Statistical Arbitrage Research Analyst

at Jane Street · Quant · New York, NY · Quantitative Trading

Seeking a Statistical Arbitrage Research Analyst to apply math and statistical methods to develop trading strategies across various asset classes. Role involves analyzing diverse datasets, assessing data quality, feature engineering, and collaborating with a team. Experience in quantitative research and statistical/ML modeling is preferred.

What you'd actually do

  1. apply rigorous math and statistical methods to analyze a variety of input datasets to create novel alpha-focused trading strategies
  2. dig deep into the details of data sets to assess quality and consider outliers, dimensionality, feature engineering, causality, aligning dates across datasets, and more
  3. help us stay vigilant in our efforts to find and correct errors or mistakes in code
  4. delving into the lovely messiness and complexity of data as it will on advanced statistical modeling
  5. collaborate and communicate fluidly

Skills

Required

  • statistical modeling
  • ML modeling
  • data analysis
  • quantitative research
  • Python

Nice to have

  • financial markets

What the JD emphasized

  • rigorous math and statistical methods
  • novel alpha-focused trading strategies
  • asset price returns data
  • non-returns-based traditional data
  • alternative data sets
  • assess quality
  • consider outliers
  • dimensionality
  • feature engineering
  • causality
  • aligning dates across datasets
  • errors or mistakes in code
  • messiness and complexity of data
  • advanced statistical modeling
  • mathematical and statistical techniques
  • statistical and ML modeling
Read full job description

About the Position

We are looking for a Statistical Arbitrage Research Analyst who is excited to apply rigorous math and statistical methods to analyze a variety of input datasets to create novel alpha-focused trading strategies for Jane Street. Your work has the potential to span across any and all liquid asset classes, including, but not limited to, U.S. and global equities, equity and fixed income futures, FX, and corporate bonds.

Ideally, you will have previous experience working in a buy-side or sell-side financial firm with some combination of asset price returns data, non-returns-based traditional data, and “alternative” data sets. However, if you are an economist or data scientist in a different field (such as tech) we’re open to teaching you what you need to know to thrive in this role.

We are looking for someone who is eager to dig deep into the details of data sets to assess quality and consider outliers, dimensionality, feature engineering, causality, aligning dates across datasets, and more.

You’ll help us stay vigilant in our efforts to find and correct errors or mistakes in code, which inevitably happen — though we expect this role to involve as much time delving into the lovely messiness and complexity of data as it will on advanced statistical modeling.

The problems we work on rarely have clean, definitive answers, and they often require insights from people across the firm with different areas of expertise. We find that we make the most progress when team members collaborate and communicate fluidly. Your success in this role will depend on your ability to balance expertise and intellectual rigor with an open mind to a variety of techniques and modes of thinking.

We don’t believe in “one-size-fits-all” solutions; we are open to and excited about applying all different types of mathematical and statistical techniques, depending on what best fits a given problem. Progress takes place at different tempos on our team depending on the project, so you’ll need to be comfortable embracing both large leaps and incremental steps forward.

About You

  • 2-6 years of professional experience working in a data-rich environment in quantitative research
  • Team player with a highly collaborative mindset; communicate clearly and often and enjoy discussing research ideas and results in depth
  • Open to a variety of techniques and modes of thinking
  • Humble about what you do and don’t know; willing to admit mistakes
  • Enjoy learning new skills and teaching others what you know
  • Able to write code and analyze large datasets
  • Experienced with statistical and ML modeling
  • Knowledge of Python preferred, but not required
  • Background knowledge of financial markets is a plus

If you're a recruiting agency and want to partner with us, please reach out to agency-partnerships@janestreet.com.