Code, Markets & Strategy

Can you describe your career path and what led you to pursue a quantitative developer role at DRW?

My career started as a software engineer in the fintech industry, where I enjoyed applying my technical skills in a financial context. Having always had a strong interest in finance and a passion for working with numbers, this was a great fit that also allowed me to use my quantitative skills. After a few years of experience, I decided to transition into a role at a trading company where the collaboration between developers and traders is more direct and dynamic. That is what drew me to my current team at DRW, where I’ve found the right blend of technology, finance, and live problem-solving.

Describe a typical day for you in your role.

I typically start my day by checking the morning data pipelines and any deployments from the previous day are functioning as expected. After that, I mostly focus on developing new features or tools for the traders and quants in my team. This involves discussing requirements, writing and refining code, attending meetings to provide updates, and deploying and communicating changes when they are ready. During the day, I will often review my teammates’ code and collaborate with them to ensure our changes integrate as intended.

What specific tools, programming languages and technologies do you regularly use to succeed in your role at DRW? 

The primary programming languages used by my team are Java and Python. We use Bash for scripting on Linux and interact with a variety of database management systems, both internal to DRW and external.

What are some of the key challenges you face in your role? 

One of the key challenges in my role is balancing accuracy and speed of delivery. Traders rely on the numbers and tools we deliver to make critical decisions, so it’s essential that everything is accurate while being delivered quickly enough to stay competitive. Another challenge is communicating changes to all the traders and quants, ensuring the changes meet their different requirements, which has become more challenging as the team has grown.

As we celebrate 30 years of our London office, what do you enjoy most about its culture? 

What I enjoy most about the London office is how energetic and collaborative it is. Everyone wants each other to succeed, and the regular team events add to the atmosphere.

How would you describe the atmosphere and environment of the London office? 

The London office has a fast-paced and driven environment that is fun to be in. The office buzzes with energy, and there's always a sense of purpose and excitement about the work we're doing.