Software Engineer - Trading Strategies

Optiver • Chicago, IL

15h • Onsite

About The Position

Our engineers build the systems that power Optiver's trading business, solving complex technical problems at massive scale where performance, reliability and speed are critical. We're hiring senior engineers across five Trading Strategies teams in our Chicago office. You'll work directly with traders and researchers, owning systems and workflows end-to-end across the stack: from real-time trading infrastructure and execution through to tools, analytics and decision-support. The problems are fast-moving, the feedback loop is short and your impact is directly visible across system behavior, execution quality and trading performance. Depending on the team and area of focus, engineers may work on everything from ultra-low-latency systems that execute trades in live markets to large-scale research and simulation platforms that process vast amounts of data. We have opportunities across the following teams: Research & Simulation: Build the infrastructure and workflows that power systematic and semi-systematic trading, enabling large-scale experimentation, robust backtesting, and data-driven strategy development. Low Latency Execution Strategy: Develop systems and run experiments that improve exchange execution by partnering with researchers to understand market microstructure and optimize execution behavior. Equity Options: Work directly alongside traders to solve high-impact problems across trading systems, analytics, infrastructure, and tooling. Core Trading Strategies: Build systematic and semi-systematic trading strategies that translate pricing and risk appetite into exchange execution. Develop algorithms, ultra-low-latency execution systems, and high-fidelity research infrastructure across trading features, infrastructure design, and simulation platforms. Retail Execution: Build real-time systems that price, route, and execute millions of retail orders. Partner closely with traders and researchers to own end-to-end solutions spanning exchange connectivity, routing logic, pricing, risk checks, and monitoring.

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 or C++ with Linux and networking fundamentals)
• A mindset of continuous improvement in a fast-paced environment
• Willingness to set technical direction, uphold engineering standards, and take ownership of outcomes

Nice To Haves

• Trading background

Responsibilities

• Build the infrastructure and workflows that power systematic and semi-systematic trading, enabling large-scale experimentation, robust backtesting, and data-driven strategy development.
• Develop systems and run experiments that improve exchange execution by partnering with researchers to understand market microstructure and optimize execution behavior.
• Work directly alongside traders to solve high-impact problems across trading systems, analytics, infrastructure, and tooling.
• Build systematic and semi-systematic trading strategies that translate pricing and risk appetite into exchange execution.
• Develop algorithms, ultra-low-latency execution systems, and high-fidelity research infrastructure across trading features, infrastructure design, and simulation platforms.
• Build real-time systems that price, route, and execute millions of retail orders.
• Partner closely with traders and researchers to own end-to-end solutions spanning exchange connectivity, routing logic, pricing, risk checks, and monitoring.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation, including a global profit-sharing pool and performance-based bonus
• 401(k) match up to 50%
• Comprehensive health, mental health, dental, vision, disability and life coverage
• 25 paid vacation days alongside market holidays
• Office perks including breakfast, lunch and snacks, regular social events, clubs, sports leagues and more

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed