The Role
As a Quant Developer at AHL you will be working hand-in-hand with our Quant Researchers. Your challenges will be varied, and will involve implementing new trading strategies, building new research frameworks and quant libraries, prototyping new data feeds, development of new portfolio construction techniques or building risk analysis tools.
The Team
Quant Developers at AHL are all part of our broader technology team, members of a group of over sixty individuals representing eighteen nationalities. We have varied backgrounds including Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering – even Classics - but what unifies us is a passion for technology and writing high-quality code.
Our developers are organised into small cross-functional teams, with our engineering roles broadly of two kinds: “Quant Platform Developers” otherwise known as our “Core Techs”, and “Quant Developers” which we often refer to as “Sector Techs”. We use the term “Sector Tech” because some of our teams are aligned with a particular asset class or market sector. People often rotate teams in order to learn more about our system, as well as find the position that best matches their interests.
Our Technology
Our systems are almost all running on Linux and most of our code is in Python, with the full scientific stack: numpy, scipy, pandas, scikit-learn to name a few of the libraries we use extensively. We implement the systems that require the highest data throughput in Java. For storage, we rely heavily on MongoDB and Oracle.
We use Airflow for workflow management, Kafka for data pipelines, Bitbucket for source control, Jenkins for continuous integration, Grafana + Prometheus for metrics collection, ELK for log shipping and monitoring, Docker for containerisation, OpenStack for our private cloud, Ansible for architecture automation, and HipChat for internal communication. But our technology list is never static: we constantly evaluate new tools and libraries.
Working Here
AHL has a small company, no-attitude feel. It is flat structured, open, transparent and collaborative, and you will have plenty of opportunity to grow and have enormous impact on what we do. We are actively engaged with the broader technology community.
- We host and sponsor London’s PyData and Machine Learning Meetups
- We open-source some of our technology. See github.com/man-group
- We regularly talk at leading industry conferences, and tweet about relevant technology and how we’re using it. See @ManQuantTech
We’re fortunate enough to have a fantastic open-plan office overlooking the River Thames, and continually strive to make our environment a great place in which to work. We believe that agile working allows us to deliver the best business outcomes for our clients and investors as well as having a positive impact on life / work balance and the wellbeing of our staff. We are simultaneously committed to "levelling the playing field" and believe that agile working promotes inclusivity across teams, regions and business units. Generally Alpha Technology roles are by default expected to do 2-3days / week in the office. This can vary dependent on the specific requirements of the role (e.g. support rotas and all-team meetings). Employees can discuss their allocations with their manager to find something that works for the team and individual.
- We organise regular social events, everything from photography through climbing, karting, wine tasting and monthly team lunches
- We have annual away days and off-sites for the whole team
- We have a canteen with a daily allowance for breakfast and lunch, and an on-site bar for in the evening
- As well as PC’s and Macs, in our office you’ll also find numerous pieces of cool tech such as light cubes and 3D printers, guitars, ping-pong and table-football, and a piano
We offer competitive compensation, a generous holiday allowance, various health and other flexible benefits. We are also committed to continuous learning and development via coaching, mentoring, regular conference attendance and sponsoring academic and professional qualifications.
Technology and Business Skills
At AHL we strive to hire only the brightest and best and most highly skilled and passionate technologists.
Essential
- Exceptional technology skills; recognised by your peers as an expert in your domain
- A keen interest and understanding of financial markets and instruments
- A proponent of strong collaborative software engineering techniques and methods: agile development, continuous integration, code review, unit testing, refactoring and related approaches
- Strong knowledge of Python
- Proficient on Linux platforms with knowledge of various scripting languages
- Experience of data analysis techniques along with relevant libraries e.g. NumPy/SciPy/Pandas
- Relevant mathematical knowledge e.g. statistics, asset pricing theory, optimisation algorithms
Advantageous
- Experience of front office quantitative software development e.g. in a hedge fund or investment bank
- Experience of web based development and visualisation technology for portraying large and complex data sets and relationships
- Experience of machine learning techniques, natural language processing and related libraries and frameworks e.g. scikit-learn, Tensorflow
Personal Attributes
- Strong academic record and a degree with high mathematical and computing content e.g. Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering or Physics from a leading university
- Craftsman-like approach to building software; takes pride in engineering excellence and instils these values in others
- Demonstrable passion for technology e.g. personal projects, open-source involvement
- Intellectually robust with a keenly analytic approach to problem solving
- Self-organised with the ability to effectively manage time across multiple projects and with competing business demands and priorities
- Focused on delivering value to the business with relentless efforts to improve process
- Strong interpersonal skills; able to establish and maintain a close working relationship with quantitative researchers, traders and senior business people alike
- Confident communicator; able to argue a point concisely and deal positively with conflicting views
** Man Alpha Technology**
Alpha Technology is a wholly front-office aligned business unit, responsible for all of the technology in Man Group that drives trading decision making. It numbers approximately 170 engineers who help drive technical innovation across the firm’s investment managers by application of a strong technology platform. It is structured into a number of distinct teams, some cross-cutting building technology and others aligned to an individual investment manager building specific quant or portfolio management tools, or systematic trading systems:
- Alpha Platform Technology – responsible for the common front-office platform, comprising Data Engineering, Python Research and Development Infrastructure and Linux High Performance Compute.
- Execution Technology – responsible for all Electronic Execution Technology and Trader facing tools.
- Risk Technology – responsible for front office Risk Technology and Risk Reporting.
- AHL Technology – responsible for technology specific to Man AHL, a quant systematic investment manager.
- GLG Technology – responsible for technology specific to Man GLG, a fundamental discretionary investment manager.
- Numeric Technology – responsible for technology specific to Man Numeric, a quant systematic investment manager.
- GPM Technology - responsible for technology specific to Man GPM, a private markets business focused on real-estate assets.
** Work-Life Balance and Benefits at Man**
Man Group is proud to provide the best working environment possible for all of its employees, and we are committed to equality of opportunity. At Man Group we believe that a diverse workforce is a critical factor in the success of our business, and this is embedded in our culture and values. We run a number of external and internal initiatives, partnerships and programmes that help us to attract and develop talent from diverse backgrounds and encourage diversity and inclusion across our firm and industry. https://www.man.com/diversity. Man Group is also a Signatory of the Women in Finance Charter.
Man Group supports many charities, and global initiatives. We support professional training and development, and requests for flexible or part-time working. Employees are also offered two 'Mankind' days of paid leave per year as part of the Man Charitable Trust's community volunteering programme.
We offer comprehensive, firm-wide employee benefits including competitive holiday entitlements, pension/401k, life and long-term disability coverage, group sick pay, enhanced parental leave and long-service leave. Additional benefits are tailored to local markets and may include private medical coverage, discounted gym membership and wellbeing programmes.