Credit desk strategists are required to work in collaboration with traders regarding risk analysis. They also work towards developing value added strategies for trading. They will have to handle the responsibility of creating models for product valuation, trading strategy analysts, evaluation and risk tools. The tools are created so that they can be utilized by traders besides other desk strategists so that the risk factor can be understood and analyzed better. This is something that will help you identifying market opportunities better.
The other responsibilities of a "credit desk strategist" include the following:
- Determining and creating models for risk management and valuation which will feed the records and books of an organization for positions which are presently on books or going to be bid upon or purchased.
- He/she will have to create strategies and models which will be used by the desk for driving decisions on trading.
- He will have to monitor and analyze how effective the current risk and valuation models are and champion and enact new developments if required by the organization.
- Collaboration with the traders for analyzing and identifying trading opportunities that are revenue positive would be required from the "credit desk strategist" by the organization he is working for. This will also help the desk strategist analyze and give advice on handling the risks associated with the positions that are on the books presently. Another advantage of collaboration with the traders is that the credit desk strategists will be able to design new products.
Good knowledge of applied mathematics is a necessary skill for getting employment as a desk strategist. If you have basic knowledge on financial markets and mathematical finance, it will be an added advantage. Specific information on credit dynamics, mortgages and market activities will be helpful when appearing for interviews. The technical skills required for this job include statistical packages and C++ programming. The statistical packages include Mat lab and SAS. Discussing and marketing ideas is an important aspect of this job. So the ability to carry out these functions will be analyzed by the employers. The ideal candidate should possess strong collaboration and communication skills as a necessary requirement. Besides, he or she should be inquisitive by nature with a strong desire for being commercially relevant by utilizing financial analytics. Ability to select trading opportunities with a reduced risk would be another essential requirement.
Most of the companies provide training to the newly recruited employees. The desk strategist should have updated information on the latest developments in the trading industry.
For senior level jobs, experience is mandatory. An experience in implementing and designing analytics would be a strong advantage in obtaining the coveted job with a reputed firm. An excellent track record goes a long way in impressing the employers. Another important thing companies will assess in a candidate is his/her leadership skills along with the ability to mentor and direct quantitative and highly skilled professionals in terms of implementation, development, and analytics adoption which has a positive revenue impact as far as the business is considered.
The career prospects are good as far as the job of a "desk strategist" is considered. They stand a high chance of getting promoted to senior positions with the required experience and proved talent. An experience of five years would help you in getting a top job with a leading organization.
The median annual salary of a credit desk strategist is around $128,000. These jobs come with a good pay package. The salaries of professionals vary depending on the organization and experience in the field.
These trading jobs can be obtained from job sites for jobs or newspaper classifieds. An important part of the credit desk strategy culture is to share their profits with those who are registered with them, which makes this position potentially lucrative.