At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and enhance quantitative risk models while managing a dynamic team.
- Company: Join IG Group, a leading fintech innovating across five continents.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a collaborative culture that values innovation and client success.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a high-growth environment with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in quantitative risk and strong coding skills in Python.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 ÂŁ per year.
About IG Group
IG is a FTSE 100 fintech operating across five continents, serving over 1.3m customers and handling billions of dollars in transactions - built on scale, trust, and proof. We didn't pivot to innovation; it's how we've always operated. What that means for the people who work here is real: genuinely complex problems to solve, the technology and resources to tackle them properly, and the kind of scope that's rare in established businesses. The bar is high - bring a curious and forward‑thinking mindset and we'll give you the platform to define what comes next. Join us at IG - the future gets built here.
Our core values - Champion the Client, Learn Fast Together, and Raise the Bar - drive our commitment to delivering innovative technology and exceptional client outcomes. Led by CEO Breon Corcoran, IG is undergoing significant transformation: investing in institutional‑grade risk infrastructure, deepening its quantitative and technical capabilities, and expanding its product suite across complex derivatives and leveraged instruments.
About the Opportunity
IG Group is seeking a technically exceptional, commercially sharp Senior Manager, Financial Risk to take ownership of our quantitative market risk framework - including the build, enhancement, and governance of key risk models including VaR, Expected Shortfall, prudential stress testing, bespoke credit risk stress tests - and to drive the evolution of our risk technology capability in the cloud.
This is a player‑manager role. You will be hands‑on in the code, building and owning models directly, while also leading and developing a team of quantitative risk professionals. You will serve as deputy to the Head of Financial Risk, stepping up to lead the function when required.
We are looking for individuals from quantitative risk, model risk, or front‑office quant backgrounds – those who have built and owned market risk models at hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, or investment banks, and who are energised by the opportunity to apply that expertise within a high growth, technology‑led fintech. Beyond the technical, you will be a role model within the team for commerciality, pace, and genuine business partnership – engaging stakeholders as a strategic enabler rather than a gatekeeper.
Key Responsibilities
- Quantitative Model Build & Ownership
- Own the end‑to‑end design, build, validation, and ongoing enhancement of IG's critical risk models – writing and maintaining production‑quality code throughout.
- Apply advanced quantitative techniques including time series analysis, volatility modelling (GARCH, EWMA), correlation modelling, and copulas to continuously improve model performance.
- Apply machine learning techniques to risk modelling problems – including regime detection, volatility forecasting, and anomaly detection in risk exposures.
- Build and maintain a rigorous model validation framework, including back‑testing, P&L attribution, and statistical performance testing.
- Lead model governance – owning documentation, presenting to the Risk Committee, and responding to regulatory and internal audit requirements.
- Stress Testing & Scenario Analysis
- Design, build, and maintain a comprehensive stress testing suite in Python, covering historical scenarios, hypothetical macroeconomic scenarios, and reverse stress tests.
- Continuously evolve stress test methodologies in response to changing market conditions, new products, and regulatory requirements.
- Own the deployment and scheduling of stress testing pipelines in the cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure), ensuring scalability, reliability, and auditability.
- Translate stress test outputs into clear, actionable narratives for senior leadership and the Risk Committee.
- Cloud‑Based Risk Infrastructure
- Lead the migration and development of risk models and analytical pipelines onto cloud infrastructure, working closely with Risk Technology and Data Engineering.
- Write clean, well‑documented, version‑controlled Python code to build and deploy risk models as scalable cloud services.
- Drive automation of manual risk processes, improving speed, accuracy, and analytical coverage across the function.
- Contribute to technical architecture decisions for IG's risk platform, bringing quantitative depth to conversations about data, tooling, and infrastructure.
- Real‑Time Market Risk Management
- Monitor and manage IG's real‑time market risk exposures across equities, FX, commodities, rates, and crypto – with deep focus on Greeks, sensitivities, and concentration risk.
- Provide quantitative insight and real‑time risk intelligence to Trading and senior leadership, acting as a genuine partner to the business.
- Oversee hedging strategy analysis, evaluating effectiveness and recommending data‑driven optimisations to reduce residual market risk.
