A place to trade the way you believe.
We look for discretionary traders and quantitative portfolio managers who have managed real capital and want to work across markets, and for the people who help build the team around them. We don't judge by résumés and interviews alone — each role has its own path, and we publish how it works.
How we get to know a trader
The Ladder is how every discretionary trader joins Par Trading — and how they grow. It's not a hiring process. It's our answer to the question: what is a good trader?
Résumés don't tell the whole story. Tasks do.
The most reliable way to know a trader is to watch what they do with real data, real systems and real capital.
Behavior over returns.
Short-window returns carry little information. How someone handles a drawdown, and whether they report it honestly, carries a lot.
Allocation grows with proof, not with title.
Everyone starts small, is measured by the same published standards, and climbs the same ladder.
- 01A four-week structured test: a replay task on public historical data, scenario questions and hands-on with our systems, and a short period of live trading on real capital.
- 02An allocation ladder: after the test, you start at an entry allocation and move up by published criteria.
- 03Independent reviewers — the head of desk and risk — score separately before they compare notes.
- 04Every candidate sees the full criteria on day one.
You don't need to know someone, come from a particular firm, or perform in an interview. You need to make honest judgments and trade within the rules.
Strategy admission
Portfolio managers join through a strategy review: the alpha, its risks, its capacity and its live record. Once admitted, each pod is reviewed quarterly, and capital, risk budget and team resources grow as results are verified — without waiting for an annual cycle.
Conversations, then a clear answer
Conversations with the people you'll work with, a practical exercise where it helps, and a clear answer within a reasonable time.
- Quantitative Researcher
- Trader / Execution
- Trading Systems Engineer
- Data Engineer
- AI Agent Engineer
Hong Kong. Shenzhen is available as a transitional office initially; after formal onboarding, the Hong Kong office is the primary place of trading and work.
Please send your CV to careers@par.ai. A traditional cover letter is not required. If convenient, attach material that shows how you work — a reviewed trade log, a trading plan, a strategy write-up, a backtest-vs-live comparison. Please do not share any confidential material belonging to a current or former employer.