Index Options volatility Trader

IMC

Our Index Options team chases edge in volatility valuation, detailed execution, and fast technology. We are making a big push in our ability to price vol and take risk, with the goal of growing into a leading volatility desk in the marketplace. We are a highly collaborative group of generalists and specialists. Together we strive to have deep expertise, ownership, and innovation in the topic areas that are important to winning in the Index Options space.  Your Core Responsibilities * Maximize revenue by identifying and monetizing short- and long-term mispricing, as well as managing the resulting positions * Monitor and react to volatility shifts, liquidity changes, and macro events * Take ownership of index options trading books across EU and/or US markets with a focus on opportunistic, high-risk/high-reward strategies * Deploy directional and volatility-based trades with strong conviction, backed by market intuition, quantitative signals and rigorous scenario analysis * Collaborate with quants and engineers to refine pricing models and volatility surfaces and to improve execution tools, automation and latency * Back test signals and validate new trading ideas * Provide feedback to enhance risk systems, scenario tools, and vol surfaces * Perform post-trade reviews to continuously improve execution and hedging * Be able to take lots of responsibility and ownership early in your time here to drive the strategy forward Your skills and experience: * 2+ years of Index Options Volatility trading experience * BS, MS, or PhD, preferably in business, economics, or STEM * You have an entrepreneurial mindset and a healthy appetite for risk * You have a proven ability to act and make decisions in a fast-paced and competitive environment * You are analytical, passionate about reflecting on past trades, and always seeking to do better * You have a deep understanding of fundamental drivers of volatility dynamics * Strong proficiency in Python 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

Our Index Options desk focuses on monetizing flow and capitalizing on short-term mispricings. We are a highly collaborative group that combines strong market intuition with analytical rigor, working closely with dedicated quants and researchers to sharpen our edge. Together, we strive to develop deep expertise, ownership, and innovation in understanding counterparty behavior, flow dynamics, and volatility pricing. YOUR CORE RESPONSIBILITIES * Maximize revenue by identifying and capitalizing on short-term mispricings in index options * Monitor and react to flow patterns, volatility shifts, and liquidity changes across index products * Collaborate with traders to manage the risk of a large book as a team * Work closely with our best-in-class research and quant teams to analyze results and improve your approach * Identify and analyze counterparty behavior and repetitive flow patterns to inform positioning and execution * Provide feedback to enhance pricing models, risk systems, and execution tools * Perform post-trade reviews to continuously improve execution and hedging * Take on significant responsibility and ownership early in your time here to help drive strategies forward and succeed YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE * 2+ years of index options volatility trading experience * BS, MS, or PhD, preferably in business, economics, or a STEM field * Ability to identify flow patterns and describe them analytically, with strong knowledge of repetitive market flows * Passionate about understanding volatility dynamics and willing to act quickly on your views to capture market opportunities * Entrepreneurial mindset with a healthy risk appetite; competitive by nature and a fast decision-maker * Analytical, reflective about past trades, and always seeking to improve 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—$250,000 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

About the role IMC’s Macro Analyst team provides traders with market-moving insights and actionable trading ideas across global macro and volatility markets. As a Senior Macro Analyst, you will be based in Amsterdam and take ownership of generating insights and trading ideas across European equity index volatility and related markets. Working closely with traders and the Lead Macro Analyst, you will develop event-driven scenarios, identify opportunities around global macro themes, and help shape IMC’s response to fast-moving economic, political, and market developments. You will translate complex market information into clear trading implications, contribute to macro-driven strategies across options and volatility products, and play a key role in ensuring IMC remains ahead of market narratives. This is a highly collaborative role for someone who combines strong macro judgment, deep market understanding, and the ability to communicate clearly and decisively under time pressure. Your Core Responsibilities * Generate actionable trading ideas and market analysis across European equity index volatility, options, spreads, futures, and related financial instruments; * Develop and maintain scenario analyses around key market-moving events, including economic data releases, central bank meetings, national budgets, elections, geopolitical developments, and unexpected macro shocks; * Monitor global and European macro themes, identifying how changes in policy, politics, growth, inflation, rates, FX, and risk sentiment may affect equity index volatility and related markets; * Provide traders with timely, clear, and actionable updates on what is driving markets during European trading hours and relevant out-of-hours futures sessions; * React quickly to breaking news and unexpected market events, assessing potential outcomes, market impact, and trading opportunities in real time; * Work closely with traders to evaluate risk/reward, refine trading hypotheses, and contribute to the development of macro-driven options and volatility strategies; * Contribute to discussions around macro-driven positions, market themes, PnL drivers, and evolving risks across European and global markets; * Take ownership of specific research areas, recurring event playbooks, analytical frameworks, or market coverage themes; * Help ensure strong operational coverage of key events, market sessions, and trader needs through disciplined preparation, responsiveness, and high-quality communication; * Collaborate with other IMC analyst teams across Amsterdam, Chicago, Sydney, and Mumbai to share insights, compare market views, and strengthen global coverage; * Support the development of more junior analysts by sharing market knowledge, improving team processes, and helping raise the overall quality of the team’s output; * Continuously improve the team’s analytical tools, event preparation, communication formats, and trading idea generation process. Your Skills and Experience * 4–6+ years of experience in a trading, macro research, volatility, options, or strategy-focused role, ideally at a high-frequency trading firm, investment bank, hedge fund, asset manager, or market-making environment; * Strong understanding of European financial markets and the macroeconomic, political, and geopolitical factors that influence equity indices, volatility, rates, FX, and broader risk sentiment; * Experience analyzing equity index products, options, volatility, futures, spreads, or related financial instruments; * Proven ability to translate macro events, political developments, and market headlines into practical trading implications; * Strong scenario analysis skills, with the ability to assess probabilities, market impact, positioning, and potential second-order effects; * Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage traders clearly, succinctly, and confidently in fast-moving market conditions; * Sound market judgment and the ability to form independent views while incorporating feedback from traders and other analysts; * Calm, focused, and decisive when markets are moving quickly or information is incomplete; * Collaborative mindset, with the ability to work effectively with traders, analysts, and global teams; * High level of ownership, curiosity, and intellectual drive, with a strong interest in markets, policy, politics, and global events; * Entrepreneurial approach, with a desire to improve processes, develop new analytical frameworks, and contribute ideas that can directly impact trading outcomes. 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.