Software Engineer - Equity Options

Optiver; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match up to 50%

Comprehensive health coverage

25 paid vacation days

Office perks including breakfast and lunch

Job summary

Optiver is seeking a skilled engineer in Chicago to work closely with traders, solving complex challenges in a fast-paced environment. Your role involves building systems that drive trading, leading end-to-end engineering projects, and continuously improving solutions based on feedback. This position offers a competitive salary of $200,000, a global profit-sharing pool, comprehensive health coverage, and extensive office perks, fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence among an international team.

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex, large-scale engineering projects.
• Strong computer science fundamentals and sound engineering judgment.
• Ability to balance innovative thinking with practical execution.

Responsibilities

• Work side-by-side with traders to identify, prioritize, and solve high-impact problems.
• Build and maintain systems across the stack, including trading logic, infrastructure, and internal tooling.
• Take ownership of problems end-to-end: idea to design to implementation to production to iteration.

Skills

Systems-level programming

Innovative thinking

Strong engineering judgment

Tools

C/C++

Linux

Job description

Overview

You’ll work directly with traders to solve the core problems that drive our trading. This role is fully embedded on the desk, owning systems and workflows end‑to‑end across the stack—from real‑time trading infrastructure to internal tools and analytics. Unlike more specialized roles, you’ll operate across a wide range of challenges: building new trading logic, improving existing systems, developing tools to support decision‑making, and scaling infrastructure as strategies evolve. The problems are fast‑moving and often ambiguous, requiring close collaboration with traders and a strong sense of ownership. This is a high‑impact role where your work directly influences trading performance, and where success comes from quickly understanding problems, building solutions, and iterating in production.

Technology at Optiver

At Optiver we pride ourselves on being real engineers, not just coders. Our engineers work closely with traders to identify the business problems we face and determine how they should be solved. We apply a disciplined and scientific approach. We engineer simple, well‑architected solutions that meet the dynamic needs of our traders. Our passion is to solve problems which really matter to the business, and we take pride in the quality of our solutions.

What you’ll do

• Work side‑by‑side with traders to identify, prioritize, and solve high‑impact problems
• Build and maintain systems across the stack, including trading logic, infrastructure, and internal tooling
• Rapidly prototype and iterate on solutions based on live feedback from the desk
• Take ownership of problems end‑to‑end: idea to design to implementation to production to iteration
• Operate effectively in a fast‑paced, ambiguous environment where priorities evolve quickly

What you’ll get

You’ll join a culture of collaboration and excellence, 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, collectively tackling some of the toughest challenges in the financial markets.

• The opportunity to work alongside best‑in‑class professionals from over 40 different countries
• A highly competitive compensation package
• Global profit‑sharing pool and performance‑based bonus structure
• 401(k) match up to 50%
• Comprehensive health, mental, dental, vision, disability, and life coverage
• 25 paid vacation days alongside market holidays
• Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and snacks, regular social events, clubs, sporting leagues and more

Who you are

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

Who we are

Optiver is a tech‑driven trading firm and leading global market maker. As one of the oldest market‑making institutions, we are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe. Our mission is to constantly improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and acting as a stabilising force no matter the market conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we participate in the safeguarding of healthy and efficient markets for everyone who participates.

Optiver Chicago’s culture parallels the energetic city we’re immersed in. Home to the Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Board Options Exchange, and Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago has established itself as the trading capital of the US. Active on leading US exchanges, Optiver’s Chicago office trades a wide range of products from listed derivatives to cash equities, ETFs, bonds and foreign exchange.

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

Base Salary Range: $200,000—$200,000 USD