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Institutional Trader (2025 Start - Chicago)

Chicago, Illinois, United States

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 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.

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:

At Optiver, we hire academically accomplished, intellectually well-rounded thinkers and we mold them into great traders. Your career here will begin with six months of comprehensive training on the fundamentals of trading: theory, markets, strategies and cutting-edge technology.

From there, you’re off and trading. You and your team will adjust pricing, monitor positions and make trades in electronic and voice brokered markets. As an Institutional Trader you will be the eyes and ears of our trading floor. You will identify and capitalize on trading opportunities while representing our markets and executing trades with external counterparties. You will be expected to expand our external trading network by sourcing, developing, and maintaining trading relationships. You will be the face of the Optiver trading team and will require exceptional communication and relationship building skills.

Who you are: 

  • Graduating with a BS or MS degree in Finance, Economics, or a STEM field
  • Have an expected graduation date between December 2024 and June 2025 (Spring and Fall 2025 start dates available)
  • Strong communication skills and self-assurance
  • Ability and interest in building and maintaining trading relationships and strategic partnerships
  • Superior quantitative and logical reasoning skills
  • Competitive attitude and dedication to constantly improve

What you’ll get:

  • 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.  

At Optiver, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Optiver recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, or other legally protected characteristics.

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