Assistant Trader Program

At SIG, we have always employed a consistent recipe for our success: create good decision makers in an uncertain world. The Assistant Trader Program is our core development tool that accomplishes this goal. The program has been enhanced and improved over SIG’s 20+ year history, but our approach remains the same: a) hire the best people and b) invest extensively in their education and development.

The Assistant Trader Program is run by one of SIG’s founders and two senior level traders and takes place in our on-site classroom. As an Assistant Trader you will receive targeted methodical training in the fundamentals of good decision making. This education will cover topics including mathematics, decision science, option theory, and corporate finance. We weave each of these elements together and relate them directly to trading. Lessons in decision making are reinforced through mock trading and game playing sessions, which allow you to apply your theoretical knowledge in an immediate and practical way.

Structure
The typical day of an Assistant Trader is split between the trading floor and the classroom. During market hours, you will work with your assigned trading teams and learn how the traders are approaching decisions and assessing risk. After the close, you will participate in mock trading and game theory classes several days a week. It takes most assistant traders 9 — 18 months to complete the program. When you are ready to start trading, you will go through an additional full-time, 10-week program called the Market Maker Class.

While admission into the Assistant Trader Program is a competitive process, the program is designed to promote a collaborative and collegial work environment. You will work with and learn from experienced traders, new traders, and other assistant traders. Eventually, you will teach other new assistant traders how to make decisions in the trading environment. This cyclical approach to education has allowed our trading desks to build a common language and understanding around trading, work fluidly with one another, and make better-informed decisions about financial markets.

This significant commitment to education has given SIG the reputation on Wall Street as having a best-in-class trader development program.

Do you have what it takes to be part of SIG’s team? Browse campus opportunities here.