Junior Quantitative Trader

Franklin Templeton
Edinburgh
1 week ago
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At Franklin Templeton, we’re advancing our industry forward by developing new and innovative ways to help our clients achieve their investment goals. Our dynamic and diversified firm spans asset management, wealth management, and fintech, offering many ways to help investors make progress toward their goals. Our talented teams working around the globe bring expertise that’s both broad and unique. From our welcoming, inclusive, and flexible culture to our global and diverse business, we provide opportunities to help you reach your potential while helping our clients reach theirs.


Come join us in delivering better outcomes for our clients around the world!


About the Department

We are seeking a Junior Quantitative Trader based in Edinburgh, to support trading activities across equities, FX, and cash instruments for UK markets. This is a hybrid role that is execution and workflow oriented, while also having a mandate on streamlining execution and trading operations with quantitative and analytics approaches.


This role is ideal for someone with strong quantitative and technical skills who is interested in markets, execution, and real-world trading outcomes, rather than academic model development.


The successful candidate will work closely with traders to:



  • Support day‑day trading and execution
  • Analyse and monitor algorithmic trading performance
  • Improve execution and trading workflows by developing a systematic approach integrating internal systems, vendors and various data sources

How You Will Add Value
Trading & Execution Support

  • Assist traders in executing cash equity and FX trades, with a focus on best execution
  • Build a deep understanding of market structure and trading venues across markets
  • Monitor market conditions, liquidity, and execution quality across asset classes
  • Support daily cash and FX management activities as needed

Algorithm & Performance Analysis

  • Analyse performance of execution algorithms and trading strategies
  • Help identify drivers of slippage, costs, and performance variance
  • Produce regular execution and performance reporting for traders and management

Workflow & Data Engineering

  • Work closely with global quantitative execution team to improve trading workflows by utilizing internal systems, vendor data, and market data
  • Automate recurring analyses and reporting to improve desk efficiency
  • Work with large trade‑oriented datasets to visualise and extract actionable insights to systematically improve executions
  • Partner with technology, data, and trading teams to streamline processes

Risk & Controls

  • Support trade monitoring, reconciliations, and exception handling
  • Assist with adherence to internal risk, compliance, and control frameworks

What Will Help You Be Successful in This Role
Experience, Education & Certifications

  • Degree in finance, economics, mathematics, engineering, computer science, or related quantitative or technical fields with relevant experience in trading and quant.
  • Strong interest in financial markets and trading
  • Proficiency in Python (or similar language) for data analysis and automation
  • Comfort working with large datasets and multiple data sources
  • Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills
  • High attention to detail and ability to work in a fast‑paced trading environment

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Exposure to equities, FX, or execution trading
  • Familiarity with:

    • Market microstructure concepts
    • Transaction cost analysis (TCA)
    • Trading algorithms and execution venues


  • Experience working with SQL, APIs, or market data vendors
  • Experience in Machine Learning and AI models; Power Automate and Cloud database
  • Internship or prior experience on a trading desk or in trading technology

Experience our welcoming culture and reach your professional and personal potential!

Building teams with diverse skills, backgrounds, and experiences has always been important to us. Cultivating an inclusive culture where employees feel safe to share their voices is not only beneficial for our people, but also drives innovation and enables us to deliver better client outcomes. So, no matter your interests, lifestyle, or background, there’s a place for you at Franklin Templeton. We will provide you with tools, resources, and learning opportunities to help you excel in your career and personal life.


We want our employees to be at their best. By joining us, you will connect with a culture that focuses on employee well‑being and provides multidimensional support for a positive and healthy lifestyle. We understand that benefits are at the core of employee well‑being and may vary depending on individual needs. Whether you need support for staying physically and mentally healthy, saving for life’s adventures, taking care of your family members, or making a positive impact in your community, we aim to have you covered.


Franklin Templeton is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and existing employees, and we evaluate qualified applicants without regard to ancestry, age, colour, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, or gender expression, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation.


As part of our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, we welcome applicants with flexible working arrangements in their current roles or those seeking a flexible working pattern. We encourage you to communicate any preferences for flexible working so that we can consider this during our hiring process. Additionally, returners – individuals who have taken a break from work – are also encouraged to explore our job opportunities.


As a registered UK Disability Confident Committed Employer, we encourage you to disclose if you consider yourself to have a disability as part of your application. This information enables us to provide the necessary support and leverage your unique talents effectively.


If you believe that you need an accommodation or adjustment to search for or apply for one of our positions, please send an email to . In your email, please include the accommodation or adjustment you are requesting, the job title, and the job number you are applying for. It may take up to three business days to receive a response to your request. Please note that only requests for arrangements will receive a response.


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