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Financial Quantitative Analysts

Develop quantitative techniques to inform securities investing, equities investing, pricing, or valuation of financial instruments. Develop mathematical or statistical models for risk management, asset optimization, pricing, or relative value analysis.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Research or develop analytical tools to address issues such as portfolio construction or optimization, performance measurement, attribution, profit and loss measurement, or pricing models.
    • Develop core analytical capabilities or model libraries, using advanced statistical, quantitative, or econometric techniques.
    • Apply mathematical or statistical techniques to address practical issues in finance, such as derivative valuation, securities trading, risk management, or financial market regulation.
    • Devise or apply independent models or tools to help verify results of analytical systems.
    • Identify, track, or maintain metrics for trading system operations.
    • Analyze pricing or risks of carbon trading products.
    • Develop methods of assessing or measuring corporate performance in terms of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.
    • Collaborate with product development teams to research, model, validate, or implement quantitative structured solutions for new or expanded markets.
    • Confer with other financial engineers or analysts on trading strategies, market dynamics, or trading system performance to inform development of quantitative techniques.
    • Research new financial products or analytics to determine their usefulness.
    • Assess the potential impact of climate change on business financial issues, such as damage repairs, insurance costs, or potential disruptions of daily activities.
    • Define or recommend model specifications or data collection methods.
    • Provide application or analytical support to researchers or traders on issues such as valuations or data.
    • Collaborate in the development or testing of new analytical software to ensure compliance with user requirements, specifications, or scope.
    • Consult traders or other financial industry personnel to determine the need for new or improved analytical applications.
    • Develop tools to assess green technologies or green financial products, such as green hedge funds or social responsibility investment funds.
    • Develop solutions to help clients hedge carbon exposure or risk.
    • Maintain or modify all financial analytic models in use.
    • Interpret results of financial analysis procedures.
    • Produce written summary reports of financial research results.
    • Prepare requirements documentation for use by software developers.

    Skills

    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    Abilities

    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    Knowledge

    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    Education

    Education
    Bachelor's degree
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    75560/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    36.33/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    13,990
    Yearly Projected Openings
    1230

    Personality

    Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Persistence
    • Initiative
    • Achievement/Effort

    Tools

    • Desktop computers
    • Mainframe computers
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Photocopiers
    • Scanners
    • Special purpose telephones

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Business intelligence and data analysis software
    • Data base management system software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Data mining software
    • Development environment software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Financial analysis software
    • Internet browser software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Web platform development software