Graduate Software Engineer

Optiver; Greater London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus

Relocation assistance

27 vacation days

Breakfast & lunch

Private medical

Pension

ClassPass

Training & learning

International transfers

Visa sponsorship

Job summary

Optiver in London invites graduates to join a mission-critical software engineering program. You’ll build high-performance systems that enable rapid, data-driven decisions in fast-moving markets.

Through Optiver’s Global Academy, you’ll gain trading theory, learn the tech stack, and work with mentors to own impactful projects. You’ll collaborate with traders, researchers, and engineers to push the boundaries of market microstructure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD in CS/CE or equivalent.
• Graduating Aug 2024–Aug 2027 with up to 3 years of work experience.
• Strong coding fundamentals and system design.
• Proficient in C++, Python or Java.
• Interest in finance and data-driven decision making.

Responsibilities

• Develop simple, well-architected software for capital markets.
• Collaborate with traders, researchers and engineers.
• Contribute to high-performance, low-latency systems.
• Engage in training and mentorship programs.

Skills

C++

Python

Java

Algorithms

Concurrency

Education

Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD in CS/CE or equivalent

Job description

As a Graduate Software Engineer, your work is mission-critical at our firm. You will work on solutions that enable us to react to markets at lightning-fast speeds. Your work will be the magic behind the scenes, enabling our teams to make split-second decisions with precision and confidence. By working in an interdisciplinary manner and innovating and optimising code, you will keep our firm competitive in the ever-evolving capital markets.

Optiver is building with cutting edge AI technology in the most competitive, data rich landscapes in the world: financial markets. That means no two days are the same, and every day brings new, exciting technical challenges to solve.

What You’ll Do

Your onboarding

You will participate in Optiver’s comprehensive Global Academy and be equipped with the knowledge needed to make an impact the moment you join your team. The comprehensive training covers trading theory and Optiver’s tech stack to hone your skills for your role. In addition, you will be paired with a dedicated mentor who will empower you to take ownership of your work and make a difference.

Your responsibilities

As a Graduate Software Engineer, you will work closely with best-in-class traders, researchers, risk analysts and other engineers to develop simple, well-architected solutions that meet the needs of our business. No one day is ever the same. You will gain and develop in-depth knowledge of engineering for the capital markets. Our collective passion to solve problems makes a direct impact on our business.

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 talented colleagues, working collectively 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
• 27 paid vacation days plus all UK public holidays
• Daily breakfast and lunch, along with support on commuting expenses
• Private medical insurance, pension scheme, and ClassPass fitness membership
• Training and continuous learning opportunities
• International transfer opportunities for global career growth
• Competitive relocation packages and visa sponsorship where necessary for expats

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or equivalent, with outstanding academic achievements
• Graduating between August 2024 and August 2027, with a maximum of 3 years of work experience
• Passionate about clean code, simple, well-architected systems, and continuous improvement
• Proficient in industry-standard coding languages such as C++, Python, or Java, with a strong understanding of underlying computer architecture and system operations
• A solid grasp of algorithms, memory and concurrency models, CPU-architecture, operating systems and relational databases
• Have an entrepreneurial attitude and an interest in the financial industry
• An analytical mindset and strong problem-solving skills
• Able to work closely with other engineers, traders, and business operations

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 FAQs. 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 technology 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.