Gelber Group -- Passion for Trading. Powered by Technology.
Headquartered in Chicago with offices across the United States and Europe, Gelber has set the bar as one of the industry’s innovative and enduring proprietary trading firms for more than 40 years. Our collaborative and entrepreneurial culture empowers each member of our team to have a meaningful impact from the start. We pride ourselves on a flat organizational structure and focus on meritocracy. If you flourish in a fast-paced environment, have a strong work ethic, and a competitive attitude, Gelber is right for you.
As a Discretionary Trading Intern at Gelber Group, you will begin your 10-week internship with an education portion covering basics of liquid capital markets, the various ways in which Gelber engages these markets, and the tools and technology that link us to the markets. Once you have a grasp of these concepts, you will be assigned directly to a discretionary trading desk.
This internship will begin in June 2027 and last until the first week of August 2027. We are considering recent graduates or candidates that are graduating in 2027 or 2028.
The approximate hourly rate for this position in Chicago, IL is $35/hr. This is a temporary role and is not eligible for employee benefits.
Position Overview
We are seeking highly motivated individuals to participate in a summer program in which they will learn and practice the development and execution of a rates-first macro trading process. Our primary goal in the internship is to evaluate candidates for full-time employment. As a result, our interests are best served by teaching you the necessary skills to demonstrate your talent and potential.
What You’ll Do
- Experience hands-on learning and sit on a trading desk with full-time traders
- Gain a thorough understanding of the financial markets through a robust program that will be intensive, challenging, and fun
- The classroom portion will be tailored to the topic areas that are useful for beginning to build a discretionary macro process
- Topics may include a basic understanding of each asset class, macroeconomic fundamentals, technical analysis, and risk management
- Develop a deep understanding of how macro traders engage with the market
- Pitch weekly trade ideas and receive in-depth feedback on quality and execution
- Potential for ideas to be turned into live risk taking
- Experience a multi-week simulated trading experience
- Send out daily and weekly reflections as you begin to build your own trading process
- Build the foundation of a macro trading process
Goals
- Gain hands on experience interacting with the market from a macro perspective
- Determine if this is the career you want to pursue
Qualifications
- Rising junior or senior in an undergraduate program, or recent graduate
- Interest in financial markets is a must, but prior experience or knowledge is not required
- Demonstrated interest in economics or a related field, via classwork or extracurricular activities
- Curiosity, self-motivation, strong communication skills, and the ability to collaborate with others in a competitive environment
- Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to learn, understand, and apply new concepts
- Superior analytical skills with a proven strong mathematical aptitude
Why Intern at Gelber?
- Brand new office in the heart of Chicago’s River North neighborhood, attached to the Merchandise Mart and “El” stop, and a short walk from both Ogilvie and Union Train Stations
- Comprehensive 10-week program, running from June to August 2027
- Catered lunch provided Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursdays and stocked pantry daily
- Social events and work/life balance that will allow you time to enjoy the Chicago summer
- Office amenities including a golf simulator, pool table, and company paid on-site gym
- Casual, relaxed dress code
- Comprehensive benefits package available for full-time employees
If you are based in California, we encourage you to read the Gelber Privacy Notice for California Employees and Applicants, linked here.
Skills Required
- Rising junior or senior in an undergraduate program, or recent graduate
- Interest in financial markets
- Demonstrated interest in economics or a related field through coursework or extracurricular activities
- Curiosity and self-motivation
- Strong communication skills
- Ability to collaborate in a competitive environment
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Ability to learn, understand, and apply new concepts
- Superior analytical skills
- Strong mathematical aptitude
Gelber Group Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Gelber Group and has not been reviewed or approved by Gelber Group.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive (BCBS PPO/HDHP/HSA) with dental, vision, life, and long‑term disability, supported by generous employer cost‑sharing. Benefits materials consistently emphasize broad medical options and strong core coverage.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Vacation accrual starts around 23–25 days in the first full calendar year, alongside paid holidays, sick days, floating holidays, and paid parental leave. Feedback suggests time‑off policies are a strong point that supports work‑life balance.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Workplace perks include onsite gym/health‑club access, free catered lunches several days per week, commuter benefits, social events, and amenities like a golf simulator. Feedback suggests these lifestyle benefits and a hybrid setup positively impact day‑to‑day experience.
Gelber Group Insights
What We Do
Gelber Group, a Chicago-based global proprietary trading company, has set the bar as one of the industry’s most innovative and enduring firms. Our success is driven by our relentless pursuit of new trading ideas and our emphasis on technological innovation. Established in 1982, Gelber Group is privately funded and trades on major exchanges in the United States and worldwide, operating in a variety of asset classes including foreign exchange, fixed income, equities, and commodities. Gelber has over 200 employees and offices located in Chicago, IL (headquarters); White Plains, NY; and Amsterdam/Gelber Coöperatief U.A.
Why Work With Us
Our culture is built on the idea that teamwork, innovation, and creative freedom are essential in today’s technology-driven marketplace. Our flat org structure and informal atmosphere allow employees to research and develop their own ideas while our team approach provides a platform to transform ideas into high-powered results
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