Transcript

Get to Know Us | Jane Street

Hi, I’m Haley. I’m on the Operations team at Jane Street in the New York office and I’ve been here since 2017.

What does the operations team do at Jane Street?

The Operations team takes care of everything after the trade is made to make sure that the trade processes smoothly. We have a bunch of sub teams within the group that carry out different functions, such as making sure our books and records are correct and looking at upcoming company events that might affect our positions. Then, we coordinate to make sure everything runs smoothly.

What’s an interesting project that you’re working on right now?

An interesting project I’m currently working on is thinking about how we can integrate a new trading business that the firm wants to scale into the Operations workflow. And something that’s been really cool about this project is I’ve been able to collaborate across different groups within the Operations team as well as devs and traders to come up with a solution that’s effective for everybody.

How closely do you collaborate with other people at Jane Street?

In terms of interaction, the Operations team collaborates across many different areas of the firm both within the team itself as well as with other teams in infrastructure, traders, and devs to make sure that trades are processed. Collaboration is a big part of Jane Street’s culture.

How would you describe the culture at Jane Street?

My answer for describing Jane Street’s culture is four words: curious, collaborative, humble, and hard-working. Curious because everybody genuinely loves sharing information with people around them, teaching, and asking questions. It’s a really unique part of the culture here that makes it a really enjoyable place to be. Jane Street’s culture is humble in that you could be talking to somebody who knows a ton about a specific topic and they will break it down for you in a really simple way that doesn’t over or under-inflate the amount that they know, and it’s really refreshing. The people here are incredibly hardworking. It doesn’t matter if the task is really big or really small. People are willing to roll up their sleeves and get the job done. And, our culture is extremely collaborative. Whenever there’s a new problem or issue, it’s amazing to see how different departments come together to put all hands on deck and come up with a solution that works well for everybody.

What kind of skills are important to have on the Operations team?

The important qualities of someone on the Operations team are strong communication skills — we’re constantly communicating with one another across different departments and with external counterparties. Honesty is extremely important as well — we’re processing a huge number of trades on a daily basis and we really rely on one another to flag when there are issues so we can address them together and continuously improve upon our processes. And finally, having a strong work ethic is really valued on the Operations team.

Do I need to have a background in finance to work on the Operations team?

You do not need to have a background in finance to succeed on the Operations team. We have an amazing onboarding program that teaches you everything you need to know to succeed on the job. I myself came from a bioengineering and cybersecurity background. When I first came to Jane Street, everybody around me was super helpful in teaching me and the onboarding program was awesome to get up to speed and learn everything I needed to know.

What is something you wish you knew when you first joined Jane Street?

One thing I wish I knew when I joined was how well received questions are here. When I first joined, I would often wait for the perfect time to ask a question when it seemed like someone was free. But everybody here is really excited to explain things to one another and questions are always encouraged.

What makes Jane Street unique?

The people here are awesome. They’re here to support you, help answer questions constantly, challenge you. And it really makes coming to work every day enjoyable.