Software Engineer - Low Latency Execution

Optiver • Chicago, IL

5h • Onsite

About The Position

You’ll work on the systems and experiments that shape how we compete on exchanges. This role sits at the intersection of engineering, trading, and market microstructure research – focused on understanding what drives execution outcomes and turning those insights into production systems. You’ll collaborate with the team on the mandate is to understand exchange architecture end-to-end – from matching engines and order types to market data feeds and queue dynamics – and use that knowledge to design and evaluate new approaches to order placement and execution. Rather than purely optimizing for latency, this role is centered on research, experimentation, and iteration under uncertainty. You’ll explore ambiguous problems where the right answer isn’t known upfront, form hypotheses, and validate them through a combination of data analysis, simulation, and live experimentation. Working closely with researchers, you’ll continuously refine how we interact with markets based on real-world feedback. At Optiver we pride ourselves on being real engineers, not just coders. Our engineers work closely with traders to identify the business problems we face and determine how they should be solved. We apply a disciplined and scientific approach. We engineer simple, well-architected solutions that meet the dynamic needs of our traders. Our passion is to solve problems which really matter to the business, and we take pride in the quality of our solutions.

Requirements

• Experience leading complex, large-scale engineering projects
• Strong computer science fundamentals and sound engineering judgment
• Ability to balance innovative thinking with practical execution
• Proficient in systems-level programming (e.g., C, C++, Linux)
• A mindset of continuous improvement in a fast-paced environment
• Willingness to set technical direction, uphold engineering standards, and take ownership of outcomes

Responsibilities

• Operate in ambiguous, high-uncertainty environments, turning open-ended questions into a deep understanding of exchange microstructure
• Partner with researchers to design and run experiments that evaluate execution strategies and market behavior
• Build systems that enable rapid iteration on order placement, cancellation, and execution logic
• Translate research findings into robust production improvements
• Own the full loop: idea → experiment → analysis → implementation

Benefits

• The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries
• A highly competitive compensation package
• Global profit-sharing pool and performance-based bonus structure
• 401(k) match up to 50%
• Comprehensive health, mental, dental, vision, disability, and life coverage
• 25 paid vacation days alongside market holidays
• Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and snacks, regular social events, clubs, sporting leagues and more

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees