Quantitative Researcher

IMC; Chicago, New York (IL, NY); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

IMC Americas, Inc. is hiring multiple Quantitative Researchers for Chicago, IL and New York, NY.

You will collaborate with traders, developers, and researchers to improve models used in proprietary trading strategies through statistical analysis, simulation, and empirical research. You will design methods to analyze market data, build backtesting frameworks, and prototype algorithms, with a focus on forecasting accuracy, risk, and profitability.

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in a quantitative field and two years of related experience.
• Experience applying statistical inference, optimization, time-series analysis, and ML methods to solve problems.
• Ability to design and implement mathematical models and algorithms for trading strategies.
• Experience analyzing large-scale high-frequency financial time-series data and handling data quality issues.
• Proficiency with Python libraries (Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, scikit-learn, PyTorch, XGBoost, LightGBM).
• Experience collaborating with traders and developers in a quantitative trading environment.
• Knowledge of market microstructure, derivatives pricing, risk modeling, and portfolio management.
• Experience building trading systems with low-latency requirements.
• Ability to translate research into production-ready algorithms.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with traders, developers, and researchers to evaluate, validate, and improve models used in proprietary trading strategies.
• Design quantitative methods to gather and analyze market data and statistics for new trading strategies.
• Build research tools, simulations, visualizations, and backtesting frameworks to evaluate hypotheses.
• Formulate trading hypotheses as mathematical and ML models and coordinate integration into trading systems.
• Apply statistical inference, optimization, numerical methods, and financial mathematics to diagnose model behavior and forecast accuracy.
• Identify gaps in existing algorithms and propose new approaches to improve pricing, execution, risk, or performance.
• Define design requirements for new quantitative algorithms, including inputs, assumptions, and impact.
• Drive complex research projects from problem definition through testing, planning, and post-deployment review.
• Assess production readiness by evaluating statistical evidence, risk, and profitability.
• Prioritize research initiatives by potential PnL impact, feasibility, and strategic value.
• Mentor graduate researchers and interns on algorithm design, trading research, and model validation.

Skills

Statistical inference

Time-series

Optimization

Financial mathematics

Python

Trading systems

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Pandas/NumPy

SciPy

scikit-learn

PyTorch

XGBoost

LightGBM

Job description

Chicago, United States; New York, United States

IMC Americas, Inc. has multiple openings for Quantitative Researcher (REQ ID:4528527101) in Chicago, IL and New York, NY.

Your Core Responsibilities

• Collaborate with traders, developers, and researchers to evaluate, validate, and improve quantitative models used in IMC’s proprietary trading strategies through statistical analysis, simulation, and empirical research (10%).
• Design quantitative methods to gather and analyze market data, trading statistics, or new data sources and use the result of that research as the basis for new trading strategies (10%).
• Build research-oriented computational tools, simulations, visualizations, and backtesting frameworks to evaluate quantitative hypotheses and measure model performance before production deployment (10%).
• Formulate trading hypotheses as mathematical, statistical, and machine-learning models; prototype algorithms and coordinate with developers to integrate validated research into trading systems (10%).
• Apply statistical inference, optimization, numerical methods, and financial mathematics to diagnose model behavior, improve forecasting accuracy, and address complex research problems in proprietary trading (15%).
• Identify gaps in existing trading algorithms and propose new algorithmic approaches to improve pricing, execution, risk management, or trading performance (10%).
• Define design requirements for new quantitative trading algorithms, including the intended market behavior, data inputs, model assumptions, implementation constraints, and expected trading impact (10%).
• Drive complex quantitative research projects from initial problem definition through hypothesis testing, model validation, implementation planning, and post-deployment performance review (10%).
• Determine whether quantitative models or trading strategies are ready for production deployment by assessing statistical evidence, trading risk, operational constraints, and expected profitability (5%).
• Prioritize quantitative research initiatives by weighing expected PnL impact, technical feasibility, implementation risk, resource requirements, and strategic value to the trading desk (5%).
• Mentor graduate quantitative researchers and interns by reviewing research plans, challenging assumptions, evaluating analysis quality, and providing technical guidance on algorithm design, trading research, and model validation (5%).

Partial telecommuting permitted. Multiple positions available. Requisition ID: 4528527101.

Your Skills and Experience

This position requires aBachelors degree, or foreign equivalent, in Computer Science, Financial Mathematics, Financial Engineering, Computational Mathematics, or a closely related quantitative, mathematical, or computational field, and two (2) years of experience in the job offered or a quantitative, technical, and mathematical role or a related position.

Must have two (2) years of experience with each of the following skills:

• Applying statistical inference, optimization, regression analysis, time-series analysis, algorithm design, and other analytical and quantitative techniques to solve complex problems;
• Designing and implementing mathematical models and algorithms, including optimization, signal-generation, and statistical learning methods;
• Analyzing large-scale, high-frequency financial time-series datasets — including market data, order book data, trade data, and derived quantitative signals — to identify patterns, evaluate hypotheses, and measure model performance, with experience handling data quality issues such as gaps and outliers;
• Applying statistical inference, time-series analysis, and model-validation best practices to analyze data and evaluate quantitative research results;
• Applying concepts from financial theory, financial mathematics, and financial engineering, including market microstructure, derivatives pricing, risk modeling, and portfolio management;
• Experience collaborating with traders and developers conducting quantitative research for use in a quantitative trading environment;
• Using Python coding libraries, including Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, scikit-learn, statsmodels, PyTorch, XGBoost, LightGBM, Numba, Polars, Dask, Matplotlib to assist in quantitative analysis;
• Applying quantitative research methodologies for use in quantitative proprietary trading;
• Using numerical optimization techniques;
• Building options portfolios; and
• Developing trading systems that trade on low latency scale at the milisecond granularity.

#LI-DNI

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 - $275,000 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.

IMC is an equal opportunity employer. IMC prohibits discrimination of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, age, disability, military or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, and/or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Completion of this section is voluntary and will not affect your opportunity for employment or the terms or conditions of your employment. The data collected from these questions will be stored separately from your individual application and will be kept confidential.