Trading Automation Specialist

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, dental, vision,

25 paid vacation days

Office perks and meals

Job summary

Optiver in Chicago seeks a Trading Automation Specialist to automate daily desk workflows, build data pipelines, and improve trading operations. This role sits close to the business side and requires hands-on coding, analytics, and a mindset for operational excellence.

You'll collaborate with traders, researchers, and engineers to own critical workstreams, reduce risk, and scale edge across markets with a focus on reliability and performance in a fast-paced trading environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in trading operations, trading technology, quantitative finance, or a closely related field.
• Bachelor's degree in a STEM field (CS, Eng, Math, Physics, or related).
• Strong programming skills in Python or similar languages, with experience building automation and tooling.

Responsibilities

• Automate the desk — build the workflows and tooling traders rely on every session; eliminate manual work and reduce operational risk
• Work with data — build the pipelines and analytics that turn market and order-flow data into trading decisions
• Own reliability — take end-to-end ownership of core trading automation systems, act as an escalation point, and lead root-cause analysis
• Partner across the floor — translate operational insight into system improvements alongside traders, researchers, and engineers
• Find and scale your edge — use breadth across data, code, and markets to set direction where your impact is greatest

Skills

Python programming

Analytical thinking

Cross-functional communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM fields

Tools

Python

Job description

Optiver is seeking a Trading Automation specialist responsible for the daily operations, automation, and continuous improvement of our market making activity in Chicago. Think: trading, technology, and operational excellence.

This role sits closer to the business than a software engineer and closer to the systems than a trader. It's the connective tissue between them: a unique opportunity in the industry to build range across data, coding, and trading, find where your edge lies, and then go deep and scale your impact. You will be expected to take ownership of critical workstreams and own solving them in real time on the desk.

What You’ll Do

As a Trading Automation Specialist, your key responsibilities include:

• Automate the desk — build the workflows and tooling traders rely on every session; eliminate manual work and reduce operational risk
• Work with data — build the pipelines and analytics that turn market and order-flow data into trading decisions
• Own reliability — take end-to-end ownership of core trading automation systems, act as an escalation point, and lead root-cause analysis
• Partner across the floor — translate operational insight into system improvements alongside traders, researchers, and engineers
• Find and scale your edge — use breadth across data, code, and markets to set direction where your impact is greatest

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.

In addition, you’ll receive:

• The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries
• Highly competitive compensation package with a 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

Required:

• 3+years of experience in trading operations, trading technology, quantitative finance, or a closely related field
• Bachelor's degree in a STEM field (Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or related)
• Strong programming skills in Python or similar languages, with experience building automation and tooling
• Familiarity with electronic trading systems, market microstructure, and the mechanics of market making
• Excellent analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving abilities
• Outstanding communication skills with a proven ability to work cross-functionally

Who We Are

At Optiver, our mission is to improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and stabilizing the market no matter the conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we prioritize 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.

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.

Below is the expected base salary for this position. This is a good‑faith estimate of the base pay scale for this position and offers will ultimately be determined based on experience, education, skill set, and performance in the interview process. This position will also be eligible for a discretionary bonus (if determined by Optiver) and Optiver's benefits package with the benefits listed above.

Base Salary Range

$200,000—$200,000 USD