Have you ever thought about what research looks like outside of academia?

Optiver's Postdoctoral Fellowship is a one year, full-time postdoctoral position designed to bring strong PhD graduates into a new arena for the application of their research skill set. 

You will still use your brain to come up with cutting-edge ideas, but instead of working in the abstract you'll make innovations that change the world as soon as you implement them – which often is as quick as the next day!

We also believe the best ideas come from working together, so you'll be solving problems as part of a team from day one. This means you'll get instant feedback on all of your lightbulb moments, as well as support and guidance to be at your best.

You will also take part in the Optiver Academy, our global training program in Amsterdam, to accelerate your learning and get you up to speed with our systems and the requisite theory.

WHO WE ARE

Optiver is a tech-driven trading firm and leading global market maker. For over 35 years, Optiver has been improving financial markets around the world, making them more transparent and efficient for all participants. With more than 1,600 employees in offices around the world, we’re united in our commitment to improve the market through competitive pricing, execution and thorough risk management. By providing liquidity on multiple exchanges across the world, we actively trade on 70+ exchanges, where we’re trusted to always provide accurate buy and sell pricing – no matter the market conditions.

Optiver’s Sydney office is one of the primary players within Asian markets, trading a range of products. Established in 1996, we're an active participant on the Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan exchanges, and act as Optiver’s APAC head office. 

WHAT YOU'LL DO

As a Postdoctoral Fellow at Optiver, you will become a part of the growing hub of PhD graduates in our Sydney office.

We will mentor and help you apply your research skills towards the problems we work on. You will learn about our systems and be encouraged to make novel improvements to the way that we do things. You could be using your top-tier analytical abilities to:

• Create insights and drive new strategies
• Build models and tools, which underpin our trading activities
• Assess risk and market data to solve practical problems.

You’ll be utilising our systems, built in house, with cutting-edge statistical techniques and technology. You will also be heavily involved in Optiver's academic activities, both in the office through building and delivering seminars on your research, as well as external involvement in university collaboration.

WHO YOU ARE

You’re a PhD student, with a drive to make things happen. You enjoy working on an array of problems and you prefer the joy of problem-solving over the act of formal publication. You’re an inquisitive, critical thinker who is creative in innovating new solutions. You're constantly keen to understand the “why” and you're a strong believer in the power of collaborative problem solving. In addition, you:

• Are pragmatic and focused on outcomes.
• Can communicate technical concepts exceptionally well.
• Enjoy utilising technology, programming or maths in your daily life to solve problems.

ELIGIBILITY

• We understand that there are funding uncertainties associated with the completion of a PhD. To address this, you can apply for this role at any point during your PhD and, if successful, you will be able to start in the two months following your PhD submission. Of course, you will need to have submitted your thesis before you commence with us. 
• An Australian or New Zealand Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident or able to provide evidence of full working rights for the duration of the internship.

WHAT YOU'LL GET

• $175k package
• The chance to work alongside diverse and intelligent peers in a rewarding environment
• Training, mentorship and personal development opportunities
• Gym membership plus weekly in-house chair massages
• Daily breakfast, lunch and an in-house barista
• Regular social events including an annual company trip
• A work-from-home allowance and support
• Guided relocation and a competitive relocation package 

Does this sound like the future you’re looking for? Take up the challenge and apply today!

If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please contact us at [email protected].