Systematic Options Trader

Citadel Securities; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary incentive compensation

Medical insurance

Retirement plan

Tax-free savings plans

Job summary

Citadel Securities seeks a Systematic Options Trader to join a global team focusing on quantitative trading strategies. You will balance operations, research, and engineering—managing real-time risk, refining pricing, and monitoring strategy performance.

The role spans research-driven parameterization, evidence-based improvements to algos, and development of new solutions in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM or economics program from a top institution.
• Excellent problem-solving and strategic decision-making in fast-paced trading environments.
• Proficiency in Python and data science libraries; comfortable subscribing, processing, and displaying data in real time.
• Track record of building and operating complex trading strategies.
• Detail-oriented with strong written and oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Build a deep understanding of the systematic market-making business with cross-functional partners.
• Identify new instrumentation to measure behavior and drive profitability.
• Guide the evolution of the platform and its strategies.
• React to outsized market flows and regime shifts by adjusting pricing, risk, and parameters.
• Identify under-participation opportunities and plan capture strategies.
• Maintain operational excellence in all aspects of the role.
• Own risk-management definitions and trading protections.

Skills

Python

Data science libraries

Problem solving

Strategic decision-making

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM or economics

Tools

Linux

SQL

Git

VS Code

Kdb+/Q (a plus)

Job description

Role Overview:

As a Systematic Options Trader, you will join our global team of experts responsible for the innovation, advancement, and day-to-day management of our quantitative systematic trading strategies. You will balance your time between operational, research, and engineering responsibilities. Operational responsibilities include real-time risk management, responding to changing market conditions and risk flows, pricing refinements, and the monitoring of strategy performance. On the research side, you will define the KPIs to be monitored, instrument packet-by-packet inspection of strategy behavior, create new evidence-based parameterization of existing algos as well as creating entirely new solutions. We’re looking for extraordinary traders who are committed to our core values: winning, acting with integrity, continuously learning, and cultivating a meritocracy.

Location:

Miami, FL and New York, NY

Responsibilities:

• Build a deep understanding of the systematic marking making business, partnering with low-latency developers, alpha researchers, site reliability engineers, pricing researchers, and infrastructure developers
• Identify new ways of instrumenting and measuring existing systematic behaviors to drive participation and profitability. Constantly seek out new ways to monitor our own behavior as well as that of competitors
• Guide the evolution of the platform and its component strategies
• React to outsized market flows and regime shifts in real time by adjusting a combination of pricing, risk tolerance and strategy parameters
• Identify any under-participation in opportunity and formulate a plan to capture it
• Operational excellence in all aspects
• Own the definition and setting of risk management protections and have authority over trading activities

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM or economics program from a top institution
• Excellent problem-solving and strategic decision-making; ability to make informed and defensible decisions in a fast-paced trading environment
• Proficiency in Python and associated data science libraries (pandas/polars, scikit, plotly/matplotlib, …). Must be comfortable writing code to subscribe, process, and display data in soft real-time. Kdb+/Q a plus but not required. Familiarity with Linux, SQL, Git, and VS Code
• Track record of building and operating complex trading strategies
• Detail-oriented with excellent written and oral communication skills

In accordance with applicable law, the base salary range for this role is $150,000 to $300,000.

In addition, the employee who fills this role will be eligible to participate in a discretionary incentive compensation program, as well as a wide array of benefit programs, such as medical and life insurance, retirement and tax-free savings plans, and access to other healthcare programs.