Machine Learning Research Lead

IMC

IMC Trading is seeking quantitative researchers with a proven track record to apply state-of-the-art machine learning & deep learning to solve challenging trading problems. This role is part of a central ML research team that collaborates across trading teams at IMC.  The ideal candidate will have experience working with other researchers and engineers to build and continuously improve models, systems, and research tooling. We firmly believe that success for research-driven efforts lies in bringing together skills in ML, statistics, and trading intuition as well as a problem-solving mindset and pragmatism.  This is an opportunity to dive deep into feature engineering and alpha research, and focus on applying a wide range of ML models as well as to perform research on building custom models. Your Core Responsibilities: * Design and deploy machine learning models to enhance trading performance across various asset classes * Research, test and prototype new algorithmic ideas; deploy advanced ML techniques applicable to market prediction, signal generation, and portfolio optimization * Collaborate with quantitative traders, researchers, and developers to translate market insights into data-driven features and models * Manage data acquisition, preprocessing, and feature engineering for structured and unstructured data sources Your Skills and Experience: * PhD or Master’s in Engineering, Math, Statistics, Computer Science, or related quantitative field * 2+ years of experience building applied ML models; previous experience in trading environment preferred * Proven expertise in developing and deploying predictive models * Strong programming skills in Python; proficiency in ML libraries such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, and/or high-performance libraries like Jax * Strong understanding of theoretical foundations of state-of-the-art ML models * Strong publication track record at ICML, ICLR, NeurIPS, or equivalent * Ability and desire to work in a collaborative team environment * Excellent written and verbal communication skills 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 $250,000—$300,000 USD About Us IMC is a global trading firm powered by a cutting-edge research environment and a world-class technology backbone. Since 1989, we’ve been a stabilizing force in financial markets, providing essential liquidity upon which market participants depend. Across our offices in the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, and India, our talented quant researchers, engineers, traders, and business operations professionals are united by our uniquely collaborative, high-performance culture, and our commitment to giving back. From entering dynamic new markets to embracing disruptive technologies, and from developing an innovative research environment to diversifying our trading strategies, we dare to continuously innovate and collaborate to succeed.

IMC

We are seeking a highly analytical and detail-oriented Quantitative Researcher to join our dynamic research team. The ideal candidate will have deep experience curating and analyzing a broad range of trading-related data sources—including traditional market data, fundamental datasets, and other vendor-supplied information. This role will contribute to the development of innovative trading strategies, support data-driven decision-making, and collaborate closely with trading, technology, and data acquisition teams. Key Responsibilities: * Curate, cleanse, and validate large volumes of market data, focusing on US equity and equity options * Integrate, preprocess, and evaluate fundamental & alternative data sources * Work closely with data acquisition & global data team to assess data quality * Build and maintain robust data pipelines for research and live trading environments * Perform data analysis ad statistical modeling to identify patterns and inefficiencies in the market * Ensure the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of datasets used in quantitative modeling. * Document research processes, data provenance, and results with high standards of clarity and reproducibility * Collaborate with software engineers and traders to translate research into production-grade models and tools * Conduct quantitative research and analysis to support and enhance trading strategies  Required Skills & Experience: * 3+ years of experience in a quantitative research or data-focused role in financial markets, ideally in a systematic trading environment * Proven experience working with a diverse range of trading and financial data * Must have previous knowledge of options markets and experience working with options data * Hands-on experience integrating and analyzing non-market data sources is a plus * Strong understanding of data vendor landscape * Advanced proficiency in Python * Experience with databases (SQL) and handling large datasets efficiently * Familiarity with real-time data systems and tick-level data processing * Familiarity with statistical and machine learning techniques * Exceptional attention to detail and a systematic approach to problem-solving * Strong written and verbal communication skills #LI-DNP 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 $250,000—$300,000 USD About Us IMC is a global trading firm powered by a cutting-edge research environment and a world-class technology backbone. Since 1989, we’ve been a stabilizing force in financial markets, providing essential liquidity upon which market participants depend. Across our offices in the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, and India, our talented quant researchers, engineers, traders, and business operations professionals are united by our uniquely collaborative, high-performance culture, and our commitment to giving back. From entering dynamic new markets to embracing disruptive technologies, and from developing an innovative research environment to diversifying our trading strategies, we dare to continuously innovate and collaborate to succeed.

IMC

IMC is one of the world’s leading trading firms, combining quantitative research, technology and trading expertise to solve complex problems at scale. As Machine Learning becomes increasingly important within our Systematic Equities business, we are investing in frontier research that can shape the next generation of models, infrastructure and research capabilities. With access to world-class datasets, significant compute resources and a highly collaborative environment, IMC offers a unique opportunity to see cutting-edge research translated into real-world impact. We are seeking a Principal Research Scientist to help define and accelerate our long-term machine learning research agenda. Prior finance experience is not required. THE ROLE This role is designed for an established academic researcher or research scientist who wants to remain connected to the frontier of machine learning while applying their expertise in a highly impactful environment. You will work alongside quantitative researchers, engineers and research leadership to identify emerging research directions, evaluate new developments in machine learning, and help translate promising academic advances into practical applications. Rather than owning individual trading strategies, you will act as a scientific leader, mentor and advisor across the research organisation. You will also represent IMC externally through participation in leading conferences and engagement with the broader machine learning community. RESPONSIBILITIES * Shape the long-term machine learning research agenda within Systematic Equities. * Identify and translate advances from frontier ML research into practical opportunities. * Conduct original research and develop proof-of-concept solutions where appropriate. * Advise and mentor quantitative researchers on methodology, experimentation and research direction. * Help guide future investments in research tooling, infrastructure and compute capabilities. * Represent IMC within the global machine learning community through conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML and ICLR. * Contribute to publication efforts where appropriate and consistent with intellectual property considerations. SKILLS & EXPERIENCE * PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Physics or a related quantitative discipline. * Outstanding academic credentials and a strong publication record in leading research venues. * Current or recent experience in a faculty-equivalent academic or research leadership role such as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Group Leader, Principal Investigator, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, or Senior Research Scientist. * Deep expertise in modern machine learning and strong awareness of emerging research trends. * Experience influencing research direction, mentoring researchers, or leading research initiatives. * Strong programming skills and experience with modern machine learning frameworks. * Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across disciplines. WHAT WE OFFER * The opportunity to influence the future of machine learning at one of the world’s leading trading firms. * Access to exceptional datasets, infrastructure and large-scale compute resources. * Continued engagement with the academic community through conferences, collaborations and publication opportunities. * A collaborative environment where research can move rapidly from idea to impact. * Competitive compensation that reflects both scientific excellence and commercial impact. About Us IMC is a global trading firm powered by a cutting-edge research environment and a world-class technology backbone. Since 1989, we’ve been a stabilizing force in financial markets, providing essential liquidity upon which market participants depend. Across our offices in the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, and India, our talented quant researchers, engineers, traders, and business operations professionals are united by our uniquely collaborative, high-performance culture, and our commitment to giving back. From entering dynamic new markets to embracing disruptive technologies, and from developing an innovative research environment to diversifying our trading strategies, we dare to continuously innovate and collaborate to succeed.