Senior Principal Research Analyst, Market Regulation at FINRA in New York, New York

Job Description:

Responsible for the strategic design of complex multi-market and multi-products analytical and/or advanced data abstraction models for the equity, options, and fixed income securities, as well as performing ad hoc market analysis in support of Market Regulation Department surveillance patterns programs. Specifically, the Principal Research Analyst will be responsible for the strategic design of statistical, market reconstruction, and/or data abstraction models for detecting market manipulation and market conduct rule violations across facilities operated under FINRA and SRO markets with which FINRA entered into RSAs. This role will be responsible for working with large volumes of data to identify patterns or markers of potentially volatile market activities, as well as detecting and understanding trends in the market place.

Essential Job Functions:

• Strategic design of quantitative multi-market and multi-products surveillance models for detecting market manipulation and market conduct rule violations leveraging large volumes of equity and options data.


• Significantly contribute to design of the market data abstraction layer which is designed to provide uniformed, pre-linked, and pre-analyzed view of the market data for Market Regulation Department’s surveillance patterns and analytical tools.


• Contribute to the evolution of the MRDs’ surveillance program responsive to market trends and developments.


• Provide efficient quantitative support for market studies, examinations, and ongoing investigations.


• Assist in performing regulatory impact assessments of the industry’s, FINRA’s, and RSA clients’ initiatives on the MRD’s Cross-Market and SRO-specific equity, options, and examination programs.


• Adapt MRD’s surveillance and examination program to new rules and initiatives.


• Support management and others to inform internal and external constituents on overall program vision, strategy, operations, processes, and implementation status.


• Engage team members and management to identify issues and problems and to devise solutions. Includes working with other groups to develop risk scores, profiles, peer comparisons, financial performance, exposures against limits, and other risk analyses.


• Support the comprehensive and successful execution of the team’s programs in an efficient and effective manner.


• Lead and participate in ad hoc special projects and national initiatives, as requested.

Other Responsibilities:

• Ensures all assigned activities are completed according to prescribed policies and standards.


• Provides reports on status of assigned tasks or projects.


• Maintains current knowledge of applicable business activities.


• Fulfills administrative reporting tasks. Oversees user acceptance testing prior to implementing a new system or major enhancement.


• Keeps abreast of new techniques to be used in conducting market monitoring and surveillance.


• Participates in presentations to visitors and senior management on the use of technology, e.g., prototypes of new systems for Market Regulation.

Education/Experience Requirements:

• Graduate degree in Computer Science, Economics, Finance, Business, with a minimum of six years of experience. Experience can be substituted for an advanced degree.


• Advanced degree is highly desirable.


• Must have strong financial and risk analytical skills and have some experience in operations and risk modeling fields, as well as comfort in analyzing large amounts of data in an efficient manner.

Work Conditions:

• No extraordinary working conditions; minimal travel may be required.

To be considered for this position, please submit an application.

The information provided above has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required.

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In addition to a competitive salary, comprehensive health and welfare benefits, and incentive compensation, FINRA offers immediate participation and vesting in a 401(k) plan with company match. You will also be eligible for participation in an additional FINRA-funded retirement contribution, our tuition reimbursement program and many other benefits. If you would like to contribute to our important mission and work collegially in a professional organization that values intelligence, integrity and initiative, consider a career with FINRA.

Important Information

FINRA’s Code of Conduct imposes restrictions on employees’ investments and requires financial disclosures that are uniquely related to our role as a securities regulator. FINRA employees are required to disclose to FINRA all brokerage accounts that they maintain, and those in which they control trading or have a financial interest (including any trust account of which they are a trustee or beneficiary and all accounts of a spouse, domestic partner or minor child who lives with the employee) and to authorize their broker-dealers to provide FINRA with duplicate statements for all of those accounts. All of those accounts are subject to the Code’s investment and securities account restrictions, and new employees must comply with those investment restrictions—including disposing of any security issued by a company on FINRA’s Prohibited Company List or obtaining a written waiver from their Executive Vice President—by the date they begin employment with FINRA. Employees may only maintain securities accounts that must be disclosed to FINRA at one or more securities firms that provide an electronic feed (e-feed) of data to FINRA, and must move securities accounts from other securities firms to a firm that provides an e-feed within three months of beginning employment.

You can read more about these restrictions here.

As standard practice, employees must also execute FINRA’s Employee Confidentiality and Invention Assignment Agreement without qualification or modification and comply with the company’s policy on nepotism.

Search Firm Representatives

Please be advised that FINRA is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this employment opportunity. Regardless of past practice, a valid written agreement and task order must be in place before any resumes are submitted to FINRA. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at FINRA without a valid written agreement and task order in place will be deemed the sole property of FINRA and no fee will be paid in the event that person is hired by FINRA.

FINRA is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, citizenship status, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or any other classification protected by federal state or local laws as appropriate, or upon the protected status of the person’s relatives, friends or associates.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified protected veterans, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans.

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