Recently I saw a job post. It describes the job asto oversee intelligent database application running complex text and numerical queries in order to generate new event-driven investment ideas in real time. no specific programming/coding will be needed, but the candidate should have a background in computer science or another quantitative field. The candidate must be able to think in a very logical manner and have a strong command over basic Boolean logic operators. Candidate should also possess some knowledge of public market investing and basic corporate finance. It's not very clear to what the job will be like. Anybody can give some hints?Thanks

I really have no idea, but can guess as well as the next guy. My translation:We have this complicated application, (not really even debugged yet) but the guy/girl in chargeleft. Now the only people left working on it are the hard-core computer geeks and nobody inmanagement knows how to talk to those people or what their answers mean. So, we wantyou to be responsible for all these people and problems and half-baked code and then mgt. will only have to talk to you. p.s. We're really not sure if this whole project was worth the money or the time. But, now thatit's close to done, we have to finish it. If it works, we may keep your group on.

QuoteOriginally posted by: movieloveRecently I saw a job post. It describes the job asto oversee intelligent database application running complex text and numerical queries in order to generate new event-driven investment ideas in real time. no specific programming/coding will be needed, but the candidate should have a background in computer science or another quantitative field. The candidate must be able to think in a very logical manner and have a strong command over basic Boolean logic operators. Candidate should also possess some knowledge of public market investing and basic corporate finance. It's not very clear to what the job will be like. Anybody can give some hints?ThanksTo be honest, it sounds like they want an IT guy to "oversee" (operate? troubleshoot?) some software they have written. Imagine working in a factory... you will be the guy pulling levers. That's it; that's what you do. Of course you have to be able to think logically! When the boss tells you to pull the second lever first and then the first lever second, you will need to be able to figure out if he is talking about his right, or your right. Don't worry about the boolean logic part. What really constitutes "strong command over basic Boolean logic operators" anyways? I'll give you a hint: when the boss says to shut up or get the hell out of his sight, he is testing you. Call him on it! "Aha! I can both shut up and get the hell out of your sight, because this model satisfies the aforementioned sentence!" "...""Here, let me draw you a truth table...."

It sounds like the boss purchased one of those trading systems you see on late night tv commericals and he needs somebody to help him get it up and running.

Alan's analysis is easily the most plausible.Certainly the advert implies either more than a little trouble in their thought processes, or some extremely state of the art arbitrage work.None of the technologies currently used by (or taught to) quants can do real time work on "complex text and numerical queries". Though if you throw enough resource at it, you can nearly get there.There exist technologies that will do this, and they do require a strong command of zero and first order predicate calculi. Sad thing is that most CS grads can't do this, at least not many under 30, and most quants knowledgeof Boolean logic doesn't get as far as the implies operator.If you don't know the tech I'm talking of then you can't do this job, unless it's some attempt to push vN architectures harder than is is reasonable. Would any CS grads like to guess what a vN architecture is ?It could be a good job, but won't be very quanty, indeed long long ago, when I first wandered into the markets I thought this was how "trading systems" would work, and I suppose part of me still does.There are reasons why they don't, even though we have a lot more power to punt at the problem.Sometimes I think the most valuable bit of s/w I ever wrote got thrown away. Was a bit of real programming that would acquire Bloomberg news data in close to real time, and shove it intolexical analysis code.Even though I mentioned it last on the forums nearly 3 years ago, I still get occasional PMs from people wanting it, and sounding quite sad when I tell them I left it at my last firm who did away with it.

QuoteOriginally posted by: movieloveto oversee intelligent database application running complex text and numerical queries in order to generate new event-driven investment ideas in real time. Where is the job located? One of the companies I worked in the past had an application called valuation server which was doing something like you mentioned. Let me know which HH posted this or where it is located.