Recruiter Academic Talent & Quantitative Research

The Opportunity

If you've got a strong STEM background and want to launch your career in a genuinely different way, this could be it. You'll be the bridge between brilliant researchers in top universities and some of the most competitive quantitative finance firms in the world.

Think of it as discovering hidden talent in academia and opening doors they didn't know existed. This isn't a typical graduate role. You'll own your vertical from day one building relationships, sourcing exceptional talent, and managing placements end-to-end. Autonomy, real responsibility, and the chance to build something from scratch.

What You'll Do

Source exceptional researchers by genuinely understanding academia.

You'll map universities, departments, and research groups across quantitative fields - maths, physics, stats, computer science. Then you'll reach out directly to PhD researchers, competition winners (Putnam, Olympiads, Kaggle), and published authors to pitch careers in quant trading

Own the full cycle. From cold outreach through interviews, candidate prep, feedback, offer negotiation, and close

You'll need to translate cutting-edge research into why it matters in finance, and help researchers see a real future in quant trading

Build long-term relationships. This isn't transactional. You'll stay connected to your network, nurturing researchers who might not be ready today but could be brilliant candidates in six months

What You Need

You need to speak both languages academia and finance

A degree (or serious exposure) in maths, physics, stats, CS, or a related STEM field is essential.

You should be comfortable discussing PhD-level research and equally fluent in explaining why it translates to quantitative trading

You're a natural networker who gets energised by cold outreach and deep sourcing

You thrive with autonomy and ownership

You've got the hustle to build something from nothing

Prior recruitment or talent acquisition experience is a bonus, but not essential strong quantitative credibility plus drive can outweigh it

Why This Matters

You're not recruiting for a commodity role. These are exceptional researchers being placed into some of the most lucrative and intellectually demanding careers in finance. Placements regularly generate fees of £100k+. The right person can build this niche into a major revenue stream.

And for you personally? Real autonomy, real earnings potential, and the chance to shape an entire vertical from the ground up.

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