- Act as the firm's foremost expert on derivatives pricing and risk sensitivities across listed and OTC instruments.
- Product Partnership & New Business Risk
- Partner closely with Product, Trading, and Commercial teams on new product launches – assessing market risk implications, stress testing new instruments, and defining risk parameters before go‑live.
- Develop quantitative frameworks for evaluating the risk profile of new asset classes, products, and markets IG is considering entering.
- Engage with business stakeholders proactively, translating complex quantitative risk analysis into commercially relevant insight that supports – rather than blocks – product and business development.
- Player‑Manager Leadership
- Act as a hands‑on player‑manager: directly contributing to model builds and quantitative work while leading, coaching, and developing the team.
- Act as deputy to the Head of Financial Risk, assuming full leadership of the function when required.
- Set the standard within the team for technical excellence, commercial thinking, pace, and business partnership.
- Mentor junior and mid‑level quants, building team capability in both quantitative methods and Python engineering.
- Governance & Regulatory
- Maintain compliance of all risk models and processes with applicable global regulatory requirements (FCA, BaFin, NFA etc).
- Partner with Finance, Compliance, and Legal on regulatory reporting obligations and external engagements.
- Contribute to the development of IG's risk appetite framework and escalation protocols.
Key Deliverables & Outcomes
- Own and continuously improve a best‑in‑class risk modelling suite, fully documented and regularly validated.
- Deliver a cloud‑deployed, Python‑built stress testing framework.
- Lead the integration of machine learning techniques into at least one quantitative risk modelling domain within the first 12 months.
- Deliver measurable improvements in the speed, automation, and analytical depth of market risk monitoring and reporting.
- Act as a credible and effective deputy Head of Financial Risk, maintaining quality and continuity of output at all times.
- Raise team capability through active player‑manager coaching and knowledge sharing.
- Support successful risk sign‑off for new product launches, acting as a trusted quantitative partner to the business.
Leadership Success Profile
Professional Experience
Significant experience in quantitative risk, model risk, or front‑office quant roles at a hedge fund, proprietary trading firm, or investment bank.
Senior Manager, Financial Risk in London employer: CFA Institute
Contact Detail:
CFA Institute Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Manager, Financial Risk in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with current IG employees on LinkedIn. A personal introduction can make all the difference when you're applying for that Senior Manager, Financial Risk role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by brushing up on your technical skills and understanding of risk models. We want to see you demonstrate your knowledge of VaR and stress testing, so practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms.
✨Tip Number 3
Show us your passion for innovation! Be ready to discuss how you've applied advanced quantitative techniques in your previous roles. We love candidates who can think outside the box and bring fresh ideas to the table.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining IG and being part of our exciting journey.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Manager, Financial Risk in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Senior Manager, Financial Risk role. Highlight your quantitative risk experience and any relevant projects you've worked on. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about financial risk and how your background makes you a perfect fit for IG Group. Don’t forget to mention our core values and how you embody them.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Since this role involves hands-on coding and model building, be sure to highlight your technical skills in Python and any experience with cloud technologies. We love seeing examples of your work, so feel free to include links to projects or GitHub repositories.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re serious about joining our team at IG Group!
How to prepare for a job interview at CFA Institute
✨Know Your Models Inside Out
As a Senior Manager in Financial Risk, you'll need to demonstrate a deep understanding of quantitative risk models. Brush up on your knowledge of VaR, Expected Shortfall, and stress testing methodologies. Be ready to discuss how you've built or enhanced these models in previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Technical Skills
Since this role involves hands-on coding, make sure you can talk about your experience with Python and any relevant libraries. Prepare to discuss specific projects where you've applied advanced techniques like GARCH or machine learning in risk modelling. They’ll want to see your technical prowess!
✨Engage with Stakeholders
This position requires you to act as a strategic partner rather than a gatekeeper. Think about examples where you've successfully communicated complex quantitative analyses to non-technical stakeholders. Highlight your ability to translate data into actionable insights that support business decisions.
✨Demonstrate Leadership and Team Development
As a player-manager, you'll be expected to lead and mentor a team. Prepare to share your leadership philosophy and experiences. Discuss how you've fostered a culture of learning and collaboration within your teams, and be ready to explain how you would approach coaching junior quants.