Job Opportunities

At the D. E. Shaw group, employees might be involved in any of a wide range of financial and non-financial projects, depending both on our current activities and on the interests and capabilities of the individual in question. The firm is extremely selective in its hiring, and can give serious consideration only to individuals having extraordinary intellectual capabilities, communication skills, and general "real world" competence. For most positions, a background in finance or technology is neither required nor expected.

If you are interested in being considered for a position at the D. E. Shaw group, please submit your resume online. We will then ask you to fill out an information sheet to help us collect certain additional information that may not be included in your resume. If we think there might be a good match between your background and our needs, we'll schedule a phone interview, which may be followed, if appropriate, by one or more in-person interviews at our office and, finally, the collection of references.

We consider each resume for all appropriate positions at the firm, so there's no need to submit your resume separately to different parts of the firm. Below is a sampling of full-time positions commonly open at the firm. It's worth noting, however, that there are generally a wide range of full-time positions available in addition to those listed below, as well as a limited number of internships for undergraduate, graduate, or MBA students.

In accord with our standard procedure for processing applications for employment, candidate resumes and associated information will be sent to D. E. Shaw group affiliates in the United States, India, the United Kingdom, and possibly other locations where the D. E. Shaw group maintains offices. (Of course, applicants will be considered for employment opportunities only in those countries in which they have expressed interest.) The D. E. Shaw group will use reasonable care to maintain the confidentiality of applicant information and will not disclose it to any third party unless expressly requested or authorized by the applicant, or in a judicial, legislative, or administrative investigation or proceeding or to a government or other regulatory agency. Individuals who have already submitted a resume to the D. E. Shaw group and do not wish to proceed with their applications should e-mail cvwithdraw@deshaw.com.

The members of the D. E. Shaw group do not discriminate in employment matters on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. Note that for us, this is more than just legal boilerplate. We are genuinely committed to these principles, which form an important part of our corporate culture, and are eager to hear from extraordinarily well qualified individuals having a wide range of backgrounds and personal characteristics.

• Generalist Associate
• Computer Systems Administrator
• Analyst
• Securities Trader
• Finance and Operations Generalist
• Software Developer
• Quantitative Analyst
• Other Positions

Generalist Associate

We are seeking individuals with an extraordinary record of academic or professional achievement to support the firm's investment management activities. Generalist Associates can join any one of several departments, including Investor Relations, Corporate Development, and Strategic Growth (which manages the firm's highly selective recruiting). Some Generalist Associates rotate through four departments (including at least one trader or analyst rotation) during the first sixteen months of employment in order to get a broad introduction to the firm's operations. For these positions we neither require nor expect any previous financial experience, and we welcome candidates from any field of study and with any level of degree (BA, BS, MS, Ph.D.). Ideal candidates are critical thinkers and effective communicators who have demonstrated remarkable talent in their previous endeavors.

Computer Systems Administrator (full-time and internship)

Our Systems team provides internal technology support for the firm and is responsible for dealing with a wide range of technical issues involving desktop PC technologies as well as Unix, networking, and telecommunications. The position demands excellent verbal and written communication skills and a high degree of comfort with computer technology. (Programming ability is a plus, though not a requirement.) We're looking for exceptional raw ability more than specific technical experience, and would gladly hire a truly brilliant and capable generalist, regardless of background, if he or she had a serious commitment to the position.

Analysts (full-time and internship)

The firm seeks analysts for investment selection and transaction support/execution for a variety of strategies. Responsibilities can include: generating investment ideas; performing initial investment/trade reviews; doing business, financial, and industry research and diligence; financial modeling and valuation analysis; structuring, negotiating and documenting transactions; monitoring investments and portfolio performance; drafting valuation and company reviews; and managing realizations. The ideal candidate will have gained hands-on training and experience in an investment bank or private equity firm. We are looking for a minimum of 2-3 years of M&A, corporate finance, leveraged finance, or buy-side investment experience, or 1-2 years of experience plus an MBA. Expertise in a particular industry is not required.

Securities Trader (full-time and internship)

We are interested in training motivated individuals to effect trades in a variety of systematic and fundamental investment strategies. Strong quantitative and analytical abilities, excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, and an exceptional sensitivity to detail are essential. The ideal candidate will have an outstanding academic record, a high level of computer literacy, a demonstrated interest in finance, and an aptitude for trading. Prior experience is not required, but some financial exposure is a decided advantage.

Finance and Operations Generalist (full-time and internship)

Associates in our Finance and Operations department have the opportunity to gain diverse experience in management reporting, financial reporting, treasury, and trade accounting and operations, and to work closely with our proprietary trading, investor relations, and software development groups. Daily responsibilities may include capital allocation and optimization, cash management and liquidity analysis, profit and loss computation, position reconciliation and trade break investigation, treasury operations and money movements, and special projects. If you're good with numbers and want to work in a friendly, casual, and collegial environment while gaining exposure to financial instruments across a wide spectrum of asset classes and markets, this position offers strong growth potential. Candidates should have superior quantitative and problem-solving skills. A degree in economics, accounting, finance, business, math, science, or engineering is preferred, but not necessary.

Software Developer (full-time and internship)

Software developers create the engines that drive our proprietary trading activities and build and operate our technology ventures. They solve challenging technical problems in a variety of areas including intelligent trading agent design, high-throughput distributed systems, analysis of enormous data sets, and simulation and optimization of real-world processes. We strongly emphasize personal ownership of projects, and new hires are given substantial responsibility from their first day on the job.

We look for outstanding graduates (BS, MS, and Ph.D.) in Computer Science from top-tier universities. Successful candidates are excellent software architects and programmers with a sound understanding of systems, programming paradigms, and software engineering practices. They also have experience designing and constructing complex software systems, preferably in a self-directed setting. Extraordinary creativity, mathematical ability, and technological vision are a decided advantage.

Quantitative Analyst (full-time and internship)

Quants apply mathematical techniques and write software to develop and analyze statistical models for our computerized financial trading strategies. Specific responsibilities range from examining trading data in an effort to increase profitability, decrease risk, and reduce transaction costs to conceiving new trading ideas and devising the simulations needed to test them. Successful quant candidates have traditionally been the top students in their respective math, physics, engineering, and computer science programs; a considerable number have also competed successfully in the United States and International Math Olympiads as well as the Putnam Competition.

Other Positions

The positions listed above can be thought of as our recruitment perennials, since we are almost always seeking strong candidates in these categories. In addition, however, we often have openings in other areas within the firm, and in various new departments that crop up when we start new lines of business. We would be happy to review your resume even if you haven't been able to identify a particular opening that seems well suited to your background or interests. While some positions will of course require domain-specific experience, we are somewhat unusual in the extent to which we tend to value evidence of raw ability and extraordinary competence, with less concern for the extent to which a candidate's specific experience matches a particular, currently open position. In fact, if your background is unusually impressive but happens not to match any of our current searches, we might well invent a position for you rather than miss the chance to employ an extraordinarily talented individual.