BENJAMIN NAYLOR

Hi, I'm Ben. I'm based in London and have almost finished studying Computational Finance @ UCL. I really enjoy exploring the different ways machine learning can be applied to finance!

Here's some fun stuff I've been working on more recently, hopefully it gives you a bit of an idea of what I'm into. To have a look at my full CV check out the next page!

Now

Using Tensor Trains and HyperNetworks to tackle complex derivatives pricing @ Multiverse Computing

In quantum computing, matrix product states (a type of tensor train) are used to compactly represent high-dimensional systems. We took that idea and applied it to options pricing. When Fourier pricing, TTs allow us to efficiently store the payoff and characteristic function, cutting the complexity from O(Nd)\mathcal{O}(N^d) to O(dN)\mathcal{O}(dN). This is especially useful for highly parameterised models and multi-asset cases. Our innovation was using a HyperNetwork to construct the TTs, which is significant because creating the TTs directly isn't always feasible—traditional methods often fail for non-linear systems due to rapid growth in the bond dimension. (Paper coming soon!)

2025

Expert @ Outlier AI

Throughout my Master's degree I've been working on the Outlier platform helping to train AI models via RLHF. An expert in Mathematics, Finance, Coding, and Mechanical Engineering, I have worked on a range of projects and continue to do so. I often use AI to help me understand things so it's fun to be on the other side of that process, using my knowledge to try and outsmart it. (At least for the next few weeks before we all get replaced...)

2024-2025

Mastering computational finance @ University College London

I've been lucky to work on some really fun projects over the course of this year over a wide range of topics. From developing algorithmic trading strategies for treasury bonds to analysing the impact of tariffs using global trade atlas data to using dimensionality reduction for quantifying stock correlations, I've done a lot! My favourite was creating a transformer-based neural network for predicting stock returns. I used short term price features and wider market context features with two different transformer encoders to better capture market dynamics. It worked really well and it's here on my GitHub (along with most of my other projects).

2022 - 2024

Data analyst/software dev/machine learning wizard @ KAI Conversations

I started here part-time during the final year of my undergrad, then joined full time after. I started as one of only five on the dev team, so was tasked with everything from creating a real-time speech-to-text model to implementing and deploying an entire serverless MLOps framework to fixing backend bugs in languages I didn't yet know. Being in a start-up was a great experience, you have to learn fast and keep moving because the company depends on it and no-one else will do it for you. I never thought I'd ever know anything about DevOps but here we are.

Download a copy here!

Experience ↘

Multiverse Computing · Summer Research Project

June 2025 - September 2025
  • Currently completing a three-month research project developing pricing models for complex derivatives.
  • Investigating tensor train methods from quantum computing to encode high-dimensional option payoff structures efficiently.
  • Designed and implemented HyperNetworks to generate these tensor networks, overcoming limitations of traditional methods for non-linear tensor train generation.
  • Primary objective is to reduce complexity for highly parameterised/multi-asset models and improve interpretability over traditional NN methods.

Outlier AI · Expert

January 2025 - September 2025
  • Expert in Maths, Finance, Coding and Mechanical Engineering, using my knowledge to help train LLMs via RLHF.

KAI Conversations · Data Analyst / ML Engineer

2022 - 2024
  • 2-year tenure at AI startup, primarily as data analyst and ML engineer using Python and TypeScript.
  • Engineered a deep multimodal model integrating text and audio for speech emotion recognition, a cornerstone of the platform's emotional intelligence capabilities.
  • Led MLOps pipeline development, integrating performance monitoring, automated training, and model deployment to enhance operational efficiency across ML workflows.
  • Leveraged LLMs for targeted message extraction model, enhancing information retrieval precision and automating content categorisation on conversation transcripts.
  • Built real-time speech-to-text transcription engine using a transformer-based model, equipped to handle complex language tasks like Arabic-English code-switching.

Education ↘

University College London · MSc Computational Finance

2024 - 2025
  • Distinction expected. Optional modules: Probability Theory and Stochastic Processes, Advanced Machine Learning in Finance, Market Microstructure, Algorithmic Trading.

University of Leeds · BEng Mechanical Engineering

2020 - 2023
  • Upper Second Class Honours (2:1).

The King's (The Cathedral) School Peterborough · A-Levels

2012 - 2019
  • Mathematics (A*), Physics (A*), Product Design (A).

Projects ↘

Market-Context Stock Transformer (MCST) · UCL

2025
  • Designed and implemented a novel Transformer-based model to forecast stock returns by integrating stock-specific features with broader market-context indicators.
  • Developed a dual-encoder architecture with a cross-attention fusion module that significantly outperformed an LSTM benchmark in both directional accuracy and error rates.

Reinforcement Learning-Based Control Algorithm · University of Leeds

2023
  • Developed Reinforcement Learning control system for a lunar lander, implementing a custom Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm in Python.
  • Engineered custom simulation environments with hard constraints, while focusing on reward function optimisation for increasing safety and limiting training instability.
  • Achieved 75% in final report.

Skills ↘

  • Fluent in Python (PyTorch, NumPy, Pandas) and MATLAB; working knowledge of TypeScript and C++.
  • Experienced in machine learning development and deployment (MLOps), with focus on RL, deep learning, transformers, and LLMs.
  • Proficient with Git, Docker, Kubernetes, and AWS (Lambda, ECS, CloudFormation, SageMaker); familiar with SQL and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB).
  • Skilled at delivering production-ready code and end-to-end solutions; proven ability to thrive in fast-paced start-up environments.

I'd love to hear from you! Want to hire me or simply want to chat? Feel free to reach out by email or connect with me on LinkedIn. Check out my GitHub too for more of my work!