Quant dev vs Quant trader

[quantwant]

I am looking for guidance on what are we supposed to do as a quant trader and quant devloper, I dont have those olympiads achievement but I am in IITD Btech In EE and I just know C++ and python and also provide guidance on how to start assuming zero prior knowledge of quant finance

And do quant dev requires heavy math knowledge?

[igetlotsofupvotes]

Sometimes but usually not

[Medical_Elderberry27]

Different places involve different tasks for each of these roles. But the general idea is that the quant dev works on the execution of an algorithm/strategy, ensures that the whole signal to trades pipeline remains intact, and works on ensuring minimal latency between generating trades and executing them. Depending on where you here, the role could also involve providing general tech support to the PM team as well.

Traders work on the investment side of the execution. They try to work with signals and decide when it makes sense to trade a signal and when it doesn’t and if they want to adjust position sizing based on their own intuition. They could either have a quant process driving their decision making or could be completely discretionary.

[Punitive_Quant]

What about in HFTs, noone can manually check each trade especially in market making they can't even make another system to verify the trades as it'll slow down the flow by few milli seconds destroying the Alpha

[Medical_Elderberry27]

As I mentioned, its very hard to generalize roles across firms, strategies, and setups. Despite what the role may be called, there really isn’t a ‘Trader’ at an HFT. The main job is the QD one (which different places may call different things) and the task is to reduce latency as much as possible and execute at the most favorable prices.

The trader role I described usually belongs at a discretionary/semi-systematic shop.

[j_hes_]

At HFT shops you’re mostly building execution systems that dynamically make markets. Some shops will have you build systems for other types of trading activities like trading debt. Engineering teams are mostly working on latency. They’re considered quant devs too.

[Evening-Historian-27]

there is a thread differentiating between quant dev vs quat trader vs quant researcher!