Internship Description

As a Quantitative Researcher at Optiver, you’ll work alongside researchers, engineers, and traders to tackle some of the most challenging quantitative problems in global financial markets. You’ll analyze large-scale datasets, develop predictive models and algorithms, and apply statistical and machine learning techniques to better understand market behavior and identify trading opportunities.

Research at Optiver is highly applied and end-to-end. You’ll frame research questions, test hypotheses, develop and validate models, and see your ideas evaluated in live market environments. Combining rigorous scientific thinking with modern AI-enabled research infrastructure, you’ll transform insights into solutions that directly influence how we trade.

We offer both internship and full-time opportunities across our Chicago, Austin, and New York City offices.

What You’ll Do:

Depending on your opportunity, you’ll participate in a structured onboarding and development program designed to build a strong foundation in market structure, options theory, and quantitative trading.

For internship opportunities, you’ll follow an apprentice-style learning model led by our dedicated Education team, working alongside an experienced researcher on a project aligned with current business needs.

For full-time opportunities, you’ll participate in Global Optiver Academy, our structured onboarding program for graduates. It gives new joiners a shared foundation in how Optiver trades, builds systems, and manages risk before they move into their teams.

Throughout your experience, you’ll gain exposure to the AI tools and technologies that support research and development across the business, with the opportunity to contribute to several key areas:

• Develop predictive models and machine learning systems to better understand market behavior and identify trading opportunities

• Analyze large-scale market and order-flow data to uncover signals, evaluate hypotheses, and improve trading performance

• Build and test statistical and stochastic models for pricing, forecasting, and risk management

• Apply modern research techniques, including deep learning and AI-enabled workflows, to accelerate discovery and improve research efficiency

What You’ll Get:

You’ll join a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and excellence, surrounded by curious thinkers and creative problem-solvers. Together, you’ll tackle some of the toughest challenges in the financial markets by leveraging cutting-edge machine learning research to develop innovative, real-world solutions.

In addition, you’ll receive:

• The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries

• Highly competitive compensation packages tailored to internship and full-time opportunities

• Structured training, mentorship, and professional development opportunities

• Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch, snacks, regular social events, clubs, sporting leagues, and more

Who You Are:

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a PhD in Statistics, Computer Science, Machine Learning, Mathematics, or a related STEM field, with outstanding academic achievements

• Interested in an internship or full-time quantitative research opportunity, with eligibility determined by your expected graduation date and availability

• Solid foundation in mathematics, probability, and statistics

• Excellent research, analytical, and modeling skills

• Experience applying machine learning methods to real-world research problems, such as time-series analysis, prediction, forecasting, pattern recognition, optimization, or decision-making

• Proficiency in any programming language

• Strong interest in working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment

• Fluent in English with strong written and verbal communication skills

Who We Are:

Optiver is a leading technology- and research-driven trading firm. Our teams of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and traders work side by side to develop, test, and scale ideas that shape how we understand and trade global markets. Powered by a global platform built for rapid experimentation and iteration, we combine the scientific rigor of a research institution with the pace of a technology company.

Our differences are our edge. Optiver does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, or other legally protected characteristics.

Optiver is supportive of US immigration sponsorship for this role.

*Optiver has a global application re-apply policy for our intern and graduate roles. If you have completed an online assessment or interviewed for a quantitative graduate or internship role at any Optiver location in the past 8 months, please note that you are not yet eligible to reapply. We welcome you to reapply after the 8-month cool-off period.