Project Description

About Optiver

Optiver is a premier, global market making company. We offer trading opportunities on many of the world’s major financial markets using our own capital and at our own risk. Optiver strives to be the go-to price engine for a variety of exchange-traded products. In the Asia Pacific region we provide pricing for equities, options, futures, ETFs, and more. We started in 1986 with a single trader on the floor of the European Options Exchange in Amsterdam. We have grown significantly since then, and now employ over 750 people across offices in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific. We continue to experience organic growth in all of our global locations.

Our Sydney operation was set up in 1996 and has grown rapidly since this time. In addition we have offices in Shanghai and Taiwan. We have approximately 290 people in Asia Pacific across trading, technology, and business operations. We trade on a range of markets including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan and always make the most of any emerging opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region. We trade all the major indices in these markets and our portfolio boasts more than 60 equity derivatives. To be the best in the market we continuously develop state-of-the-art software and source the most advanced technology. We are so serious about IT that today we employ one IT developer for every one trader.

At Optiver, we undertake the complex task of balancing calculated risk with long-standing experience, to make smart and profitable trades today – and into the future

If you thrive in a team environment, have great communication skills, approach things enthusiastically and always act with integrity, chances are there’s a place for you at Optiver.

Graduate Trader

As a Trader (Market Maker) you will provide the market with prices with which they can trade. The bid price is the price at which the market maker would buy, and the ask price is the price at which the market maker would sell. Market makers are happy to get hit on either side of their quote. You will use Optiver’s own software to adjust prices, monitor positions and make trades. Outside of market hours, you will develop tools and conduct analysis with the goal of assisting both your own and the team’s trading.

Who are you

  • You are a final-year/Honours student or a recent graduate (graduated in the past 2 years)
  • You are studying a quantitative degree with a Distinction average in Computer Science, Electrical/Mechanical/Mechatronic Engineering, Maths, Statistics, Physics, Actuarial Studies or Econometrics

You’re a conceptual thinker – you pick up new concepts easily and have no issues applying them to new situations. You thrive on solving problems and love thinking up with brilliant ideas. You’ve got a flair for numbers and jump on any chance to use these skills. You are results driven to excel in this fast paced environment, and have the ability to think on your feet and make quick decisions. You are self-motivated and hungry for growth. You have a good sense of humour, nerves of steel and a thirst for success. If you really want to stand out from the crowd skills in Excel, VBA or Python will help you do that! But don’t worry if you haven’t developed these skills yet as we will provide the training on the job.

Wholesale Trader

Our Wholesale Traders enjoy trading in the Wholesale market. They maintain key international relationships, manage large portfolios, make fast trading decisions and trade high volumes over the phone. To succeed, you must:

  • Be a final-year/Honours student or recent graduate
  • Have a distinction/high grade-point average
  • Have studied, or be studying Maths, Statistics, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering – Electrical/ Mechanical / Mechatronic, Actuarial Studies, Computer Science, Econometrics or Applied / Quant Finance.

If you’re also a great communicator with outstanding numerical skills, and you love a challenge in a competitive environment, this could be the best career move you will ever make.

Internship Opportunities

This is the perfect opportunity to gain exposure to a real-life trading floor, expand your knowledge of the financial markets and work on challenging projects which will have a real impact on the way we trade. During our 8 week internship, you will complete an introductory derivative theory training course including extensive trading principles and concepts delivered by our Head of Trader Education. Once you’ve got the basics covered, you will apply this knowledge and work on current research projects alongside our experienced Trading and Research teams. You will experience what it’s like to trade a live copy of the real market using our cutting edge systems. You will have the opportunity to learn and apply programming skills (a highly sought after skill in the market) as well as be mentored by a Trader who will support and provide feedback to you through your summer experience with us.

Who are you

  • You are a penultimate year university student graduating mid or end of 2016
  • You are studying a quantitative degree with a Distinction average in Computer Science,Electrical/Mechanical/Mechatronic Engineering, Maths, Statistics, Physics, Actuarial Studies or Econometrics
    You are an Australian/NZ Citizen or Australian Permanent Resident