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Equity Research Analyst

Chicago Trading Company · Chicago, IL · Trading & Quant

Posted Sep 11, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Walk me through a time an earnings report or corporate action created a mispricing between the stock and its options. How did you spot it and what did you do with that information?

What they are checking: whether the candidate has real experience translating fundamental events into actionable options trades, not just theoretical knowledge

Tell me about a time you had to build a tool or model from scratch because nothing existing did what you needed. What did it do and how did traders end up using it?

What they are checking: hands-on tool-building capability and whether their output actually got adopted by traders, not just built

Describe a situation where your read on an event turned out to be wrong. What did you miss and how did that change how you research things now?

What they are checking: intellectual honesty and whether they actually learn from bad calls rather than deflect

Tell me about a case where cross-asset signals, like credit spreads or the underlying bond, told you something different than what the equity options market was pricing.

What they are checking: whether the candidate actually thinks across asset classes rather than staying siloed in equities

What would you do

Say you're covering earnings for forty names in a single week during a busy season. How do you decide which ones deserve deep analysis versus a quick pass?

What they are checking: ability to triage and prioritize under real-time pressure with limited bandwidth

You're reading a 10-Q the morning of earnings and you spot a footnote about a covenant change that the market hasn't priced in. Walk me through what you do in the next thirty minutes.

What they are checking: speed and judgment when parsing dense filings under real time pressure

It's 6am, there's a macro headline out of Asia that could move a basket of US names at the open, and the desk needs a read before the bell. What's your process for getting them something useful in the next fifteen minutes?

What they are checking: comfort operating in a 24-hour, fast-moving market coverage environment

How do you keep traders updated on a fast-moving story throughout the day without flooding them with noise?

What they are checking: communication judgment and understanding of what traders actually need versus what's just information

About the work

A company just announced a spin-off. Tell me what happens to the implied volatility surface and the Greeks on the parent stock's options in the days around that announcement.

What they are checking: depth of understanding of how corporate actions mechanically affect options pricing

Explain how a convertible bond issuance can create an arbitrage opportunity in the equity options market.

What they are checking: whether the candidate genuinely understands capital structure arbitrage rather than just options trading basics

How would you model the expected move in a stock heading into a dividend announcement that could go either way, and how does that affect the options market maker's quoting?

What they are checking: quantitative modeling skill applied specifically to event-driven scenarios traders care about

What's the difference in how you'd underwrite a merger arbitrage spread versus a dividend capture trade, in terms of what can go wrong?

What they are checking: breadth of actual experience across different event-driven strategy types, not just familiarity with the terms

If you had to explain to a trader in under a minute why a stock's volatility surface looks skewed heading into a binary event like an FDA decision, what would you say?

What they are checking: ability to distill complex options concepts quickly and clearly for a trading audience

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The full job description

As published by Chicago Trading Company.

Chicago Trading Company (CTC) is a premier proprietary trading firm specializing in options market making.  Our collaborative culture fuels innovation in quantitative research, systematic trading strategies, and cutting-edge trading technology.  For over three decades CTC has provided critical liquidity across derivatives exchanges worldwide - making them fairer, more transparent, and more efficient. We strive to be the most innovative firm in the industry today, tomorrow, and long into the future while upholding ethical excellence. We believe that CTC makes a positive impact on the markets, the lives of our employees, and all the communities to which we belong. Started in 1995 by a team of forward-thinking Traders, we are proud to call ourselves an industry leader that keeps making markets and each other better. We are seeking an Equities Research Analyst to join our Equities Options Market Making team. This role will focus on identifying and analyzing events such as earnings, dividends, macro events, and capital structure changes that may have an impact on options pricing across US equity markets. A successful candidate will work closely with options traders to capitalize on event-driven mispricing, corporate actions, and fundamental disconnects between equity distributions and options market pricing. This position requires real-time analysis and communication in a fast-paced trading environment with 24-hour market coverage.   What You’ll Do • Identify, analyze and communicate the impact of events, earnings, dividends, macro events and capital structure changes on options pricing and trading strategies in real-time   • Conduct fundamental analysis on individual equities to identify mispricing opportunities relative to options market pricing, particularly around corporate actions, convertible bonds and earnings   • Develop proprietary tools and models to systematically identify event-driven and capital structure opportunities across global markets   • Build workflows for keeping track and communicating market-moving news and catalysts to traders   What We’re Looking For • 3+ years of experience as an equity analyst, with focus on company and macro events, capital structure analysis, or options trading in a real-time environment   • Deep understanding of corporate finance, options pricing theory, and how corporate actions affect options Greeks and volatility surfaces   • Experience with event-driven strategies (merger arbitrage, spin-offs, dividend captures) and ability to quickly analyze earnings reports and SEC filings   • Data-driven approach with quantitative modeling skills; experience with volatility trading and cross-asset arbitrage Compensation The salary range for this role is listed below. This role is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. The discretionary bonus will be dependent upon the individual’s skills, experience, qualifications, and firm performance.  Salary Range $200,000 — $225,000 USD Most teams at CTC, with the exception of Trading, follow a hybrid workplace model, subject to change based on business need. Our Benefits  We strongly believe in the well-being of our employees and their families so we offer outstanding benefits to support you both professionally and personally. These benefits include generous time off, insurance coverage, paid parental leave, free breakfast and lunch (plus healthy snacks, of course), wellness reimbursement, and a variety of other benefits focused on providing the best employee experience.  (Disclaimer: interns and contractors are not eligible for benefits at CTC)  Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion At CTC, we aim to cultivate a workplace that celebrates diversity and each person feels included, engaged and empowered. Where each of us feels we belong. We are committed to having a diverse workforce and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. CTC does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.  If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or to apply for a position, please contact us at info@chicagotrading.com. Note that emails sent to this email account for non-disability related issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Information submitted by job applicants may be subject to review and analysis by automated systems, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), as part of the recruitment process. Such systems are utilized to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our hiring procedures. Applicants are advised that any information provided may be evaluated by AI tools to ensure an equitable and thorough assessment.

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