What Is a Quantitative Developer and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

A quantitative developer is a computer programmer and software engineer who writes code and develops trading infrastructure for investment banks. As a quantitative developer, your job duties include creating and testing financial models and forecasts, validating and documenting the performance of financial models, analyzing performance results, and reporting on the data to traders, financial engineers, and IT support. You need a strong background in scientific computing, an understanding of financial markets, and good communication skills to be an effective quantitative developer.

For a career as a quantitative developer, you need a solid background in computer programming. The qualifications vary by employer, but you need at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a similar field. A master’s degree is better to hone the needed skills for a job as a quantitative developer. You must have experience with programming languages like Python, C++, C#, and Java, which are common in financial software and algorithmic trading. Although much of your work requires you to sit in front of a computer, you must also collaborate with financial engineers and other IT colleagues.