2026 Institutional Equities Exotics and Structuring Off-Cycle Internship (London)

In the Institutional Equity division, we provide our clients around the world with intellectual insights and innovative product solutions and services that help them generate alpha.

Since 1935, Morgan Stanley is known as a global leader in financial services, continuously evolving and innovating to better serve our clients and our communities in more than 40 countries around the world.

PLACEMENT AND DURATION

The 6-months Off-Cycle Trading Program in Equities Exotics and Structuring is an opportunity to experience the culture and atmosphere in the Sales & Trading division by taking on some of the responsibilities and functions of a Full Time Analyst.

As a trading intern, you will be given full insight into what it takes to be part of a trading desk at Morgan Stanley. You will be responsible for producing analytics as well as ad-hoc reports and leading a diverse set of projects to improve our trading activities. You will spend your internship assigned to a specific desk and you will be based in our London office.

As an intern in Structuring you will learn about a wide range of derivative products which are being traded with different client types and in different regions. You will join a diverse team and be able to learn about the different product solutions that structuring offers including Quantitative Investment Strategies, Retail Structured Products and Institutional Solutions.

You will be part of a team which will provide you with the opportunity to further your career working alongside top industry professionals.

TRAINING PROGRAM

You will receive on-the-job training and benefit from working alongside experienced professionals on a variety of projects. You will develop the analytical, quantitative and interpersonal skills that will help you succeed in the role.

RESPONSIBILITIES

We are recruiting for the following desks:

• Exotics trading desk- responsible for managing a complex derivative portfolio of both equity & cross-asset underlying and for providing pricing and liquidity to a wide range of institutional (Hedge Funds, Pension Funds, Insurance Companies etc.) and retail clients (private banks, distributors etc.). There are 3 sub-teams that focus on market making and risk management of products across single stocks, equity indices and cross-assets. As we cover a wide range of products from barrier options, correlation to quantitative investment strategies (QIS), our portfolios are usually sensitive to various greeks (or derivatives) and risks are dynamic requiring continuous hedging and involve different strategies and techniques. The breadth and depth of the business allows us to offer exciting opportunities to individuals who are interested in problem solving and applying their financial mathematics & quantitative knowledge to real trading scenarios. The daily tasks of an exotic trader include; market making of exotic products in both primary and secondary markets, development of market making / trading tools, interpretation and management of risks at both product and aggregated book levels such as delta, vega, rho, divrho, gamma and cross-gamma, development of quantitative risk analysis tools at product & book levels, hedging / trading in listed and broker markets, optimizing hedging strategies for illiquid risks, development of scenario analysis for macro (e.g. Fed announcements) and micro (e.g. dividends, corporate actions) market events.

• Structuring desk - responsible for manufacturing Quantitative Investment Strategies (QIS), Light Exotics Products, Structured Products and complex solutions / transactions, producing content, complex derivatives pricing, client connectivity as well as product design for a wide range of Morgan Stanley customers – Private Banks, Distributors, Hedge Funds and Financial Institutions. Role requires strong quantitative academic background, preferably with a focus on financial mathematics and probability theory as well as good Python programming skills and ability to work with large and various financial datasets. Working closely with the Exotic Trading desk and clients, this is a great opportunity for individuals who are solution orientated and strive on problem solving in a fast-paced environment.

QUALIFICATIONS/ SKILLS/ REQUIREMENTS

• You are a Master or PHD student in subjects such as Economics, Mathematics, Financial Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Quantitative Finance or Computer Science or alike
• You are a graduate of 2025 or graduating in 2026
• You will have advance knowledge of Python, SQL, Excel, VBA, R or similar languages is valued
• You will have an understanding of theoretical pricing models and knowledge of market products and their risks
• You have a keen interest in the financial markets, economics, complex market dynamics and have the desire to work in a fast-paced environment
• You will have curiosity and willingness to go beyond the basic textbook models to find trade ideas and arbitrage channels
• You will have an interest in data and how to tackle diverse datasets in innovative ways
• You will have an entrepreneurial mindset and possess practical problem-solving skills with a great attention to detail
• You can analyse and interpret complex information quickly and accurately
• You are an excellent communicator and enjoy collaboration and teamwork

What you can expect from Morgan Stanley

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years.  Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work. To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices into your browser.