Job Description
Support, develop, assess, and execute statistical, mathematical, economic, and financial models for business decision making, risk assessment, financial valuation, and performance measurement. Use mathematical, logical and software based analytical tools to provide ongoing analysis of existing and new programs/products and provide insightful suggestions backed by quantitative analytical results or reports, provide deeper analysis of risk, pricing, cash flow forecast, or information needed to develop and refine various financial models.

Key Job Functions

• Conduct theoretical and empirical research using public and proprietary data in all areas of risk management, including mortgage products and securities, borrower behavior, investment and hedging strategies, residential property valuation, macroeconomic models including housing prices and interest rates, financial valuation of finance assets and derivatives, economic capital, and stress testing;
• Apply mathematical, statistical, and econometric techniques to provide innovative, thorough, and practical solutions to support business strategies and initiatives;
• Utilize data mining and statistical techniques to develop analytic insights, sound hypotheses;
• Conduct quantitative analyses, modeling, or programming using SQL, R, or Python;
• Use Big Data analytical tools including AWS Hive, AWS EMR, etc. to provide in depth analysis on loan characteristics based on loan acquisition, loan modification and regular monthly activities;
• Perform ongoing ad hoc data analysis or/and model analysis for specific clients;
• Identify opportunities to apply quantitative methods to improve business performance;
• Implement validation strategies and assess the quality and risk of model methodologies, outputs, and processes with some supervision;
• Apply understanding of relevant business context to properly interpret model results, monitor performance and assess risks;
• Provide guidance and coaching to junior team members on analyses and modeling projects;
• Communicate technical subject matter clearly and concisely, both verbally and through written communication via white papers, reports and presentations, to individuals from various backgrounds.

Education

• Master's degree in Quantitative Finance, Economics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics or other quantitative disciplines.

Specialized Knowledge & Skills

• Advanced econometric analysis knowledge including panel data, time series, linear regression, logistic regression.
• Experience working with statistical and data mining techniques, including regression analysis and Machine Learning tools such as Gradient Boosting Machine
• Ability to handle large datasets using Python/R/SQL or another similar programming language
• Produce data visualization and interactive outputs with packages in Python or R, or software such as Tableau
• Ability to use Big Data analytical tools in AWS or other similar cloud computing platform
• Knowledge with UNIX or LINUX Scripting
• Knowledge in reproducible research practices like version control (e.g. using Git)

Job Description

Work onsite at one of our large financial clients as a Computer Systems Analyst to support their loan portfolio data management systems. In this professional capacity, the successful candidate will perform the following duties:

• Discuss with client to determine systems integration and migration issues.
• Provide system application analysis, design/test and administration.
• Support system maintenance and agile development, metrics development, coordination and other activities as required.
• Data processing based projects to include, but not limited to the use of: Unix (Solaris) and Windows operating systems, C++,Summit API, VBA for Excel, Web service, Oracle,PL/SQL.
• Work closely with the project team members (developers, business analysts, vendor consultants and user leads) and put together all the detailed requirements.
• Realize and integrate various quantitative financial modeling such as derivative modeling and valuations for fixed-income securities based on available market data to support business analysis.
• Provide database analysis, design/test, exchange data, administration.
• Develop reports based on database required for the accounting group.
• Enhance productivity via automation.
• Prepare the knowledge transition documents and migration plans.
• Complete the testing and document the test results.

Job Description

Work onsite at our mortgage industry client where you will apply software development expertise to migrate legacy SAS applications to automated workflows written in Python.

Responsibilities

• Work in a small team environment composed of business analysts, developers and testers.
• Migrate legacy SAS systems to workflows written in Python.
• Automate earnings-at-risk calculations.

Qualifications

• Object-oriented Python experience in a LINUX/UNIX environment.
• Familiar with XML based technologies (XML messaging, XMLSchema, XML parsing).
• Proficient at UNIX scripting experience (bash, ksh, csh).
• Automating complex workflows using Python.
• SAS Grid Computing experience.
• Advanced SQL skills (especially with Oracle PL/SQL).
• Agile scrum experience.
• 3+ years using Python to build frameworks and automate complex workflows.

Preferred

• Experience with Hadoop or Netezza

Responsibilities:

• Plans, conduct and implement automation testing of systems.
• Use programming skills to create and extend test frameworks.
• Work closely with engineering and product teams to design and develop automated tests.
• Ability to test complex financial data models.
• Work on a development under the direction of more senior staff.
• Convert testable product requirements into written use cases.
• Utilize coding expertise to develop and maintain test tools, testing frameworks, integration tests, functional tests, etc.

