National Futures Association Careers, Benefits, Review

NFA supports all our employees to perform at the highest level, no matter the circumstances, and values an inclusive culture where all staff can thrive. Our leadership supports and devotes significant resources to diversity initiatives that produce results.

"Diverse viewpoints lead to informed decisions and creativity, which are instrumental for NFA to achieve its mission of safeguarding the derivatives markets and protecting customer funds. Different perspectives from individuals of varying backgrounds, ethnicity and gender, collaborating across our organization, are the foundation for NFA to evolve, and by doing so, to redefine regulation and enhance our mission. Our inclusive workforce and culture, respectful of each employee's diversity, unique values and abilities, allows NFA to flourish and succeed."

- Tom Sexton, President and CEO

D&I is at the heart of all that we do at NFA. We take pride in our work; maintain a conviction to do the right thing; empower each other; and support our community.

National Futures Association (NFA) is the self-regulatory organization for the U.S. derivatives industry, including on-exchange traded futures, retail off-exchange foreign currency (forex) and OTC derivatives (swaps). NFA has developed and enforced rules, provided programs and offered services that safeguard market integrity, protect investors and help our Members meet their regulatory responsibilities and has done so for more than 30 years.

Investor confidence is crucial to the success of the derivatives markets, and the best way to gain investor confidence is to demand the highest levels of integrity of all market participants and intermediaries.

Membership in NFA is mandatory, assuring that everyone conducting business with the public on U.S. futures exchanges and in the retail forex marketplace must adhere to the same high standards of professional conduct. NFA membership also is mandatory for swap dealers and major swap participants. NFA's membership currently numbers approximately 4,100 firms and 57,000 associates.

NFA is a non-profit, independent regulatory organization. We do not operate any markets. We are not a trade association. We operate at no cost to the taxpayer. We are financed exclusively from membership dues and assessment fees.

At NFA, we firmly believe that it is the quality of our employees that sets us apart and enables us to achieve our goals. That's why we offer a generous and flexible benefits package that allows employees to easily balance work and life and can be tailored to address their needs. Please read  below to learn more about some of the benefits offered by NFA.

Wellness: For a company to be successful, it must have healthy and productive employees. Therefore, we offer comprehensive medical and dental plans to both our employees and their eligible dependents (including domestic partners). Employees may choose the coverage that fits their circumstances from a number of options. Coverage begins on the first day of the month following their start date. We also offer free flu shots, annual health screenings, numerous other wellness events and discounts to nearby fitness centers. Additionally, our employee assistance program provides confidential counseling sessions to discuss personal or family issues, and can help with child or elder care issues.

Retirement: We strive to ensure that our employees meet their retirement goals. In doing so, we offer a robust retirement savings plan that incorporates both a 401(k) savings plan and a defined contribution retirement plan. Employees are automatically enrolled in the 401(k) savings plan. We will match 100 percent of an employee's 401(k) contributions up to 6 percent of their pay. Through our defined contribution retirement plan, we may also make a discretionary retirement contribution annually to all employees in an amount determined by our Board of Directors. In previous years, the contribution has been 5 percent. Participation requires no employee contribution. Employees become eligible for the defined contribution plan after their first full year at NFA. Employees will be fully vested in both of these retirement plans after three years of service.

Transportation:Commuting to work each day can be expensive. To help ease this burden, we offer a $55 monthly transportation subsidy to employees who use public transportation.

Work/Life Balance: We understand the importance of promoting work/life balance for our employees. Because of this, we offer generous paid time off including vacation days and nine holidays. New employees are entitled to 10 to 15 vacation days, and all employees can use flexible benefit dollars each year to purchase up to five additional vacations days beyond their allotted number of days. NFA also allows employees the opportunity to take advantage of flexible work arrangements to help employees make the most of all aspects of life.

Continuous Learning: Our overall success as a regulator depends on the ability of our staff to continually learn and develop new skills. We offer onsite professional development and access to external seminars and online learning programs. We also recognize the importance of continuing education and provide tuition assistance up to $12,500 per year to eligible employees for advanced degree programs. Our staff also can receive educational assistance for professional certifications and financial services industry licensing examinations.

