Quant to Systematic Credit Pivot – cracking the recruiter network?
Hey everyone,
Looking for some advice on pivoting into systematic credit.
Background:
- Role: Quant Researcher at a lean Chicago hedge fund ($3B AUM, ~3 quants total).
- Experience: 3 YOE, STEM PhD, taking CFA L2 next month.
- Mandate: Mid-freq systematic index options and equity-linked structured notes.
Why I’m looking:
Frankly, the firm is in a state of constant brain drain. At just 3 YOE, I am already the second-most senior quant on the desk. The learning curve has completely flattened, and the infrastructure is lacking. I’ve always been very into credit stuff (structured products are basically credit with some upside juice with equity-underlying options) and recently designed and pitched a few CDS dispersion plays, but we don't have ISDAs in place, so we can't execute. I need to jump to a platform with the actual institutional resources to scale these ideas.
The Bottleneck:
I want to move into the credit space, but every headhunter hitting my inbox only recruits for equity alpha or options seats. They have zero connectivity to credit/fixed-income relative value desks.
My Questions:
- Which specific headhunting firms or specialized recruiters actually have a strong footprint in systematic credit, CDS, or fixed-income RV?
- Are there specific pods/platforms (e.g., Citadel, Millennium, Balyasny, Point72) or credit shops known for hiring equity derivatives quants into credit seats?
- Any advice on how to position my equity options background to hiring managers on credit desks to bridge the gap?
Appreciate any insights or leads!