Qualifications:

• BS or equivalent.
• 5+ years of related experience.
• Advanced knowledge of SQL including reading/writing SQL code, optimizing SQL code, working with large data sets.
• RDBMS knowledge in one or more of PL/SQL, MS SQL, MySQL
• Agile and Waterfall software development models.
• Applications that use financial data and/or financial models
• Cucumber experience in either Java or Python
• SAS experience strongly desired.
• UNIX or LINUX experience is required.

Job Duties

• Define and execute a QA strategy based on system requirements, development goals, and timelines;
• Analyze business requirements and technical specifications of applications in development to see how they can be developed into testable elements;
• Develop test case, test script, test scenario, and test methodology and document for execution including application functions and performance. Review and critique test scripts developed by less experienced staff and suggest improvements;
• Conduct tests of applications in production or in development. Verify the application functions and performance under testing that have been implemented correctly according to the specification. Identify function or performance issues;
• Document test results, and compile results of other testers into consolidated report for management, clients, applications staff. Perform regression or other analyses and present in project meeting;
• Test production software that had bugs or breakdowns in production. Test as appropriate and determine root causes and document for other technical staffs to address.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (U.S. or foreign equivalent) in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software Engineering or related discipline.
• minimum 5 years working experience in testing complex software/web applications.

Specialized Knowledge & Skills

• Proficiency in VB/VBS coding to drive QTP/UFT for test automation.
• Proficiency in automation framework setup/integration based on file system or test management tools;
• Proficiency in one of the following programming languages like C/C++/JAVA/JavaScript to drive LOADRUNNER for performance testing with different protocols;
• Proficiency in application performance verification, load testing, stress testing
• Proficiency in using test management tools like RALLY, HP ALM, CLEARQUEST, DOORS etc.

Send Resumes with cover letter to Rae@aktra.com

Job Description
Use advanced mathematical, analytical, or econometric tools to create algorithms that will be used in analytical or product development processes. Using these tools, develop or refine computer applications that provide deeper analysis of prospective asset performance, asset pricing, new asset classes, or information needed to measure or hedge risk. Provide ongoing analysis of new products or asset classes, and suggest program modifications as necessary. May test applications for accuracy and functionality before putting them into service.

Key Job Functions

• Confer with product managers, marketing staff, capital market staff, or business unit management to determine analytical or product-related needs regarding product, investment instrument, market activity, or complex transaction to be analyzed.
• Use one or more analytical tools from a suite of mathematical/application tools to perform appropriate analysis on specified product, transaction, market activity, or investment vehicle that has multiple variables affecting potential outcomes.
• Report in quantitative manner on parameters of proposed purchase, sale, marketing action, structure of transaction or market activity, or risk factors and the degree to which they could affect outcomes.
• Participate with product management, treasury, or capital markets staff in exercises to value derivatives or other complex products, or to revise models used to perform these valuations.
• Perform ad hoc analyses as needed and assist managers of specific product lines with analytical, valuation, or pricing projects. Collaborate with teams planning or structuring transactions to assist in credit analysis and pricing.
• Perform loss forecast analysis and reporting; perform ongoing ad hoc model development and analysis for specific clients needing high level quantitative analysis of credit risk, product valuation, asset analysis, and the like.
• Propose new risk indicators for senior staff/management approval and implementation. Assist with consulting with the business owners, designing and implementing an interface to record key indicators, research industry best practices of analyzing and reporting key performance indicators.
• Design basic to moderately complex test cases and test applications for systems used for a variety of analytical, pricing, risk management or credit pricing to ensure the business needs are met and analytics are correctly implemented.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent required

Minimum Experience

• 2+ years of related experience

Specialized Knowledge & Skills

• Prior quantitative and finance training, including forecasting/stress testing (DFAST) knowledge.
• Prior experience in testing models functionalities, including new user interface set up.
• Understanding modeling concepts around econometric equations, and model performance.
• Ability to systematically apply statistical and/or logical techniques to describe and evaluate data, including data mining and time series analysis
• Ability to provide insights from the analysis and communicate these to management.
• Ability to communicate with the modelling team (PhD researchers) regarding model limitations, issues, or potential enhancements.
• Advance Knowledge of Finance, Statistics or Mathematics.
• Advance knowledge of statistical analysis tools, in particular SAS as well as scripting language (UNIX shell scripts) and databases (Oracle/SQL Server).