Quantitative Researcher Internship (Dec 2027)

SANITI - Student Association of Nelson-Marlborough Institute of Technology Inc; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 38,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flights and accommodation provided

Training and mentorship

Gym membership and wellness perks

Daily meals and in-house barista

Social events and ongoing development

Job summary

Optiver invites a penultimate-year student to join our Quantitative Research Intern program for an eight‑week summer experience in Sydney. You will learn trading fundamentals, complete hands‑on projects, and be paired with a mentor to apply theory to real-world problems in pricing and execution.

You will contribute to models and strategies, with opportunities to join a graduate track if performance is strong.

Qualifications

• Penultimate-year university student in a quantitative or technically focused degree.
• Strong programming skills in Python and C++.
• Interest in statistics, ML, and financial markets.

Responsibilities

• Attend lectures and coursework on trading fundamentals.
• Join a research team with a mentor to apply knowledge to real-world problems.
• Work on topics like options pricing, market microstructure, and high-frequency strategies.
• Collaborate with researchers to improve pricing engines and libraries.

Skills

Python

C++

Statistics

Machine Learning

Quantitative Finance

Data Analysis

Education

Quantitative or technical degree (Maths/Statistics, Physics, Electrical/Mechatronic/Software Engineering, CS, Econometrics)

Job description

As our Quantitative Research Intern, you’ll spend your summer delving into complex, data-driven problems at one of the world’s leading tech-driven trading firms. Under the guidance and mentorship of industry experts, you’ll apply your critical mindset and strong technical skills to optimise the models that drive Optiver’s innovative trading strategies.

Through a mix of trading lectures, coursework and hands-on project experience, you’ll have deepened your understanding of the quantitative trading industry and mastered the practical skills needed to drive our trading success by the end of the 8-week internship. Plus, if you’ve excelled over the summer, you’ll receive an offer to return as a Graduate Quantitative Researcher.

What you’ll do

Led by our in-house education team that consists of ex-traders and engineers, you will complete a curated series of lectures and coursework on trading fundamentals, covering topics such as options pricing, financial markets, trading strategies and cutting-edge technology.

Then, you will join one of our research teams and be paired with a mentor, applying your recently acquired knowledge to real-world scenarios that contribute towards our trading success. Some of the topics you could be working on, include:

• Using statistical models and machine learning to developtrading algorithms.
• Leveraging big data technologies to analyse high-frequency trading strategies, market microstructure, and financial instruments to identify trading opportunities.
• Building stochastic models to determine the fair value of financial derivatives.
• Combining quantitative analysis and high-performance implementation to ensure the efficiency and accuracy of pricing engines and libraries.

Find your niche in research

During the internship, you will gain exposure to the various opportunities that are available in our research teams. Discover some of the teams below.

• Read Noah’s story to discover how he leverages large datasets to create underlying models that price our financial instruments in the Options Pricing team.
• Read Rob’s story to discover how he develops and tests hypotheses that drive improvements in the execution, speed and success of our trading systems, in the Performance Research team.

What you’ll get

You’ll join a culture of collaboration and excellence, where you’ll be surrounded by curious thinkers and creative problem solvers. Driven by a passion for continuous improvement, you’ll thrive in a supportive, high-performing environment alongside talented colleagues, working collectively to tackle the most complex problems in the financial markets.

In addition, you’ll receive:

• A highly competitive remuneration package.
• Optiver-covered flights and accommodation for the duration of the internship.
• The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals.
• Training, mentorship and personal development opportunities.
• Gym membership, plus weekly in-house chair massages.
• Daily breakfast, lunch and in-house barista.
• Regular social events.

Who you are

• A penultimate university student. If you are a pre-penultimate university student, discover our 2027 FutureFocus Trading & Research program.
• An Australian or New Zealand Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident or able to provide evidence of full working rights.
• Studying aquantitative or technically focused degree, such as Maths, Statistics, Physics, Electrical / Mechatronic / Software Engineering, Computer Science, Applied / Quantitative Finance or Econometrics.
• Inquisitive and critical thinker, who enjoys creating innovative, new solutions.
• Have a passion for quantitative problems and working in collaborative, dynamic environments.
• Pragmatic, focused on outcomes and can communicate technical concepts well.
• Enjoys utilising technology, programming, or maths in your daily life to solve problems.
• Possess programming experience in any language (C, C++, Python, Basic, JAVA, etc.).

At Optiver, our mission is to improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency, and stabilising the market no matter the conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we prioritise safeguarding the health and efficiency of the markets for all participants. As one of the largest market making institutions, we are a respected partner on 100+ exchanges across the globe.

Diversity statement

Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, and welcome requests for reasonable adjustments during the process.