What is CTC?
CTC, or Chicago Trading Company, is a global proprietary trading and market making firm focused on options markets. We combine deep options expertise with quantitative research, advanced technology, and experienced judgment to provide liquidity across a broad range of products, markets, and trading conditions. Learn more.
When was CTC founded?
CTC was founded in 1995 by five options traders. The firm began in U.S. Index options and has since expanded across products, asset classes, trading venues, and geographies.
Where is CTC headquartered?
CTC is headquartered in Chicago, where the firm was founded and maintains its largest office. CTC also has offices in New York, Austin, London, and Amsterdam, bringing its teams closer to important markets, talent, and trading opportunities.
Our Business
What does CTC do?
CTC is a proprietary trading and market making firm, with a primary focus on options. The firm provides liquidity across products, venues, and time horizons while using research and internally developed technology to price risk, evaluate opportunities, and support trading decisions amid volatility.
What is options market making?
Options market making involves continuously evaluating risk and providing prices at which market participants can buy or sell options. Market makers support liquidity by committing capital and remaining prepared to trade as prices, volatility, and market conditions change.
What markets and products does CTC trade?
CTC’s core focus is options across multiple asset classes – equities, indices, commodities, and interest rates – as well as related opportunities in futures, underlying securities, and volatility trading. CTC also operates trading desks dedicated to select non-option markets, such as credit.
What makes CTC different from other trading firms?
CTC was built around the distinct volatility, liquidity, and risk characteristics of options markets, giving us the expertise to provide liquidity with conviction and stay engaged when others pull back. The firm combines that experience with quantitative research, proprietary technology, and a unique collaborative operating model that enables traders, researchers, and engineers to develop and improve capabilities together.
Is CTC a quantitative trading firm?
Yes. CTC is a quantitative trading firm, with quantitative research and systematic trading playing important roles across its business. Its approach combines models, data, and automation with the judgment of experienced traders, using technology to strengthen decision-making rather than remove people from it. To learn more,
visit our Trading page.
What do quantitative researchers do at CTC?
CTC’s quantitative researchers use mathematics, data, and experimentation to study market behavior and improve trading decisions. Their work can include pricing and modeling, signals and forecasting, execution research, strategy development, and driving promising ideas from research into production. To learn more,
visit our Quant Research page.
What technology does CTC build?
CTC develops much of the technology behind its trading business in-house. Engineers work across market data, exchange connectivity, low-latency and hardware engineering, trading platforms, backtesting and simulation, and other infrastructure used by traders and quantitative researchers. To learn more, visit our Technology page.
Careers at CTC
What types of careers are available at CTC?
CTC hires across trading, quantitative research, software engineering, hardware engineering, and business and operations functions. Roles range from internships and entry-level opportunities to positions for experienced professionals. To learn more, explore open roles.
What is it like to work at CTC?
CTC offers a rigorous, collaborative environment where employees are expected to ask strong questions, challenge ideas constructively, and take ownership of meaningful work. Trading, research, technology, and operations teams work closely together, with an emphasis on candor, continuous learning, ethical judgment, and long-term performance. To learn more,
visit our Culture page.
What qualities does CTC look for in job candidates?
The strongest candidates bring rigorous thinking, curiosity, ownership, and a collaborative mindset. CTC values people who examine details, test assumptions, remain open to feedback, and are driven to see important work through. To learn more, visit our Careers page.
Does CTC offer internships and early-career programs?
Yes. CTC offers internships and full-time early-career opportunities across trading, quantitative research, and technology. Programs combine structured education, mentorship, practical work, and exposure to how different teams contribute to the business. To learn more,
visit our Early Careers page.
What is CTC’s internship program like?
CTC’s 10-week internship program combines options and quantitative coursework with meaningful team-based work. Interns learn from experienced employees, contribute to practical projects, build relationships across the firm, and spend the summer with their intern class in Chicago.
Do I need a finance background to work at CTC?
Not necessarily. Relevant experience depends on the role. Candidates may come from fields such as mathematics, statistics, computer science, engineering, economics, or finance. CTC is particularly interested in people who can solve difficult problems, learn quickly, and apply their skills to real market and technology challenges.
