MBS Trader

MBS Trader

(Hybrid – 2 days per week in the office | Chevy Chase, MD)

We are offering a salary of $60,000–$70,000 USD for this position.

Overview:

Optimal Blue is a leading provider of innovative secondary market solutions and actionable data services that deliver integrated solutions to transform the mortgage and capital market industries.

We are looking for an MBS Trader that will be responsible for working as a junior member of a Hedge Account Management team to assist with fixed income analytics, risk management, and/or trading. Learn to execute trading strategies on behalf of clients, implement tools that lead to greater client profitability and contribute to the further development of our industry leading technology.

Responsibilities

• Support the Hedge Account Management Team as it evaluates, defines, and executes hedge strategies, derivation of risk management analytics and historical data.
• Execute hedge trades on behalf of clients, typically using forward-traded TBA or other market instruments, and trading loans on behalf of clients, using bulk, cash, co-issue, and other common or specialty executions
• Work directly with Hedge Account Management Team to implement new tools, troubleshoot existing setups, and other ad hoc analysis.
• Heavy emphasis on supporting the overall trade desk with trading TBA and Specified Pool Securities
• Responsible for assisting with mortgage valuation analytics, report development, testing, and feedback.
• Assist with monitoring risk positions in the mortgage pipeline and/or servicing asset intraday and alert the appropriate account management team of any exceptions to policy limits.
• Provide Hedge Account Management Team support with monitoring and reporting performance of hedged positions as interest rates change and compare with predicted value changes. Explain any material deviations from projections through attribution analysis.
• Support the Hedge Account Management Team  in maintaining relationships with Broker/Dealer community on behalf of clients; provide client assistance in expanding credit availability.
• Maintain relationships with mortgage bankers, investors and servicing brokerage firms, and other firms making a market in whole loans.
• May be responsible for other miscellaneous research projects.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent combination of education, training, and work experience.
• Requires 0 – 3+ years of fixed income mortgage trading, portfolio, or risk management experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of company products, services, and capabilities.
• Excellent customer service skills in high stakes business-to-business environment. 
• Ability to learn and comprehend the mortgage origination process, mortgage securities and markets through on-the-job training.
• Knowledge of options theory, derivative markets and instruments, macroeconomics, and financial markets.
• Strong quantitative skills with solid grounding in basic mathematical and statistical concepts.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills to technical and non-technical audiences of various levels within the organization (e.g., executive, management, individual contributors) as well as outside the organization.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with close attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced team environment supporting multiple client requests and shifting priorities with excellent multitasking and time management skills.
• Positive outlook, strong work ethic, and responsive to internal and external customers and contacts.

Salary Range: