What’s it like to work at IMC London? Quant Researcher Q&A.

Mariam Aitichou is a driving force behind quant research at IMC London. In this Q&A, we asked Mariam about her career to date, life in the heart of the London financial district, and what motivated her to join our fast-growing London quant team.

With almost two decades of experience in quant research for FX options and commodities trading, what attracted you to IMC London?

During my career so far, I’ve moved from public companies and banks, like NatWest, where I was doing sell-side quant research, to trading companies that are smaller, more agile, and have larger risk appetites. This means you get much faster and better feedback loops. That was a large part of what attracted me to IMC London.

I worked for four years at Barclays as an FX quant researcher, and then moved to NatWest (formerly RBS), where I ended up running the FXO quant team. After eight-and-a-half years, I moved to Citadel, where I focused less on pricing and more on alpha research and portfolio construction. I joined IMC as an FX quant researcher in October 2024.

What were your first impressions of our London office in terms of its culture and work dynamics?

I quickly realized that our people genuinely care about each other and are always generous with their time. It feels like that is an intentional part of the culture at IMC.

Why is FX trading in London strategically important for IMC?

The London financial district is at the heart of global FX options trading.

The time zone is ideal because trading offices in London can provide liquidity to the Asian markets in the morning and the American markets in the afternoon and evening.

Aside from the logistical advantages, London also attracts the very best talent in finance and FX trading. That’s crucial for us to continue building such a strong team.

In your experience, how does the collaborative approach at IMC differ from other financial trading companies in London?

In my previous roles, we worked in siloes, where trading pods were quite separate from each other. For instance, you might not even know what the person sitting next to you is working on!

We don’t work like that at IMC. As quants, we collaborate across teams, and I find this way of working more enjoyable and engaging. You also gain more visibility into both sides of the business.

What qualities are necessary to be a successful quant researcher at the IMC London office?

We hire really exceptional talent here, so the first attribute you need is a great intellect and an analytical mind. After that, I would say you need to enjoy being part of a team and working with other quants as well as with traders and engineers.

If you want to sit in a single location and be left alone to work all day, then I don’t think you’d enjoy working at the IMC London office! We’re constantly brainstorming ideas together and collaborating – both within the London team but also with other IMC trading offices.

As our London office continues to grow, why is now an exciting time to join?

We’re really disrupting the FX options market with our IMC trading tech and expertise. And because we’re growing so quickly, joining now means you can have a really big impact.

London is one of the best places to be based if you’re a quant researcher in finance. I attend loads of interesting events and conferences that give me the opportunity to network and learn. Plus, IMC hosts plenty of training schools and sessions for quants to develop their skills. I’ve attended many of these, both here in London and in our Amsterdam office.

What would your advice be to someone considering a career at IMC or a career in quant research?

I might be a little biased, but I’d say: go for it!

IMC is really strong in FX options trading, alpha research, and pricing. Pairing our robust technical infrastructure with the current boom in machine learning is the perfect recipe to do innovative and impactful work.

Like what you hear from Mariam and want to be part of the IMC London growth journey? Check out our career site for all the latest opportunities.