iSAM is an innovative, financial technology firm specialising in quantitative trading, comprised of iSAM Funds and iSAM Securities.

iSAM Securities regulated by the FCA, SFC, and CIMA registered, is a leading algorithmic trading firm and trusted electronic market maker, providing liquidity, technology and prime services to institutional clients and trading venues globally. The firm offers full-service prime brokerage and execution via its cutting-edge proprietary technology, as well as market leading analytics, cleared through the group’s bank Prime Brokers.

iSAM Funds is an alternative asset manager specialising in systematic investing. Each strategy is unique, provides a specialist quantitative approach and is designed to deliver highly diversifying absolute returns for institutional portfolios.

Role: PhD Quantitative Research Internship

Base Office: London

About the Role

iSAM is offering Quantitative Research Internship opportunities for PhD students in their penultimate year of study in a quantitative discipline. These internships will take place during Winter 2026 and Summer 2027 and will run for 12 weeks.

Roles are available across three key areas of the business:

Quantitative Trading within iSAM Securities
Quantitative Research within the iSAM Options desk
Quantitative Research within iSAM Funds

As an intern, you will be fully embedded within your team and contribute meaningfully to live research and trading initiatives. The role is research-focused and involves applying advanced statistical and mathematical techniques to develop and evaluate quantitative signals and strategies.

Responsibilities

You will work as part of a collaborative research team, tackling complex and intellectually challenging problems. Responsibilities may include:

Assisting in the research and development of systematic investment strategies across multiple asset classes
Analysing large and complex financial datasets to identify signals, patterns, and risk characteristics
Designing, implementing, and testing quantitative models using Python and relevant numerical and statistical libraries
Supporting the backtesting, performance analysis, and validation of trading strategies
Helping to maintain and enhance research infrastructure, tools, and data pipelines
Clearly documenting research methodologies and results, and presenting findings to senior researchers
Collaborating closely with portfolio managers, quantitative researchers, and technologists
Investigating enhancements to existing strategies, including improvements to risk management and execution assumptions

Qualifications

PhD student in a quantitative field (e.g. Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Computer Science), with expected completion in 2026 or 2027
Strong foundation in statistics and probability theory, with familiarity with machine learning techniques
Strong programming skills in Python (experience with libraries such as NumPy, Pandas, or similar is desirable)
Experience working in a research-driven environment, including handling large datasets and developing algorithmic solutions to complex problems
A strong interest in financial markets and systematic trading (prior finance experience is not required)

Personal Attributes

Highly analytical, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability
Enjoys tackling complex problems and working through challenging mathematical or statistical questions
Collaborative and able to work effectively with researchers, technologists, and trading teams
Clear and concise communicator, both verbally and in writing
Comfortable working independently while knowing when to seek input from others

Key Objectives

By the end of the internship, a successful candidate will have:

Developed a strong understanding of how quantitative research is conducted within a live trading environment
Contributed tangible research outputs that inform or enhance existing trading strategies or research directions
Demonstrated the ability to translate complex mathematical and statistical ideas into robust, well-tested code