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Senior Trader

IMC Trading · Chicago, IL · Trading

Posted Oct 2, 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 trading strategy change you designed, tested and put into production yourself.

What they are checking: End-to-end ownership of model and strategy changes, from idea through testing plan to rollout.

How do you give feedback to an intern whose analysis is wrong but who is clearly working hard?

What they are checking: Mentoring skill, since supervising and giving detailed feedback is a large share of the role.

How do you manage trading teams across offices so they work as one?

What they are checking: Experience leading across New York and Chicago, including communication and consistency of standards.

What analysis tool have you built because existing tools couldn't answer your question?

What they are checking: Whether they create custom research tools when needed, which the posting lists.

Tell me about a time you had to tell senior management a strategy wasn't working.

What they are checking: Honesty and accountability when reporting bad news upward.

What would you do

How do you set performance goals for a group of traders, researchers and technologists without encouraging bad risk?

What they are checking: Whether their leadership aligns incentives with sound risk management.

A junior trader keeps breaching soft risk limits but is making money. What do you do?

What they are checking: Commitment to enforcing risk discipline even when results look good.

Market conditions shift sharply and your team's strategy stops working. How do you lead them through it?

What they are checking: Ability to adapt strategy and keep a team focused during a hard stretch.

About the work

Walk me through how you'd test a change to a pricing model before it goes live.

What they are checking: Rigor in test planning, including backtests, shadow runs and staged rollout.

How do you decide whether a loss came from bad luck or a bad decision?

What they are checking: Clear thinking about process versus outcome, which shapes how they judge their team.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by IMC Trading.

IMC Americas, Inc. has multiple openings for Senior Trader (REQ#4479679101) in Chicago, IL and New York, NY. Your Core Responsibilities • Develop, maintain, and enhance mathematical models, strategies, and trading system components for quantitative proprietary trading in collaboration with developers (3%). • Independently design and implement changes to trading models, strategies and systems from end-to-end, including conceiving of proposed changes, creating a testing plan and performing tests, and implementing changes (3%). • Analyze, interpret, and model financial, economic, and industry data to optimize trading and maximize revenue generation using existing internal tools (3%). • Create custom analysis tools for use at the firm to perform research beyond available analysis tools (3%). • Prepare and present high-quality financial analysis and reports following IMC global guidelines (3%). • Lead, mentor and develop a team of traders, including managing Trading managers and leading trading teams across offices (15%). • Supervise and mentor traders and interns, providing detailed feedback for their work (20%). • Set trading strategy, performance goals, and standards for a group of traders, quant researchers, and technologists; and stay abreast of market trends and changes, adapting strategies as needed (15%). • Enforce robust risk management practices and ensure adherence to regulatory and internal controls; and own PnL, risk management, and regulatory controls for the trading desk (10%). • Influence organizational and strategic direction for the firm by collaborating with key stakeholders and leadership in IMC international offices (10%). • Partner closely with other trading and technology leads to enhance trading strategies, systems and tools (10%). • Participate in Trader interview process and make hiring decisions for applicants to Trader positions (5%). Partial telecommuting permitted. Multiple positions available. Requisition Number: 4479679101   Your Skills and Experience This position requires a Bachelor’s degree, or foreign equivalent, in Mathematics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Financial Engineering, Physics, or similarly quantitative and mathematical field and five (5) year of experience in the job offered or a related position. Must have at least five (5) years of experience in each of the following skill(s): • Developing, maintaining, and enhancing mathematical models, strategies, and trading system components for quantitative proprietary trading in collaboration with developers • Operating trading strategies through a range of market circumstances, having a thorough understanding of risk at any point in time • Rolling out and verifying new features on trading strategies • Managing a trading firm's risk exposure • Using Python and python coding libraries, including Pandas, NumPy, and SciPy to assist in quantitative analysis • Experience trading products and navigating compliance regulations in trading markets • Managing Quantitative traders • Contributing to planning and prioritization decisions on a trading desk • Requires FINRA Certifications: (1) SIE, (2) Series 57, and (3) Series 24 #LI-DNI 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. Salary Range $300,914 — $300,914 USD 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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