Equity Finance / Stock Loan Trader 

Location: London
Experience: 3–5 years
Level: Junior / Mid-Level

The Opportunity

A growing London-based trading desk is looking to hire an ambitious Equity Finance / Stock Loan Trader with experience across hard-to-borrow (HTB), event-driven and special situations securities lending.

This is an opportunity for someone currently working within a bank, broker-dealer, agent lender or principal lending business who has built a strong foundation in stock loan and is now looking for a more entrepreneurial environment where they can accelerate their career, take greater ownership and develop closer exposure to trading decisions, clients and P&L.

The successful candidate will join an expanding desk with a strong focus on identifying and monetising opportunities within the more complex and less commoditised areas of the securities lending market.

The Role

Working closely with senior traders, you will:

• Trade and manage hard-to-borrow and special situations equity inventory
• Identify opportunities around corporate actions, event-driven situations, index events, capital raises and other market catalysts
• Price and negotiate stock borrow / loan transactions with counterparties
• Develop a strong understanding of borrow dynamics, availability, utilisation, rates and market positioning
• Monitor existing positions and proactively identify changes in supply, demand and pricing
• Build and maintain relationships across banks, brokers, lenders and other market participants
• Work closely with senior members of the desk to identify new trading opportunities and improve desk profitability
• Develop deeper commercial responsibility as your experience and performance grow
• Contribute to the continued development and expansion of the trading business

Candidate Profile

We are looking for someone with approximately 3–5 years' relevant experience within equity finance / securities lending.

You are likely to have:

• Experience on a stock loan, equity finance or securities lending desk at a bank, broker, agent lender or principal lender
• Direct exposure to hard-to-borrow securities
• A good understanding of event-driven and/or special situations stock loan
• Strong knowledge of securities lending mechanics, pricing and market conventions
• An understanding of the factors driving borrow rates, utilisation and availability
• Existing relationships within the European stock loan market would be advantageous
• Strong numerical and analytical skills
• A commercial mindset and genuine interest in trading and markets

Just as importantly, we are looking for someone who is hungry to progress.

You may currently be performing well within a larger organisation but feel that the traditional career path is too slow or that your exposure is too narrow. You want to be closer to the decision-making process, take more responsibility and see a clearer relationship between your contribution and the performance of the desk.

Why Join?

This role offers something different from a traditional seat within a large institution.

You will join a growing, entrepreneurial trading environment where strong performers can take on responsibility quickly.

The opportunity offers:

• Direct exposure to experienced traders and decision-makers
• A particular focus on HTB, event-driven and special situations, rather than purely commoditised flow
• Greater ownership of positions, counterparties and trading opportunities
• The ability to develop both your trading skillset and commercial network
• A flatter environment with significantly more visibility and responsibility
• The opportunity to grow with the desk rather than wait for the next seat to become available
• A genuine platform for an ambitious junior / mid-level trader to accelerate their career

This would suit someone who has learned the fundamentals within an established securities lending platform and is now ready to step into a more commercial, performance-driven role with considerably greater upside and responsibility.