Quantitative Rates Researcher

Job Summary

Key Responsibilities

• Review and evaluate quantitative research outputs and systematic trading strategies focused on fixed income and interest rate markets.
• Identify research and backtesting issues, including lookahead bias, overfitting, data snooping, and unrealistic transaction cost assumptions.
• Evaluate backtesting frameworks, including rates-specific mechanics such as carry, roll-down analytics, and contract roll conventions.
• Assess the statistical rigor of signal construction, factor modeling, and alpha research.
• Review yield curve models, relative value strategies, and interest rate trading instruments.
• Validate model assumptions, implementation accuracy, and research methodologies.
• Evaluate strategies under realistic market conditions, accounting for transaction costs, liquidity constraints, and execution assumptions.
• Provide detailed written feedback with actionable recommendations to improve research quality and accuracy.
• Collaborate asynchronously with project coordinators to clarify findings and communicate technical insights.
• Contribute to improving quantitative research evaluation methodologies.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in quantitative research, quantitative analysis, or quantitative finance.
• Strong expertise in fixed income analysis and interest rate markets.
• Advanced proficiency in Python or R for quantitative research and data analysis.
• Hands-on experience with Python libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, and SciPy.
• Strong understanding of systematic trading strategy development and backtesting.
• Experience with yield curve modeling and carry/roll-down analytics.
• Knowledge of relative value trading strategies and interest rate market instruments.
• Familiarity with SOFR and Eurodollar instruments, as well as Treasury futures.
• Strong knowledge of statistical analysis, factor modeling, and alpha research.
• Understanding of transaction costs, liquidity constraints, and realistic trading assumptions.
• Ability to identify lookahead bias, overfitting, data snooping, and other research methodology flaws.
• Excellent analytical, written communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate complex quantitative concepts clearly and work effectively with distributed teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as a Quantitative Researcher, Quantitative Analyst, or Consultant specializing in fixed income or interest rate markets.
• Experience developing and backtesting systematic rates strategies at a hedge fund, asset management firm, or investment bank.
• Strong practical knowledge of rates trading, yield curve dynamics, and quantitative modeling.
• Experience reviewing and validating quantitative models against established quantitative finance best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to assess research quality, implementation fidelity, model assumptions, and statistical robustness.