Graduate Quantitative Researcher (2027 Start)

Optiverus; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based bonus

25 days vacation

Training opportunities

Commuting expenses covered

Office perks

Job summary

Optiver is seeking a Graduate Quantitative Researcher in the UK to contribute to the full research lifecycle. You will frame questions, select data, and build, test and deploy models with a focus on machine learning and signal discovery.

The role emphasizes collaboration with researchers, traders and engineers in a fast-paced market environment. Onboarding through Global Optiver Academy provides a solid foundation in trading, systems, and risk management before joining your team.

Qualifications

• Academic degree in Engineering, Physics, Maths, Econometrics, Computer science or equivalent.
• Proficiency in probability, statistics and ML concepts.
• Strong programming experience and ability to learn quickly.

Responsibilities

• Build models for pricing, forecasting and signal discovery across large datasets.
• Explore petabytes of market and order-flow data to extract signals.
• Monitor models in production and refine assumptions from live data.
• Apply deep learning and AI-enabled workflows to speed hypothesis testing.
• Collaborate with researchers, traders and engineers to address system constraints.

Skills

Python

C/C++

Statistics

Calculus

Linear Algebra

Excellent English

Education

Engineering, Physics, Maths, Econometrics, Computer Science or equivalent

Tools

Python

C/C++

Java

Job description

If you enjoy using mathematics and code to investigate difficult questions, you could make a direct contribution to Optiver's success in global markets. As a Graduate Quantitative Researcher, you'll work across the full research process, from framing the question and choosing the data to building, testing and deploying models. Machine Learning is central to the work, whether you're extracting signals, forecasting prices or modelling relationships. Our data, compute and production infrastructure let you test ideas quickly, understand where they fail and decide what to investigate next.

Our researchers believe in academic discourse and invite fellow researchers, traders and engineers to challenge each hypothesis. Different perspectives help improve the question, the model and how it performs in production. Through constant testing, analysis and refinement, you'll help our quantitative models adapt as markets evolve.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Your onboarding

You'llparticipateinGlobal Optiver Academy, a structuredonboarding programme for graduates. It gives new joiners a shared foundation in how Optiver trades, builds systems, and manages risk before they move into their teams.As part of your onboarding,you'llgain exposure to the AI tools and technologies that support research and development across the business.

Your responsibilities

Depending on the team you join, you'll own the research end to end. That could include:

• Building models for pricing, forecasting and signal discovery, choosing the statistical, mathematical or Machine Learning methods that best fit the problem.
• Working across petabytes of market, order-flow and unstructured data to find signals that improve strategies as conditions change.
• Monitoring models in production and using live behavior to refine your assumptions and decide what to investigate next.
• Using deep learning and AI-enabled workflows to shorten the loop from hypothesis to evidence.
• Working directly with researchers, traders and engineers to shape problems and understand how system constraints affect performance.

WHO YOU ARE

We're looking for aspiring Quantitative Researchers who are versatile and creative in innovating and suggesting new solutions. In return, we'll give you the freedom to pursue your ideas and implement them right into our production systems.

In terms of skills and qualifications, we're looking for:

• An academic degree in Engineering, Physics, Maths, Econometrics, Computer science or equivalent, with outstanding academic achievements
• Programming experience in any language (preferably Python, but C, C++, Basic, JAVA, etc. are also a plus)
• Ability to apply concepts of probability, calculus and linear algebra
• Competitive attitude and eagerness to constantly improve
• Ability to learn quickly
• Excellent verbal and written English language skills

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. Motivated by a passion for continuous improvement, you'll thrive in a supportive, high-performing environment alongside talent colleagues, working collaboratively to tackle the toughest problems in the financial markets.

In addition, you'll receive:

• A performance-based bonus structure, enabling all of our employees to benefit from our global profit pool
• The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 50 countries
• 25 paid vacation days in your first year, increasing to 30 from your second year onwards
• Training opportunities, discounts on health benefits, and fully paid first-class commuting expenses
• Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, world-class barista coffee, bi-weekly chair massages, Friday afternoon drinks, a bicycle to explore Amsterdam and much more
• Training and continuous learning opportunities, including access to conferences and tech events
• Competitive relocation packages and visa sponsorship where necessary for expats

Diversity statement

Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion.

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. Please let us know if you would like to request any reasonable adjustments by contacting the Recruitment team via the contact form, selecting "Reasonable Adjustments" as the subject of your inquiry.

For answers to some of our most frequently asked questions, refer to our recruitment FAQ.

For applicants based in India, our entry route is via the placement office internship hiring season (July/August).

*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 re-apply after the 8-month cool off period.