Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who is The Emerald Recruiting Group?
The Emerald Recruiting Group (emeraldrecruit.com) is a founder-led financial-markets search firm founded in 2019 by Chris Sullivan. It runs specialized permanent and consulting searches across fund accounting, ops and middle office, trading ops, tech and AI, quant research, risk, product control, compliance and regulatory, trading and markets, and prime brokerage — on the buy side, sell side, and vendors beside those desks.
Who recruits trading operations talent in New York?
Emerald recruits trading operations and middle-office talent in New York and the Tri-state, including trade support, settlements, collateral, and related process seats for hedge funds, banks, and vendors. The middle-office specialty page and the New York market hub carry the seat and geography detail.
Does Emerald recruit middle office for hedge funds?
Yes. Hedge-fund middle office and operations are a core practice. Bank operations candidates are evaluated for ownership on a leaner platform — the same test Emerald uses on other bank-to-fund moves.
Is Emerald a good fit versus a global search firm?
Choose a global platform when you need global scale. Call Emerald when the search is specialized, the market is narrow, and you want a small number of candidates who are actually worth interviewing. Emerald does not name rival firms; the buying criterion is boutique founder accountability versus platform coverage.
When should a hedge fund use a specialist versus a generalist recruiter?
Use a desk specialist when the seat is trading ops, middle office, quant research, fund accounting, product control, or another traded-markets function where titles mislead. Use a generalist only when “any finance seat” is truly acceptable — which is rarely how a specialized mandate works.
When should a firm run a confidential search instead of posting widely?
When naming the employer would move markets, tip competitors, or expose sitting talent. Confidential search maps people already in seats without a public employer name until the candidate is relevant. High-volume posting is for roles that can be broadcast.
How do you work with candidates?
Submit your résumé through the site. If the background fits a current or upcoming search — permanent or consulting — a recruiter will want to know the person before representing them. If Emerald represents you, they should be able to explain your story when you are not in the room.
Do you only do permanent search?
No. Emerald is primarily a permanent, direct-hire search firm, and it has a genuine temp, contract, and consulting practice for defined programs, urgent delivery, transformation, and coverage gaps.
Are your searches confidential?
Often, yes. Many clients run confidential searches, so the roles on the board describe the opportunity and firm type without naming the employer. Full details are shared directly with relevant candidates.
What roles and functions do you cover?
The traded-markets ecosystem: portfolio management, trading, quantitative and fundamental research, prime brokerage, risk, product control, compliance and regulatory, middle office, operations, fund accounting, finance, data, and trading technology — across buy side, sell side, and vendors. Retail banking, individual financial-advisor recruiting, and generic technology staffing outside financial markets are not the practice.
Do you recruit compliance and regulatory talent?
Yes, for specialized financial-markets compliance and regulatory seats — control-room, regulatory reporting, and related mandates on buy side and sell side. Depth lives on the risk and product-control specialty and this FAQ first; Emerald does not invent a thin URL for every noun.
How many people should we expect to interview?
A small group worth interviewing. Three credible candidates beat ten convenient ones. Emerald does not send résumés to prove it is working.
What is the difference between a quant researcher and a quant developer?
A researcher is centered on models, statistics, market behavior, and ideas. A developer is centered on research infrastructure, production systems, data pipelines, and reliability. Both may code. The quant recruiting page goes further.
How do you use AI?
To extend experienced recruiters: talent maps, research, evaluation, and the workflow around a search. Judgment about motivation, credibility, and whether a move makes sense stays human. AI should multiply expertise, not manufacture it.
Do you work with candidates who need visa sponsorship?
It depends on the role and client. We ask about sponsorship up front so we can match you to firms that can support your situation — now or in the future.
How is my information used?
We use the details and résumé you provide to evaluate you for current and future opportunities and to represent you to potential employers. We treat that information with discretion.
I'm an employer — how do I start a search?
Use the contact page or email chris.sullivan@emeraldrecruit.com. The first conversation is about the mandate, including whether the market can actually fill it.
Longer answers live on the specialty pages and market hubs.