Trade Support Specialist at PEAK6: Exit Ops?

Have a superday coming up and I'm not really familiar with trade support in terms of exit ops. I also don't know if this role is BO or MO. The description is:


Provide front line support. You’ll handle day-to-day application, script, system support. You’ll build scripts in Python, SQL and Postgres. You’ll investigate execution issues and deep dive execution behavior for equity and option securities. You’ll collaborate with development, infrastructure, trading, operations, and many other groups within the firm.

Monitor a production environment. You’ll actively monitor and respond to alerts in the environment, escalating issues as appropriate.

Be empowered & impact our business. You’ll proactively drive projects, help build processes, integrate systems and implement enhancements. Each day you’ll have the chance to initiate change and to adapt solutions and resources to a rapidly evolving business.

Like I mentioned, what exit ops do I have? Ideally, I'd like to go on and become FO. I also intend on getting my CFA, and I hope to eventually move either as to the buyside as analyst in AM or go to a HF. Would also appreciate any insight into PEAK6 as a company.

 

Peak6 is a good name. Can't comment on their recent performances unfortunately due to limited knowledge.

I've never been in a trade support role, but to my understanding, your typical day will be more of running operational duties (execution, clearing, liaising with Prime Brokers, etc). My guess would be more back office. Not sure how the transition into FO with this experience will work out. Just for the record, trade support isn't involved in any strategy generation (I didn't know this until I actually joined a trading team). tldr; no analytics work

Ironically, you probably have better exit ops in a trade support role than pure trading itself, since the latter's very niche but almost every trading team needs some form of trade support.

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity"
 
ActuarialQuant:
I've never been in a trade support role, but to my understanding, your typical day will be more of running operational duties (execution, clearing, liaising with Prime Brokers, etc). My guess would be more back office. Not sure how the transition into FO with this experience will work out. Just for the record, trade support isn't involved in any strategy generation (I didn't know this until I actually joined a trading team). tldr; no analytics work

Well that's unfortunate. I was hoping there would be some strategy work in terms of automating some trade processes (since the position required Python), but I guess this isn't the case.

ActuarialQuant:
Ironically, you probably have better exit ops in a trade support role than pure trading itself, since the latter's very niche but almost every trading team needs some form of trade support

What kind of exit ops do you think will be available? This is good to hear -- I was worried that trade support would be very niche. Would a CFA boost my chances to exiting to AM or a HF as an analyst?

Thanks for the reply!

 
Best Response

In terms of exit ops, probably any operations role, which every firm will have, be it a prop shop, a BB, or a HF. Just to not confuse you with terminology, when I say "strategy" I'm talking about actual idea generation. Every firm operates differently though, so why not just go to the superday, and ask specifically what strategy entails?

From what I know, moving from BO to a FO role isn't common, but also not impossible. Unfortunately, I don't know too much about AM or HF, but from my limited knowledge, I do think having a CFA will help. When I said exit ops are limited for trading, I meant in the sense that besides transitioning into a trading role at a different place, they're virtually nonexistent. If your end goal is to get into a trading gig, then by no means are the exit ops too narrow.

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity"
 

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