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Quantitative Research Intern (BS/MS) - Summer 2027

IMC Trading · Chicago, IL · Quantitative Research (Group_

Posted Sep 30, 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

Tell me about a project where you had to analyze messy data. What did you find?

What they are checking: Rigor in data analysis and whether they question the data before trusting results.

Tell me about a problem you solved with a team where you disagreed on the approach.

What they are checking: Teamwork and how they resolve disagreements, which IMC says it rewards.

Which programming language do you use for analysis, and what's something you built with it?

What they are checking: Practical coding ability, since interns build analysis tools that may go into production.

Why quant research at a trading firm rather than in academia or tech?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the work and want it, since strong interns can earn a full-time offer.

What would you do

You find a pattern in trade data that looks profitable. What would make you doubt it?

What they are checking: Healthy skepticism about overfitting and bias, which separates a good researcher from a lucky one.

Your mentor gives you feedback that your analysis missed an obvious issue. How do you respond?

What they are checking: Coachability, since interns grow through a dedicated mentor and feedback.

About the work

A fair coin is flipped until heads appears. You win two to the power of the number of flips. What would you pay to play, and why?

What they are checking: Probability intuition and whether they notice when a naive expected value is not the whole answer.

What do you know about options, and what makes a call option worth more or less?

What they are checking: Starting knowledge of options theory, which the internship builds on in class.

What does a market maker do, and how do they make money?

What they are checking: Basic understanding of IMC's core business and the idea of earning a spread while managing risk.

How would you sort a list of a million numbers, and how would your answer change if they were mostly sorted already?

What they are checking: Grasp of algorithm complexity, which the posting lists as part of the internship learning.

Two numbers are picked uniformly between zero and one. What's the probability their sum is less than one?

What they are checking: Whether they can turn a probability question into a simple picture and solve it quickly under time pressure.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by IMC Trading.

Our 10-week internship is your chance to experience life as a Quant Researcher at IMC. You will work alongside your mentor to explore new research ideas and build custom analysis tools that may be deployed into production. Throughout the summer, there will be opportunities to enhance your knowledge of options theory, market making, algorithm complexity and trades analysis. We provide a highly competitive compensation package with accommodations included. The bar for talent at IMC is high and interns who meet our performance expectations will have the opportunity to secure a full time Graduate Quant Researcher position at the end of the program.  Where you go from here is up to you! Your Core Responsibilities: • Team up with Quant Researchers to work on real projects that have potential to impact our business • Enhance your understanding of options theory through classroom-based instruction • Develop your research skills with support and feedback from a dedicated mentor and intern lead • Build valuable connections in an environment that recognizes and rewards problem solving, innovation and teamwork • Engage in professional development sessions aimed at helping you envision your future at IMC • Attend a full-schedule of events and social activities to get to know your cohort and current employees Your Skills & Experience: • Current university student graduating between September 2027 – July 2028 that is pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mathematics, Engineering, Statistics, Physics, Computer Science, or another highly quantitative field • Superior numerical, analytical, and critical thinking skills • Has a passion for research and solving complex problems • A creative thinker who is driven, resilient, and eager to develop trading intuition • Experience in a programming language (Python, C, C++) is highly desired • Must be able to start internship in-person on June 7, 2027 You may submit one application per role each year.  We strongly encourage you to focus on applying to a single role that best matches your skills and interests.  Though you may apply to multiple roles, please note that each application will be evaluated based on the specific criteria established for that particular role. If you have already applied for this position during the current recruitment season and were not selected, you may reapply when the next recruitment season begins in 2027. The Base Salary range for the role is included below. Base salary is only one component of total compensation; all full-time, permanent positions are eligible for a discretionary bonus and benefits, including paid leave and insurance. Please visit Benefits - US | IMC Trading for more comprehensive information. Base Salary: $250,000 About Us IMC is a research-driven trading firm where quantitative modeling, machine learning, and engineering shape how modern markets are traded. A stabilizing force in markets since 1989, we provide liquidity across trading venues, delivering the best outcome in value and risk management to investors. Using our own technology and capital, we build proprietary systems and algorithms that operate across global markets. Our researchers, traders, and engineers work as a collective, combining rapid experimentation, advanced infrastructure, and real-time feedback to turn insight into execution and execution into advantage.  

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