicago office.

At IMC, the Pricing and Risk (PAR) team owns the firm’s core quantitative library for live derivatives pricing and risk. This library sits directly in the critical path of our HFT market making systems and serves as the real-time source of truth for valuation across all strategies. It is both foundational and constantly evolving, with extremely high expectations for performance and correctness.

The platform runs at scale across thousands of servers and is developed collaboratively across desks and regions. The team works closely with global counterparts to ensure consistency in how derivatives are modeled and priced across the firm.

Our primary focus is options and volatility modeling, alongside support for a broader set of asset classes including fixed income, ETFs, and FX.

This role sits at the intersection of quantitative modeling and high-performance engineering, similar to roles often titled Quant Developer or Strategist.

Your Core Responsibilities

• Design and implement high-performance numerical algorithms for pricing and risk

• Build and improve models that reflect real market behavior, balancing accuracy, stability, and latency

• Own core components of the firm’s pricing library, from models to calculation graphs to central infrastructure

• Work closely with quants and engineers to ensure models are robust, explainable, and production-ready

• Contribute across the full lifecycle: research, implementation, validation, and performance optimization

• Write clean, maintainable production code in C++ and Java

Your Skills and Experience

• 5+ years of experience in a trading or financial environment working on pricing or risk systems

• Strong understanding of derivatives pricing, especially options and volatility

• Solid background in mathematics, physics, computer science, or a related quantitative field

• Extensive C++ and/or Java skills, with experience building production systems

• Experience working closely with quants, traders, or similarly technical stakeholders

• Ability to translate quantitative models into reliable, scalable systems

• Experience with PDE methods or other advanced numerical techniques is a strong plus

• Familiarity with numerical analysis (stability, convergence, error propagation) is a plus

The Base Salary range for the role is included below. Base salary is only one component of total compensation; all full-time, permanent positions are eligible for a discretionary bonus and benefits, including paid leave and insurance. Please visit Benefits - US | IMC Trading for more comprehensive information.

Salary Range

$175,000—$250,000 USD

About Us

IMC is a research-driven trading firm where quantitative modeling, machine learning, and engineering shape how modern markets are traded. A stabilizing force in markets since 1989, we provide liquidity across trading venues, delivering the best outcome in value and risk management to investors. Using our own technology and capital, we build proprietary systems and algorithms that operate across global markets. Our researchers, traders, and engineers work as a collective, combining rapid experimentation, advanced infrastructure, and real-time feedback to turn insight into execution and execution into advantage.