Trade Surveillance Analyst

Polymarket Polymarket · Fintech · New York, NY · Legal

Polymarket is a prediction market platform operating as a CFTC-registered Designated Contract Market. This entry-level Trade Surveillance Analyst role involves owning the daily alert queue, triaging flagged trading activity, investigating alerts, writing case documentation, and escalating issues. The role also supports senior staff in threshold calibration and CFTC examination preparation, requiring a strong understanding of market integrity and regulatory requirements.

What you'd actually do

  1. Triage the daily surveillance alert queue, reviewing flagged trading activity for spoofing, layering, wash trading, front-running, and other manipulative patterns.
  2. Investigate alerts end-to-end, pulling and analyzing order book data, position information, and trade history using SQL, Python, or internal tools.
  3. Write clear, well-documented case summaries for both routine closures and escalations to senior staff.
  4. Maintain accurate case records and investigation files consistent with CFTC Core Principle 2 recordkeeping requirements.
  5. Support senior analysts in reviewing and calibrating automated surveillance thresholds to reduce noise and improve signal quality.

Skills

Required

  • 0 to 3 years of experience in trade surveillance, market regulation, exchange operations, or financial services compliance.
  • Working knowledge of futures and options markets, including how order books function and how exchange trading mechanics work.
  • Familiarity with CFTC regulations and DCM Core Principles, or a demonstrated willingness to get up to speed quickly.
  • Proficiency in Excel and structured data analysis, with the ability to translate raw trading data into documented findings.
  • Strong written communication skills, specifically for producing case documentation that holds up to regulatory scrutiny.
  • Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and make sound judgment calls under time pressure.

Nice to have

  • Hands-on experience with automated surveillance platforms such as Nasdaq Surveillance or Validus.
  • SQL or Python used in a compliance or trading context, not just academic exposure.
  • Prior experience in a regulated financial environment such as an exchange, FCM, or introducing broker.

What the JD emphasized

  • CFTC-registered Designated Contract Market
  • maintaining market integrity is not a checkbox exercise
  • regulatory weight
  • CFTC Core Principle 2 recordkeeping requirements
  • CFTC rules, DCM Core Principles