Rates trader

Confidential; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Zekai is seeking an experienced Rates trader on a 100% remote contract to support an AI-driven project for a leading investment bank's trading desk. The role emphasizes applying domain knowledge of rates markets to train and evaluate AI outputs against real market practice.

You will assess AI-generated trading scenarios, create representative tasks, and provide feedback on risk and realism. Strong communication and reliability in a remote, collaborative environment are essential.

Qualifications

• Current or former experience as a rates trader at a bank, hedge fund, or similar institution.
• Strong knowledge of interest rate swaps, swaptions, treasury futures, repo, and Eurodollar/SOFR.
• Understanding of rates market structure and trading desk operations.
• Background in algorithmic or systematic trading is valued but not essential.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.

Responsibilities

• Assess AI-generated trading strategies and outputs for accuracy, risk, and market realism across rates products.
• Create and refine representative sample tasks with clear project instructions based on real trading scenarios in the rates space.
• Analyze and provide feedback on AI performance in simulated market conditions, identifying strengths and shortcomings of proposed strategies.
• Offer commentary on how AI strategies align with actual desk practices and market structure.
• Collaborate with project leads and technologists to translate domain requirements into actionable guidance for AI model training.
• Document rationale and communicate findings in written and verbal formats for technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Skills

Rates trader experience

Interest rate swaps

Swaptions

Treasury futures

Repo

Eurodollar/SOFR

Algorithmic trading

Market structure analysis

Risk evaluation

Communication skills

Job description

Role Title: Rates trader

Role Type: Contractor

Location: Remote

our partner is engaging experienced Rates traders to participate in a cutting-edge AI-driven project for a leading investment bank’s algorithmic trading desk. In this role, you'll apply your expertise to help train next-generation AI systems. Your work will shape how models learn, reason, and perform through high-quality, real-world input. No prior experience in AI is required — your domain knowledge is what matters. Contributors will evaluate AI agent outputs against genuine market practice and provide specialized insights into rates market structure and trading strategy. This opportunity is ideal for professionals who have direct exposure to rates trading—particularly with interest rate swaps, swaptions, treasury futures, Eurodollar/SOFR, and repo transactions. Hands-on algorithmic or systematic rates trading background is highly valued but is not mandatory.

Scope of Work

• Assess AI-generated trading strategies and outputs for accuracy, risk management, and market realism across rates products.
• Create and refine representative sample tasks with clear project instructions based on real trading scenarios in the rates space.
• Analyze and provide feedback on AI performance in simulated market conditions, identifying strengths and shortcomings of proposed strategies.
• Offer commentary on how AI strategies align (or misalign) with actual desk practices and market structure.
• Collaborate with project leads and technologists to translate domain requirements into actionable guidance for AI model training.
• Document rationale and communicate findings in written and verbal formats for technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current or former experience as a rates trader at an investment bank, hedge fund, or similar institution.
• Significant practical knowledge of interest rate swaps, swaptions, treasury futures, repo, and Eurodollar/SOFR trading.
• Understanding of rates market structure and trading desk operations.
• Background in algorithmic or systematic trading is highly desirable but not essential.
• Strong skills in evaluating trading risk, quantitative strategies, and market scenario analysis.
• Excellent communication abilities—both written and verbal.
• Discipline and reliability in a remote and collaborative project environment.

This is a 100% remote contract role, open to applicants worldwide in the countries the employer accepts.