Senior Quantitative Researcher

Senior Quantitative Researcher – HFT | New York | $6m+ Guaranteed TC PotentialLocation – New YorkDescription:Our client is a leading global quantitative trading firm preparing to launch a new international office and establish a new HFT trading desk in New York.This is a highly strategic hire and represents an opportunity to join the firm at the ground level of a major new expansion. The successful candidate will not simply be joining an existing research team; they will play a central role in defining the research direction, strategic mandate and development of the new HFT business.The firm is looking for an exceptional quantitative researcher from a Tier 1 trading environment, with the technical depth and track record required to operate with significant autonomy. A PhD-level academic background and experience developing genuinely differentiated HFT alpha are central to the mandate.Given the calibre of researcher being sought and the strategic importance of the hire, the firm is prepared to offer an exceptional compensation package, with guaranteed total compensation potentially exceeding $6m.The Opportunity:The successful candidate will act as a leading quantitative researcher for the launch of a new HFT desk and New York office.This is a genuine ground-up opportunity. The mandate extends beyond building out a local research presence: the successful hire will have substantial discretion over the strategic direction of the HFT business, including the areas of research focus, alpha development and longer-term desk build-out.The firm is looking for someone who can operate as a senior technical leader while remaining deeply involved in quantitative research. The individual will have the opportunity to define the research agenda, identify new sources of alpha and help shape the architecture of a new HFT platform.The role is particularly suited to an exceptional researcher who has reached a level within a Tier 1 firm where they are capable of defining a broader strategic research mandate and wants the autonomy and resources to build something significant.

Key Responsibilities

Define and lead the quantitative research agenda for a new HFT trading desk.Develop systematic trading strategies and identify new sources of short-horizon alpha.Conduct advanced research across statistical modelling, machine learning, time-series analysis and market microstructure.Develop and test predictive signals and quantitative models for high-frequency trading.Work closely with traders and engineers to translate research into production trading strategies.Establish research frameworks, methodologies and standards for the new HFT team.Identify new markets, strategies and areas of quantitative opportunity.Shape the longer-term strategic direction of the desk and research function.Help build out the quantitative research team as the business develops.Maintain direct ownership of high-impact research projects while providing technical leadership to the broader team.Ideal Candidate:Senior Quantitative Researcher currently operating at a Tier 1 proprietary trading firm, market maker or elite quantitative hedge fund.PhD in a highly quantitative discipline such as Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Physics, Engineering or a related field.Exceptional technical and mathematical capabilities.Deep experience researching HFT or other highly systematic, short-horizon trading strategies.Demonstrable history of generating differentiated alpha within a live trading environment.Strong understanding of market microstructure, statistical modelling and quantitative signal development.Experience taking research from hypothesis through to implementation and live trading.Ability to operate with significant autonomy and define a strategic research agenda.Strong technical leadership capabilities, with the ability to build and mentor a high-calibre research team.Entrepreneurial mindset and desire to build a new HFT business rather than simply join an established desk.Compensation & Opportunity:Location: New York.Guaranteed total compensation potentially exceeding $6m+.Significant strategic autonomy over the HFT research mandate.Opportunity to be a founding senior quantitative researcher for a new HFT desk.Opportunity to influence the build-out of a new international office from the ground up.Access to significant institutional resources, technology and trading infrastructure.Potential to build and lead a high-calibre quantitative research team.Direct influence over the strategic direction of the new HFT business.If you are a senior HFT Quantitative Researcher from a Tier 1 firm with the technical depth and track record to define a new research mandate, Venture Search would welcome a confidential discussion. This is an opportunity to play a genuinely foundational role in building a new HFT business, with a compensation package reflecting the strategic importance of the hire.