Execution trading at market makers?

What do execution traders at market makers do exactly? And can they take prop positions? Thinking firms like Optiver and SIG.

What’re the interviews like as well? Presumably less focussed on sequencing, probability, etc. and more on mental math and market making games?

Also what’s the risk of execution trading going away in next 15 years at these places? Will it just be all AI?

6 Comments
 

Optiver and SIG are very different beasts for this role. At traditional market makers, maybe some prop positions but mostly just finding most efficient way to trade in/out of a position. I can't speak for the quant prop funds but exec traders are relatively more involved.

 

Pulisic69:

Optiver and SIG are very different beasts for this role. At traditional market makers, maybe some prop positions but mostly just finding most efficient way to trade in/out of a position. I can't speak for the quant prop funds but exec traders are relatively more involved.


Thanks, can you expand on that? What makes them so different? Also any insight on interviewing?

 

Pulisic69:

Optiver and SIG are very different beasts for this role. At traditional market makers, maybe some prop positions but mostly just finding most efficient way to trade in/out of a position. I can't speak for the quant prop funds but exec traders are relatively more involved.


Why don’t you think the execution side has been fully automated yet? Seems low value? What do you mean relatively more expensive involved?

 

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