PhD/Masters Quantitative Research Intern

Quantitative Research Intern (Summer)

 McKay Brothers / Quincy Data  — Oakland, CA (Hybrid – 3 days/week onsite)

About Us

McKay Brothers and its affiliate Quincy Data are the world's leading providers of ultra-low latency microwave and wireless networks and market data services, connecting major financial centers across the US, Europe, and Asia. Since 2012, McKay Brothers has built and operated best-in-class low latency networks for the world's most sophisticated trading firms, while Quincy Data distributes more wireless financial market data globally than any other provider. Headquartered in Oakland, CA, our small, technically sharp team sits at the intersection of networking, trading infrastructure, and real-time data.

Overview

We're looking for a summer intern to work alongside our quant research team turning proprietary data into clear, decision-relevant insights. Projects draw on data from our own networks and market-data services (for example, link performance and reliability) rather than trading-strategy research. You'll get hands-on experience with messy, real-world datasets, not toy problems, and your work will plug directly into how the business operates.

What You'll Do

• Own a scoped quantitative study end to end, from target definition through baseline comparison to a written recommendation, with guidance from senior researchers
• Help design and run short quantitative studies with clear takeaways
• Build analysis pipelines and research notebooks in Python
• Evaluate features for downstream ML use, including predictive value and robustness
• Present early results throughout internship and final findings to leadership in clear, concise form

What We're Looking For

• Currently pursuing a Master’s/PhD degree in physics, statistics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, economics, or a related quantitative field, with an expected graduation year of 2028 or 2029 
• Strong Python skills and comfort manipulating data independently
• Coursework or project experience in statistics, machine learning, or experimental design
• Familiarity with SQL
• Curiosity and a strong "data sense" — good instincts for what's interesting versus misleading
• Authorized to work in the US for the duration of the internship

Good to Have

• Prior exposure to quant finance, trading, or forecasting
• Experience with time series, causal inference, or feature engineering
• Familiarity with AI-assisted research tools

Program Details

• 10-week program, Summer 2027, full-time, based in Oakland, CA
• 1:1 mentorship from a senior quant researcher for the duration of the internship
• Technical talks from across the firm, covering research, engineering, and the market data business
• Networking events and social activities with employees across the firm
• Potential path to full-time offer for strong performers
• Pay range: $45 – $55 per hour