Are you excited about collaborating in a dynamic trading environment that thrives on teamwork and innovation?

Chicago Trading Company (CTC) invites you to apply to our exclusive 5-day Introduction to Options Theory Program — an immersive educational experience designed to fast-track your path to becoming a Quant Trading Associate.

What’s included:

• 4 days of hands-on learning from seasoned trading professionals in CTC’s Chicago headquarters.
• 1 assessment day where top performers can earn a final round interview for the QTA role, job description below.
• All expenses covered, including travel to Chicago, meals, and hotel accommodation.

Key requirements:

• Able to attend the full Options Theory Intensive from January 4, 2027 – January 8, 2027. Plan to arrive the evening of January 3rd.
• Pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree. All majors and concentrations welcome.
• You graduate between December 2026-June 2027
• You have a demonstrated record of success (academics, awards, etc.)

This program is tailored for driven individuals eager to excel in a fast-paced, intellectually challenging environment. Ready to jumpstart your career? Apply now and seize this unique opportunity.

Quant Trading Associate Job Description

The Role

The Quant Trading Associate (QTA) role is our entry-level position within our Trading and Quant organization and gives you broad exposure to the whole business as you work towards graduating from the Associate Program and assuming a role as a Quant Trader or Quant Researcher.

As a QTA, you will work in a high-impact role as a member of a trading or quantitative team. You will play a vital part in identifying trading opportunities and impacting your team through dynamic problem solving — including trade execution, strategy formulation, back-testing, data analysis, and the modeling and pricing of traded financial derivatives — while communicating with traders, risk managers, software engineers, and quants throughout the trading day. You will learn all aspects of the trading and quant operation and work towards a role that generates trading revenue or drives strategy development for the team. In addition to the trading and quantitative side of the business, you will have exposure to technology through our combined trading and technology curriculum.

We encourage competitiveness and collaboration in equal measure and strive to better each other to win as one team.

What to Expect

Due to the dynamic nature of this business, we cultivate an environment of continuous learning and growth through an in-house education department. Through formal classroom work, mock trading, and real-time practical exposure, you will gain a holistic introduction to the derivatives market while sharpening your quantitative skillset. You can expect:

• An introduction to options pricing, theory, trading philosophies, and programming courses
• Exposure to different product areas and responsibilities
• One-on-one mentorship from senior members in the firm
• Opportunities to grow quickly and start making autonomous trading decisions
• Participation in data-driven research for the purpose of alpha generation

What it takes for you to be successful:

• You have a competitive drive and are a highly motivated individual that only gets stronger as part of a collaborative team
• An aspiration to collaborate with traders, quants, developers, and other experts to further CTC's goal of providing world class liquidity to financial markets
• You love solving complex problems
• You're intellectually curious and like to challenge the status quo
• You can effectively communicate sophisticated ideas both written and verbally
• Strong quantitative and analytical abilities
• Basic programming skills or a willingness to learn Python
• No prior experience in finance is necessary, but a deep curiosity and a hunger to learn is essential

Key requirements:

• Pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. All majors and concentrations welcome.
• You will graduate between December 2026-June 2027
• You have a demonstrated record of success (academics, awards, etc.)
• You are willing to relocate to Chicago, IL

Why should you consider a career at CTC?

• Be part of a fast-growing, industry-leading global trading company
• Work in an environment that actively explores and applies emerging technologies — including AI — to enhance trading, engineering, and research workflows
• Opportunity to work with and learn from forward-thinking leaders in our industry
• Experience innovation, teamwork, and fun while working in an intellectually stimulating environment
• Join an ambitious, collaborative workplace where there is no limit to what you can learn and what you will be able to contribute
• Excellent growth potential
• Competitive pay and comprehensive benefits package including free breakfast and lunch (and healthy snacks of course!) as well as a fitness center membership