DRW is a technology-driven, diversified principal trading firm. We trade our own capital at our own risk, across a broad range of asset classes, instruments and strategies, in financial markets around the world. As the markets have evolved over the past 25 years, so has DRW – maximizing opportunities to include real estate, cryptoassets and venture capital. With over 900 employees at our Chicago headquarters and offices around the world, we work together to solve complex problems, challenge consensus and deliver meaningful results. It’s a place of high expectations, deep curiosity and thoughtful collaboration. 

As a Desk Operations Specialist, you will join our Global Trading Operations team and provide dedicated support to DRW’s Agricultural trading desks. Primary responsibilities will include trade capture, trade confirmation, reconciliation, profit-and-loss calculation and analysis, which require communication with both front office traders and back office colleagues, as well as with senior management in both departments. Highly effective communication skills are critical as you will also have regular, direct interaction with a variety of other teams across the firm, including risk management, technology, and the firm’s partnership. The ability to work in a stressful environment while maintaining a high degree of professionalism is paramount.

DRW is a fast-paced, constantly evolving environment and you will be expected to keep pace. Projects are turned around rather quickly and the variety of work can be impressive. This is a great opportunity for those accustomed to larger institutions where you are focused on a single product to extend your product knowledge to other areas.

Responsibilities:

• Provide ownership for and mastery of the processes and workflows needed to support standard operational and trader assistant functions of the firm’s Agricultural trading desks
• Trade and position reconciliation with the firm’s clearing firms, prime brokers, and bilateral counterparties
• Daily P&L calculation and substantiation: while supporting each desk’s preferred method of aggregating and reporting P&L, ensure that such workflow conforms to and integrates with DRW’s standards
• Mastery of the firm’s proprietary and third party trade capture, inventory management, and P&L reporting systems necessary to support the desks’ activity
• Ownership of the confirmation workflow for bilateral trades
• Act as process super-user for current workflows, resolving issues that may arise between internal groups at DRW and multiple external exchanges, clearers, and counterparties
• Act as process super-user for current systems, providing critical support and advice regarding needed enhancements to technology, workflows, and processes
  • Strong understanding of traders’ individual risk management tools and support of related traders’ needs
  • Upgrading and support of traders’ tools to take advantage of technologies and tools that are firm standard
• Liaise with technical personnel to secure proper support/coverage for ongoing operations as well as procure enhancements for insufficient or new workflows. Focus should always be on process efficiency, risk reduction, and alignment with DRW standards
• Work closely with Business Liaison team to assure new desks, traders, and products are on-boarded correctly

Required Experience:

• 3-5 years of experience in a front office, middle office, back office, or risk management role working with both bilateral and exchange-traded derivatives
• Previous experience in the trading of bilateral, OTC Agricultural products preferred
• Substantial prior interaction with front office and senior management personnel in an active trading environment preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics or another quantitative field, or material equivalent exposure
• Demonstrated ability to independently to analyze problems, synthesize / implement solutions thereto
• Strong MS Excel background required
• While previous experience with SQL and VB/VBA or another scripting language is highly preferred, the candidate will be required to gain proficiency in SQL, VBA, and Python in relatively short order once on the job
• Previous experience with WhenTech is advantageous