Machine Learning Researcher

Belvedere Trading is a leading proprietary trading firm proudly headquartered in downtown Chicago, with a satellite office in Boulder, Colorado. Our teams work hard to provide liquidity to the market through their market-making activities by combining their deep expertise in commodities, interest rates, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and equity index options with a cutting-edge technological system. Our trading models and software systems are continually developed, optimized, and upgraded in order to stay competitive in an ever-changing market. We work closely with our technology team to continuously and iteratively improve our proprietary solutions. 

High-performance proprietary development is the source of our success and competitive advantage at Belvedere, further fueling our passion for performance. We are a team driven by intellectual curiosity, seeking answers that will change not only how we trade in this technological age, but also the future landscape of the trading industry. We place a high premium on defining, developing, and deploying high-performance trading software using a team-based, holistic development approach. We are looking for passionate team members whose contributions will be critical to our continued success.

This role is focused on developing and refining self-adaptive, feedback-driven models that can learn from and react to rapidly changing environments, potentially replacing or augmenting human decision-making. You’ll be joining a collaborative team of researchers and engineers, working on cutting-edge ML applications in a high-impact domain. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and have a passion for solving complex challenges, we’d love to hear from you.

What you'll do

• Research and develop machine learning models for real-time, closed-loop systems with feedback
• Embrace the uncertainty persistent in the marketplace to balance the risk-reward in each individual trade
• Design and test adaptive algorithms capable of evolving with incoming data and shifting regimes
• Build models that simulate or replace human decision-making in complex, uncertain systems
• Integrate control theory principles to improve model stability, responsiveness, and robustness
• Collaborate with engineers to deploy research into production environments with real-time constraints
• Continuously iterate and improve models based on system performance and market dynamics
• Communicate findings and methodologies clearly with other researchers, engineers, and stakeholders
• Develop best machine learning practices for larger quantitative group

What you'll need

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related quantitative field
• 5+ years of experience applying machine learning in feedback-loop systems, robotics, autonomous decision-making, or control systems
• Familiarity in dealing with uncertainty in problem statements
• Strong knowledge of machine learning algorithms, especially in reinforcement learning, online learning, or adaptive control, with practical experience deploying ML models in production
• Solid programming skills in Python (preferred), and experience with ML libraries like PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX
• Strong analytical thinking and a track record of tackling open-ended, systems-level problems
• Demonstrated ability to work with Data Engineers to deliver robust data pipelines
• Financial market knowledge is a plus, but not required (we value technical depth and research excellence first and foremost)
• Active team player motivated by a fast-paced environment and conviction to focus on difficult, long-duration problems that require iteration
• Availability to work in a hybrid structure out of our Chicago or Boulder offices

In addition, depending on the scope of your role and responsibilities, your continued employment may be contingent upon the successful completion of compliance-related certifications during the onboarding process or throughout your tenure with Team Belvedere.

Women and underrepresented groups frequently apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We encourage you to break that mold and apply. No candidate is perfect; all have a lot to offer. We welcome your application.

Core Values

The secret to our award-winning culture is our Core Values: Team Belvedere, Me in Team, Own It, Iterative Innovation, and Passionate Discourse. We embody these values every day.

Our Stance

Belvedere is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing a non-discriminatory employment environment for its employees. Discrimination against employees and applicants due to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, military, and veteran status is prohibited. Belvedere encourages initiatives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity to all applicants and employees. Belvedere is committed to providing a positive environment in which team members are treated with respect, dignity, and courtesy. Our firm believes in a dynamic culture of inclusion and diversity, where people thrive on individual and organizational characteristics, values, experiences, and backgrounds.

Please note that Belvedere Trading does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or employment agencies. Any unsolicited resumes will become the property of Team Belvedere. No phone calls, please.

Hybrid Work Structure

This position will be based in either Chicago, Illinois or Boulder, Colorado, with the option to work in a hybrid structure with a minimum of three days in the office.