My Career Growth – Iris’s Story

My role at Standard Chartered

I currently work as a Director in the Algorithmic Trading Quant (ATQ) team, Singapore. This team sits within the Financial Markets business function and is responsible for the models and systems that drive the bank’s electronic trading.

Our models generate a continuous stream of prices to our clients and make decisions as to how and when to trade with the market. The systems we use are fully automated and hands-free, and some operate 365 days a year. My role is really interesting and has helped me to thoroughly develop my knowledge of the banking industry.

Securing my job

I’ve been working in quantitative roles ever since I started my industry career about 11 years ago. I began as a Pricing Quant and then worked as a Market Risk Model Developer before moving into my current role.

I secured this job through an internal transfer, which involved four rounds of interviews. I had plenty of background experience that made me the perfect fit. I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in a predictive analytics challenge held by ATQ. This reinforced my suitability for the role as it meant I had prior experience working with the team, and I joined as an experienced hire.

I love my job because it presents endless learning opportunities. It definitely doesn’t come without its challenges, however. I would say that a strong technical skillset is needed for this role, which can be obtained from a degree or professional qualification. Enthusiasm and dedication are very important as well – you really have to throw yourself into the job.

My favourite part about working within the ATQ team is being able to use real data to extract insights and serve our clients more efficiently – it’s very rewarding.

Standard Chartered provides a great work-life balance, which I think is so important. I make sure to draw a line between work and life after work, and I fully switch off when I’m out of the office. I set aside time for things I enjoy, such as doing activities with my family.

Iris Jang Director, Algorithmic Trading Quants, Standard Chartered

Why I love working at Standard Chartered

If I could choose two words most strongly associated with the bank, it would be diversity and integrity. Standard Chartered is committed to creating a positive, encouraging working environment for its employees.

There are always fun activities being organised for everyone to get involved in. A particular highlight for me was the Kids Day Out event, which meant that little ones could come into the office for a day and meet other children of a similar age. The bank provided goodies and set up diversity and inclusion games that helped the kids learn more about important qualities, such as empathy.

There has also been a Kids Dash event, which is a race designed to encourage children to take up running from a young age. It’s a non-competitive event that allows kids to have fun and enjoy activities together. These special occasions have given my family and I plenty of fond memories.

The bank also provides good benefits and opportunities for advancement for ambitious individuals. If you want to excel in your career, Standard Chartered is there to help you do so. My advice to anyone starting out in a banking career is to have faith in yourself. How others see you is not important. It’s how you see yourself that matters. If you work hard and put your mind to something, you can achieve absolutely anything. Don’t limit yourself and never fear failure.