Optiver is looking for a Software Engineer to join our Novel Trading Opportunities team, who are responsible for conceptualising and bringing to life the solutions needed to achieve our ambitious business goals. Our engineers apply their thorough understanding of the low level technical challenges that we face as a market maker, to continue elevating and expanding our trading business in a fast, principled and risk-conscious manner. We’re looking for an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to strategically identify the tools which are best placed and where time is best spent, to achieve the results needed for our business to continue performing at the highest possible level. 

Who we are:

Optiver is a tech-driven trading firm and leading global market maker. As one of the oldest market making institutions, we are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe. Our mission is to constantly improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and acting as a stabilising force no matter the market conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we participate in the safeguarding of healthy and efficient markets for everyone who participates.

As one of the world’s major financial centres, London was selected as the home of Optiver’s FX trading business, our UK-focused Institutional Trading Team and rapidly growing commodities trading arm. Optiver UK is located in a city that bridges European, Asian and American time zones, connecting our regional offices and embracing a truly global mind-set. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, and is home to some of the best museums, a thriving international restaurant scene and bustling high streets that attract people from all over the globe.

What you’ll do:

• You’ll work closely with the trading team, designing and building the software required to help us trade new products, in new markets, in new and innovative ways;
• This team is focused on how we can achieve our business objectives while weighing up time-to-market, technical complexity and technical debt. Examples of this include: 
• Building new autotrading strategies
• Developing pricing systems and infrastructure to price new products 
• Building the systems to integrate ourselves in a first class manner to new markets and market structures
• From the get go you’ll be getting stuck in with a close-knit multidisciplinary team, working out how to crack new trading opportunities from the technical angle;
• Given the varied nature of this team’s contributions and its London location, you’ll have the opportunity to work in a start-up dynamic while being well placed to lead global technical initiatives. 

Who you are:

• Strong engineering instincts and a deep understanding of computer science fundamentals;
• Experience writing software in C#, C++, C and Python with a proven ability to deliver scalable, reliable, high-quality clean code;
• Excellence in distilling simplicity out of a complex domain;
• A passion for continuous improvement and test-driven design plus innovative, big-picture thinking grounded in real-world pragmatism;
• Ability to operate autonomously as well as collaborate with Traders, Researchers, other technical teams and business operations counterparts to deliver on complex business initiatives;
• Experience connecting proprietary trading systems to trading venues and exchanges and the ability to build a trading system that covers the entire lifecycle of a trade;
• Ideally experienced in building OTC trading systems;
• A keen interest in derivatives and trading, ideally with previous experience in the hedge fund or market making industry.

What you’ll get:

At Optiver UK, you will be part of a well-established and high-performing global firm whilst experiencing the excitement that comes from a growing operation. As our London operations grow, the opportunity to make a global impact and take your career to a new level expands with it. We offer a supportive environment for you to perform at your best. Some of our key benefits include:

• Competitive remuneration;
• 27 paid vacation days (plus UK public holidays);
• Daily onsite breakfast and lunch;
• Paid commuting expenses (home to office);
• 50% paid gym subscription;
• Private medical insurance;
• Pension scheme;
• Training, conference attendance and continuous learning opportunities;
• International transfer opportunities.

How to apply:

Apply directly via the form below and please provide us with a CV and letter of motivation in English. Should there be a potential match, a member of our team will reach out sooner rather than later. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to [email protected].

When applying for a role with Optiver UK Limited, the recruitment process is run via our Optiver global recruitment team. The personal data you will submit as part of the recruitment process may be processed in the UK, US and the Netherlands. By continuing with your application you hereby consent to your personal data being processed in these locations. More information on how Optiver processes your personal data can be found in our Privacy Policy.

As an intentionally flat organisation, we believe that great ideas and impact can come from everyone. We are passionate about empowering individuals and creating diverse teams that thrive. Every person at Optiver should feel included, valued and respected, because we believe our best work is done together.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is hardwired through every stage of our hiring process. We encourage applications from candidates from any and all backgrounds, and we welcome requests for reasonable adjustments during the process to ensure that you can best demonstrate your abilities.