Back
Student and Graduate Trading

Graduate Quantitative Researcher (2024 Start – Chicago)

Chicago

Optiver’s research team is looking for a full-time Quantitative Researcher to help continuously improve our core derivatives pricing and trading strategies. On this team, our researchers work closely with traders and software engineers to create and improve pricing models, volatility surfaces, yield curves and other quantitative elements of our automated trading systems. They find solutions to pricing problems, test those solutions with historical pricing parameters and live market data, and modify various parts of our trading system—then they see these new models operate in the real world.

Our researchers collaborate closely with traders and engineers to advance the capabilities of our business and improve our market-making fundamentals. We apply our quantitative expertise and scientific training to solve tough, interdisciplinary problems and take pride in seeing the real-time impact of solutions that allow us to stay ahead in a highly competitive industry.

Who we are:

At Optiver, our mission is to constantly improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and acting as a stabilizing 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. We tackle the toughest problems, challenge the status quo and always aim for excellence. As one of the largest market making institutions, we are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe.

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.

What you’ll do:

Your career here will begin with comprehensive training on the fundamentals of trading—theory, markets, strategy and cutting-edge technology—with no prior finance knowledge needed.

From there, you’re off and conducting research. You and your team, armed with a vast amount of proprietary data, will develop innovative statistical models to predict future prices, design and optimize strategies to best execute in fast-moving environments, and make improvements to our pricing models. The best part? In this ever-changing industry, no day is ever the same.  

Who you are:

  • Currently enrolled in a PhD program in mathematics, computer science, statistics, physics, or a related field with an anticipated graduation date of Summer 2024 or sooner
  • Has experience using Matlab, R, Python, or other analytical tools for quantitative research
  • Possesses strong research, analytical, valuation and modeling skills
  • Experience analyzing large data sets is not required, but preferred

What you’ll get:

  • Training, mentorship and continuous learning and development opportunities.
  • Work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries.
  • Performance-based bonus structure that is unmatched anywhere in the industry. We combine our profits across desks, teams and offices into a global profit pool fostering a truly collaborative environment to work in.
  • Ownership over initiatives that directly solve business problems.

Additionally, you will get great other benefits such as 25 paid vacation days and market holidays, fully paid health insurance, daily breakfast and lunch, training opportunities, 401(k) match up to 50%, charitable match opportunities, regular social events and clubs and much more!

*We accept one application per role per year. If you have previously applied to this position during this season and have been unsuccessful, you can reapply once the next recruitment season begins in 2024. 

You are viewing: Apply now
Graduate Quantitative Researcher (2024 Start – Chicago)
Student and Graduate Trading Chicago
Careers

Related vacancies

  • Trading

    Quantitative Trader – Statistical Arbitrage

    Optiver is an industry leader across everything we do. We don’t just meet industry standards we aim to set them! We believe that in order to stay at the top we must adapt, innovate and continuously improve. Our Delta1 trading team combines a systematic approach with sophisticated pricing models, iterating often to ensure consistent, robust […]

    Learn more
    Amsterdam
  • Trading

    Options Researcher

    WHO WE ARE: Optiver’s Sydney office is one of the primary players within Asian markets, trading a range of products. As an active participant on the Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan exchanges, we act as Optiver’s APAC head office. Since 1996, our Sydney location has gone from five traders to more than 300 […]

    Learn more
    Sydney
  • Trading

    HFT Research Intern (Summer 2024 – Austin)

    Do you have what it takes to find alpha in the markets? As an HFT Research Intern you’ll join professionals in both technology and trading/research who dedicate themselves to developing, refining and implementing trading strategies using machine learning. As a Research Intern, you will support our teams by conducting statistical research to create, implement and […]

    Learn more
    Austin
  • Trading

    US Power Trader

    From its Commodities headquarters in London, Optiver is seeking an experienced Power Trader to lead / assist in the build out of a new desk trading US Power markets.  This is a true greenfield site opportunity with strong financial backing and the potential to have significant impact in the firm.  To excel, you will have […]

    Learn more
    London
  • Trading

    Trading Operations Analyst – Chicago

    Join Optiver as a Trading Operations Analyst and dive into the exhilarating world of cutting edge market making and trading systems. As a Trading Operations Analyst, you will work on the trading floor gaining in-depth exposure across our quantiative trading, development and corporate strategy teams.  You will play a central and crucial connectivity role between […]

    Learn more
    Chicago
  • Trading

    Experienced Futures Trader/Researcher

    Optiver is seeking an Experienced Futures Trader/Researcher to join our High Frequency Trading Team. Our HFT team is comprised of Researchers and Software Engineers who focus on designing, improving and executing trading strategies using machine learning. Our Quantitative Researchers specifically focus on conducting alpha/signal/features research, improving those machine-learning models, and refining trading algorithms. Should you […]

    Learn more
    Austin
  • Trading

    Quantitative Trader Intern (Summer 2024 – Chicago)

    Are you ready to jumpstart your career as a quantitative problem solver?  As a Quantitative Trader Intern, you’ll work in the heart of Optiver Chicago’s dynamic trading floor solving real-world, on-the-desk challenges. Over the course of ten weeks, you will gain full insight into what it takes to be a Trader at a leading global trading […]

    Learn more
    Chicago
  • Trading

    SPX Floor Analyst

    At Optiver, we strive for excellence in all things we do. We are looking for a SPX Floor Analyst that shares this mindset along with a passion for tackling the toughest of challenges. If you are someone who has the aptitude to multi-task while staying focused, the ability to be a continuous resource and problem […]

    Learn more
    Chicago
  • Trading

    Graduate Quantitative Trader

    Program start date: February 2024 or August 2024 Ready to accelerate your growth in one of the most fascinating and dynamic industries? As our Graduate Quantitative Trader, you’ll kickstart the program with four weeks of training in our head office in Amsterdam, alongside other trading graduates from around the world. Then, you'll go to Sydney, […]

    Learn more
    Taipei
  • Trading

    Experienced Futures Trader/Researcher

    Optiver is seeking an Experienced Futures Trader/Researcher to join our High Frequency Trading Team. Our HFT team is comprised of Researchers and Software Engineers who focus on designing, improving and executing trading strategies using machine learning. Our Quantitative Researchers specifically focus on conducting alpha/signal/features research, improving those machine-learning models, and refining trading algorithms. Should you […]

    Learn more