What are the responsibilities and job description for the Junior Equity Derivatives Trader position at DAIWA CAPITAL MARKETS AMERICA INC?
About Daiwa Capital Markets America Inc.:
Incorporated in 1964, Daiwa Capital Markets America Inc. (“DCMA”) is a New York-based registered securities broker-dealer, a futures commission merchant, a primary dealer of U.S. Treasury securities, and a member of the New York Stock Exchange and other major U.S. exchanges. Our main focus is on the sales and trading of Japanese, Asian, and U.S. equities, fixed income instruments, financial futures, and investment banking for institutional customers. DCMA’s ultimate parent company is Daiwa Securities Group Inc., one of the largest brokerage and financial services groups in Japan.
Position Summary:
We are seeking an analytical, curious, and technically strong Junior Equity Derivatives Trader to join our Equities team supporting our Delta One business. Reporting to the Executive Director for our Delta One desk, you will work closely with senior traders across securities lending, reverse conversions, and other Delta One strategies. The ideal candidate combines hands‑on trading experience with strong programming ability, an analytical mindset, and a collaborative, entrepreneurial approach to problem‑solving.
Core Responsibilities:
Delta One & Securities Finance Trading Support
- Support trading activity in hard‑to‑borrow reverse conversions, securities lending, and other Delta One strategies.
- Assist senior traders with pre‑ and post‑trade processes, including staging, booking, middle office interaction, reconciliation, and daily P&L.
- Analyze borrow availability, rates, utilization, and market inefficiencies across equities to identify trading opportunities.
- Monitor tenders, spinoffs, bankruptcies, and corporate actions, and evaluate their impact on the securities lending and equity financing markets.
- Stay current on market developments and contribute to strategy development and idea generation.
Technical & Quantitative Tool Building
- Build, maintain, and improve automated tools to optimize trading workflows and pricing analysis using Python, SQL, and VBA.
- Extract, clean, and manipulate large datasets to support pricing, inventory optimization, and trade decisioning.
- Work jointly with stock loan and treasury liquidity teams to share pricing information and organize data for senior traders.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Coordinate with Treasury, Risk, Finance, Legal, and firmwide liquidity teams to optimize equity financing resources and monitor margin and liquidity requirements.
- Manage onboarding processes for new trading counterparties and support operational efficiency initiatives across the desk.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree and 2–5 years’ experience, preferably in Delta One strategies, equity finance, securities lending, or equity derivatives.
- Strong programming skills in Python, SQL, and VBA, with experience building tools used by trading desks.
- Experience working with Bloomberg Terminal; familiarity with Bloomberg APIs via Python/SQL preferred.
- Intermediate understanding of equity options and derivatives mechanics.
- Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with comfort handling large datasets.
- Ability to work collaboratively across Treasury, Risk, Finance, and Legal teams.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, dynamic, entrepreneurial environment.
- Familiarity with special situations, corporate actions, and regulatory frameworks is a plus.
- Required licenses: Series 7 & 63
Company Culture and Benefits:
Daiwa Capital Markets America Inc. has a vibrant company culture made up of a diverse team of professionals. We seek to foster an atmosphere in which our employees understand, respect, and inspire each other. We will continue to build a culture that encourages everyone at DCMA to take pride in their work. How we work — individually, with each other, and with our communities — is just as important as what we do and shapes who we are as an organization.
Our people are our most important asset, and as a result, we offer a competitive and robust total rewards package which includes, but is not limited to:
- Competitive Benefits Package (Medical, Dental and Vision)
- Ancillary Insurance (Basic Life Insurance, AD&D Insurance, and Short & Long-term Disability)
- Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts (FSA and HSA)
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
- Parental Leave
- Family building benefits
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid Time Off and holidays
- Professional development, educational assistance and training programs
- Community Engagement Programs
DCMA has a hybrid work program in place, with opportunities for remote work depending on the nature of the role and needs of your department. This was implemented to provide operational efficiency while simultaneously giving employees flexibility. At a minimum, employees are expected to work in the office three days per week.
DCMA provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. We are committed to providing a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment. DCMA prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, military or veteran status, or other attributes protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Salary : $125,000 - $175,000