PhD Internships at iSAM

Put your research skills to work in financial markets.

Explore what it means to be a Quantitative Researcher at iSAM. Our 12-week PhD internships offer final-year PhD students and PhD graduates in STEM the opportunity to apply their research expertise to real-world investment and trading challenges.

Work alongside experienced researchers, traders and technologists, investigate complex problems and discover how mathematical, statistical and computational ideas can be applied to financial markets.

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Explore our opportunities

From investigating investment signals to understanding pricing and market behaviour, our PhD internships offer opportunities across iSAM Funds and iSAM Securities.

You'll take ownership of a research project, using data, statistics, machine learning and programming to develop and test ideas. With experienced colleagues to challenge your thinking and discuss different approaches, you'll gain insight into how quantitative research operates in a professional investment environment.

Securities

Explore the science behind electronic markets.

Discover the fast-moving world of algorithmic trading and electronic market making. Work alongside researchers, traders and technologists to investigate pricing, liquidity and market behaviour across global financial markets.

Explore how quantitative research and technology come together to develop trading strategies and support institutional clients.

Explore Securities

Funds

Turn research into investment insights.

Work alongside quantitative researchers developing systematic investment strategies across global markets. Apply statistics, machine learning and programming to investigate market behaviour, identify potential alpha signals and test investment hypotheses.

Discover how research informs portfolio construction, risk management and trade execution.

Explore Funds

Technology built for research

The infrastructure to explore ambitious ideas.

Technology is central to how we investigate markets, develop ideas and test strategies. Our researchers work with extensive computing resources, including CPUs and GPUs, to analyse data, develop models and run computationally intensive experiments.

Our specialist Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI team applies a broad range of machine learning techniques to research challenges, creating opportunities to explore how these methods can be used in financial markets.

As a PhD intern, you'll join an environment where research and technology work closely together. You'll have the opportunity to discuss different methodologies, explore technical approaches and understand how computing infrastructure supports the development and testing of quantitative ideas.

A typical day at iSAM

Every research project is different. Here's an idea of how a day might look during your internship.

08:30 | Start your day

Settle in, grab a coffee and catch up with colleagues before getting started.

09:00 | Set your research direction

Review your latest findings, discuss ideas with the team and identify the next steps in your project.

12:00 | Take a break

Enjoy lunch and get to know colleagues from across the business.

14:00 | Build and test

Translate your ideas into code, run experiments and evaluate your models on unseen data.

17:00 | Review your findings

Reflect on what you've learnt, document your results and plan your next experiments.

18:00 | Time to unwind

Join colleagues for dinner, explore London or head home to recharge.

Life at iSAM

Great research starts with great people.

Your internship is an opportunity to get to know more than just your immediate team. At our London office, conversations continue beyond research discussions, whether you're catching up in the communal kitchen, joining the Tuesday afternoon Run Club or unwinding with colleagues during Friday downtime.

Our social committee also organises events throughout the year, giving you plenty of opportunities to connect with people across the business.

Around the office

Enjoy a well-stocked kitchen, soft drinks throughout the day and communal spaces where you can take a break, exchange ideas and catch up with colleagues.

Time to recharge

The building offers a library, a gym with free weights and bookable Peloton bikes, alongside a hairdresser and a beauty studio offering massages and nail appointments.

Bring people together

Book the building's cinema or rooftop bar and invite guests from outside iSAM to enjoy the facilities with you.

Put your ideas to the test

A research project with real-world relevance.

Your internship centres on a research project that gives you the opportunity to apply your technical expertise to a problem relevant to iSAM's investment or trading activities.

You'll have the scope to explore different approaches, challenge initial assumptions and test your ideas against data, with experienced colleagues available to discuss your work along the way.

Investigate a problem

Work with your team to understand a market question or technical challenge. Explore the underlying problem, consider potential approaches and determine where your research could add value.

Explore the data

Analyse large datasets to uncover patterns, develop hypotheses and investigate relationships. Evaluate the evidence, challenge your assumptions and use your findings to guide your next steps.

Develop and test models

Translate your ideas into working models. Design experiments, assess performance and investigate limitations, refining your approach as your research develops.

Understand the markets

Build your understanding of financial markets and iSAM's investment strategies. Through your project and discussions with colleagues, discover how quantitative research can inform investment decisions and trading activity.

Hear from a former intern

Josh Corneck | Quantitative Trader, former intern

“From the outset, I was trusted with meaningful work that could have a practical impact. You’re given the independence to explore different approaches, while always having knowledgeable colleagues around to discuss ideas and offer support.”

Research with real-world purpose

"During his internship with Helix's risk team, Josh worked on a project investigating statistical techniques to improve covariance estimation across a universe of stocks."

The project was intended for implementation within Helix’s production risk framework, giving Josh’s research a clear connection to the team’s practical challenges.

The application process

Our selection process is designed to help us understand your research experience, technical abilities and approach to solving problems.

Initial screening call

Speak with our Recruitment team about your research background, interests and the internship opportunities available at iSAM.

Take-home technical assessment

Demonstrate your technical skills and approach to solving a quantitative problem.

Quantitative Researcher interview

Discuss your experience, technical interests and approach to research in a 30-minute interview with a Quantitative Researcher.

On-site technical assessment day

Explore quantitative problems and demonstrate your analytical and programming skills in a more in-depth assessment.

Final interview

Meet with the team to discuss your experience, research interests and potential fit for the internship.

Ready to take on a new challenge?

Bring your research to the real world.

Spend 12 weeks applying your PhD research skills to quantitative investment and trading challenges. Explore complex problems, test your ideas and learn from experienced researchers working at the intersection of mathematics, statistics, machine learning and financial markets.

Your next research challenge starts here.