Meet an Operations Analyst

Alma Mater: Villanova University

Hometown: Acton, MA

Were you involved with anything in the past that sparked your interest in joining a company like SIG?

I took several classes in college on the mathematics behind financial derivatives and I learned about option pricing models. I knew that after college I wanted to join a company where I could apply my math skills to financial markets. My Math of Financial Derivatives professor recommended that I look at SIG and I made a point to talk to the SIG recruiters at our campus career fair.

What do you like most about SIG?

The best part about working at SIG is the emphasis on teamwork. I am encouraged to share my ideas and get feedback from coworkers on my projects. SIG employees are intelligent and want to share their knowledge of the markets, the products, and the company with anyone who wants to learn.

What was a typical day like for you in the program?

Each rotation was structured differently but all had similar goal of teaching us about that specific group. A typical day would include a mix of daily tasks and project work, mainly in VBA and SQL to help automate processes, all of which I learned at SIG. Part of the rotations included shadowing other group members to learn about different products, functions and day-to-day work.

Did you know how to code before you started at SIG?

I had no experience in any coding languages before I started work at SIG. I had heard of VBA as a programming language within Excel, but didn’t know any of the nuances of writing it. The Operations Analyst Program has a huge emphasis on classroom style education, which is where I was able to learn how to code in both VBA and SQL. The classes are taught by members of the Operations team who went through the Operations Analyst Program. The focus of the classes is on the fundamentals of how to construct basic queries as well as practical applications using live data. In addition to the classroom learning, I am constantly improving my coding skills through each rotation both by project work and by talking through solutions with other members of the desk. I am still honing my skills everyday by learning how to write more efficiently and accurately.

What projects and experiences were the most rewarding for you?

The most rewarding projects I worked on were ones that I was able to see through from start to finish. Being able to take a problem or a process that was entirely manual, come up with a solution, and write all of the code in an efficient and logical manner gave me a great sense of accomplishment.

We talk a lot about teamwork and collaboration at SIG. How did you see this demonstrated in your role?

After completing the Operations Analyst Program, I was placed into the Financial Operations group. In this group, I am constantly collaborating with our technology teams to find the best ways to collect, analyze, and represent different data sets. I also work with other operations desks throughout the firm on a daily basis to help produce the most accurate firm reports.

What did you enjoy most about the program?

In a short amount of time, I was able to work with people in offices around the world and I’ve been able to leverage those relationships in my current role. The rotations allowed me to learn about operations at SIG as a whole and helped me develop my Excel and coding skills.

If you were speaking with someone who was considering starting their career at SIG, what advice would you give them?

Definitely go for it! SIG has been such a rewarding company to work for. I am able to challenge myself every day and constantly learn new things. The Operations Analyst Program especially is a great transition from college to a career because of the emphasis on learning and education both from classroom sessions and from other SIG employees.