Key Takeaways
- • AHL, the managed futures division of Man Group, is expanding its technology team and plans to recruit for around 30 positions, according to a Q&A with chief technology officer Dennis Pilsworth published by eFinancialCareers.
- • AHL has recently hired Dr Wayne Glanfield, a PhD who previously ran Renault's Formula One high performance computing facilities.
- • Roles span distributed data cluster computing, systems that generate trading signals, and electronic trade execution development, supporting AHL's automated trading strategies.
- • Pilsworth identifies building a talented, diverse team as the top priority, alongside investment in research computing, core signal and portfolio optimisation approaches, and electronic execution technology.
Summary
AHL, the managed futures division of hedge fund firm Man Group, is expanding its technology team and is looking to recruit for around 30 positions, according to a Q&A with chief technology officer Dennis Pilsworth published by eFinancialCareers. The firm has recently hired Dr Wayne Glanfield, a PhD whose background includes building Formula One high performance computing facilities.
Pilsworth said AHL's core business is based on automated trading strategies, and the open roles revolve around designing, building and optimising those strategies. He said AHL is investing heavily in this capability, with technology a key aspect from research through to trade execution. Roles range from designing distributed data cluster computing systems, which spread data across a large group of computers, to designing systems that generate trading signals and developing electronic trade execution.
On recruitment, Pilsworth said AHL looks for a strong computer science background, an understanding of algorithms, and an interest in maths and finance. A PhD or other post-graduate qualification can help but is not necessary. He said team members include ex-lawyers, bioinformaticians and people with classics backgrounds, drawn from 15 different countries.
On technology challenges, Pilsworth said AHL runs an active research program and must balance deploying new strategies with the operational responsibilities of existing ones. He said the research team will have a growing need for processing power and data, and that AHL is building capacity to support it. Pilsworth named building a talented team as his top priority, followed by investment in the research computing platform, core signals and portfolio optimisation approaches, and electronic execution technology.
On Glanfield's appeal, Pilsworth said his experience helping a Formula One team run large-scale computational fluid dynamics research maps closely onto the requirements of AHL's own statistical research cluster, used for analysing price trends in financial markets.
Pilsworth said AHL's core business is based on automated trading strategies, and the open roles revolve around designing, building and optimising those strategies. He said AHL is investing heavily in this capability, with technology a key aspect from research through to trade execution. Roles range from designing distributed data cluster computing systems, which spread data across a large group of computers, to designing systems that generate trading signals and developing electronic trade execution.
On recruitment, Pilsworth said AHL looks for a strong computer science background, an understanding of algorithms, and an interest in maths and finance. A PhD or other post-graduate qualification can help but is not necessary. He said team members include ex-lawyers, bioinformaticians and people with classics backgrounds, drawn from 15 different countries.
On technology challenges, Pilsworth said AHL runs an active research program and must balance deploying new strategies with the operational responsibilities of existing ones. He said the research team will have a growing need for processing power and data, and that AHL is building capacity to support it. Pilsworth named building a talented team as his top priority, followed by investment in the research computing platform, core signals and portfolio optimisation approaches, and electronic execution technology.
On Glanfield's appeal, Pilsworth said his experience helping a Formula One team run large-scale computational fluid dynamics research maps closely onto the requirements of AHL's own statistical research cluster, used for analysing price trends in financial markets.
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