Back to jobs
New

Institutional Trader Intern (2026 Start - Chicago)

Chicago, Illinois, United States

As a Institutional Trader Intern at Optiver, you’ll spend your summer embedded in the fast-paced environment of our trading floor, learning from industry experts.

Through a combination of structured education sessions and hands-on experience in live market conditions, you’ll gain deep insight into how markets move and how our Institutional Traders make impact. You’ll test your ideas, sharpen your decision-making, and collaborate with peers and mentors to solve real market challenges.

By the end of the 10-week internship, you’ll be equipped with the foundational skills and knowledge required to succeed as an Institutional Trader at a top global trading firm.

What you’ll do:

Our internship, which demands quick thinking, a critical mindset, and decisive action, offers one of the closest experiences to real trading you can get. Mentored by the Institutional Trader team, you’ll have the opportunity to:

  • Deep dive into trading fundamentals, from theoretical concepts to financial markets, trading strategies, and cutting-edge technology.
  • Learn to identify and capitalize on trading opportunities while representing our markets and executing trades with external counterparties.
  • Understand how to expand our external trading network by sourcing, developing, and maintaining trading relationships.
  • Push your limits and accelerate your growth in a fascinating and high-performing environment.

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
  • The opportunity to earn a full-time offer in Chicago
  • A highly-competitive internship compensation package
  • Optiver-covered flights, living accommodations, and commuting stipends
  • Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and snacks, regular social events, clubs, sporting leagues and more

Who you are: 

  • A student pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related STEM field
  • On track to graduate between December 2026 to June 2027, with junior standing or higher
  • 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

 

Who we are:

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

 

*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 2026.

 

Below is the expected compensation for this position. This is a good-faith estimate of the base pay scale and sign-on bonus 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 the benefits listed above.

Base Salary Range

$50,000 - $60,000 USD

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf


Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Select...

If you have multiple disciplines, please select all that apply.

Select...

Please choose the classification that best reflects your academic performance rating for your degree.

Select...

If you have multiple disciplines, please select all that apply. 

Select...

Please choose the classification that best reflects your academic performance rating for your postgrad degree, if applicable.

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Please note, an F-1 visa holder with eligibility to secure OPT work authorization is US work authorized.

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

I confirm that I have read, understood and agree to Optiver's privacy policies, notices and disclaimers (incorporating privacy notices) and I consent to Optiver collecting, using, disclosing and holding my personal information.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Optiver Private Jobs’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.