NFA supports all our employees to perform at the highest level, no matter the circumstances, and values an inclusive culture where all staff can thrive. Our leadership supports and devotes significant resources to diversity initiatives that produce results.

Our Approach to Hiring

Trust and belonging are the foundation of our inclusive culture. Recruiting diverse staff is a top priority.

Building a diverse staff begins with sourcing diverse candidates. In addition to posting NFA's open positions to niche sites targeting diverse candidates, NFA connects with individuals from the organizations below to ensure we reach job seekers from a variety of backgrounds.

• Ascend - Largest, non-profit Pan-Asian organization for business professionals in North America.
• Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) - Oldest national Latino professional association in the United States.
• Breakthrough - Transforms the lives of talented kids from low-income backgrounds by providing educational support from middle school through college and into careers.
• Greenwood Project - Introduces youth to careers within the financial industry.
• National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) - Nonprofit membership association dedicated to bridging the opportunity gap for black professionals in the accounting, finance and related business professions.
• Society of Women in Business - University of Illinois - Provides a positive networking and social environment for aspiring female business professionals at the University of Illinois.
• Undergraduate Women's Network (UWN) - Helps pre-professional women become inspired, encouraged and confident while pursuing their careers.
• Women in Corporate America – Pace University - Focuses on developing a network of female professionals within the Pace University community of students and alumni.
• Zicklin Women in Business (ZWIB) - Baruch College - Empowers women in Zicklin's business programs with knowledge and strategies that will help them deal with the challenges they face in the business world.

Training and development of all employees is very important to NFA. NFA strives to make sure all of its employees have the resources necessary to complete their roles more effectively, all the while preparing employees for future roles and/or new responsibilities. Many industry changes and internal initiatives require that NFA employees be trained on new systems or procedures. NFA is dedicated to working with departments and project teams to make sure that the skills of our people line up with the needs of the organization.

Please see video below to learn more about training and development opportunities from our employees.

NFA Cares about the Community

Beyond meeting our mission of helping to safeguard the integrity of the derivatives markets and protecting investors, we care deeply about giving back to our community and fostering a friendly, active work environment for our employees.

United Way

NFA participates in a company-wide United Way campaign, where employees can designate a portion of their salary to United Way. Along with this, NFA keeps its relationship with the United Way foundation alive year-round by offering various "Day of Caring" opportunities, as well as organizing drives for those charities in need.

Breast Cancer Awareness

On the first Friday of every month our organization offers a voluntary "Jean Day", where employees offer a donation to the Susan G. Komen Cancer Research foundation in return to sport their favorite pair of jeans.

Greater Chicago Food Depository

NFA has a long standing relationship with the Greater Chicago Food Depository. We have continued to donate our time to volunteer with organizing, packaging and sending food to help stop hunger in the Chicagoland area.

Toys for Tots

During the holiday season, NFA collect toys for the Toys for Tots program, helping to make the holidays brighter for children in need. The program is sponsored by the Marine Toys for Tots foundation in Chicago, and in New York, the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) leads this effort. Each year our donations grow, offering new toys to children of all ages, from infants to teenagers.

Operation Santa

Operation Santa is a program that provides books as holiday gifts for students less fortunate, and promotes reading and assists them academically.  Each year the number of students sponsored by NFA continues to grow. A "wish list" is provided to staff participants delegated with student's information and list of books that they are interested in reading. NFA staff present these wrapped books to students.

Heart Walk

NFA staff sign up as a sponsored team to raise funds and walk in the American Heart Association's Heart Walk in Chicago. NFA continues to support The American Heart Association's mission to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Additional Community Involvement Opportunities

In addition to the programs that NFA participates in on a regular basis, we encourage our staff to find ways to engage with the local community and give back in a way that is meaningful to them. In past years, staff participated in Chicago Cares and New York Cares service day events; coat drives; birthday toy drives; and other grassroots campaigns. NFA staff find causes close to their hearts and organize opportunities for their fellow staff members to join them in their effort to support the cause.