You’ve spent years working on open-ended problems, building models, and testing ideas. PhD Quant Focus is a three-day program designed to show how your approach in academia applies to practical challenges in global markets.
Through hands-on workshops and technical discussions, you’ll work on problems similar to those our teams tackle, where models interact with fast-moving, noisy data, and feedback is immediate. You’ll see how techniques from machine learning, statistics, and applied mathematics are used in practice, and where they break.
Explore how your research translates in a trading environment. Apply now.
Eligible for PhD students in STEM disciplines, with experience in areas such as Machine Learning, Statistics, or Applied Mathematics.
Program dates: 3 – 5 September 2026
Applications close: 27 July 2026
Where: Optiver Shanghai office*
* Travel and accommodation will be provided for participants outside of Shanghai.
What you’ll do
Work through applied problems across research, trading and technology: Gain practical experience in applying data analysis, statistical modelling techniques to extract signals from large, noisy, event-driven data.
Participate in hands-on trading workshops: Build foundational knowledge and skills around market making and quantitative decision-making. See firsthand how research connects to real-time market dynamics and trading outcomes.
Connect with quantitative researchers, traders and engineers: Meet PhD graduates and get insights into their day-to-day work, career paths, and tips on successfully transitioning from PhD to industry.
Receive practical feedback to advance your transition to industry: Get feedback on how you frame problems, reason through assumptions and communicate your thinking in an applied setting.
What you'll get
Clarity on how PhD work translates in practice. Understand how your approach in academia is applied, assessed and developed within Optiver.
Experience firsthand how researchers, traders, and engineers collaborate, openly share knowledge, and rapidly iterate to deliver breakthroughs at scale.
Connect with a PhD network consisting of peers and experts across research, trading and technology.
Opportunity to be considered for a future internship, if you excel within the program.
Experience Optiver's office perks, including daily breakfast, lunch, and coffee.
Plus, if you stand out during the program, you could receive an Internship or Graduate offer.
Who you are
PhD student, graduating in 2027 or 2028
Studying a Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Electrical / Mechatronic / Software Engineering, Computer Science, Applied / Quantitative Finance or Econometrics degree.
Enjoy working with complex, data-intensive problems, comfortable operating in conditions of uncertainty, and confident in applying programming, mathematical modelling and data-driven methodologies to answer challenging questions.
Clear communicator of technical ideas who thrives in collaborative, multidisciplinary environments.
Excited to test yourself in one of the most dynamic areas of the financial market.
Diversity statement
Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion, and it is hardwired through every stage of our hiring process. We encourage applications from candidates from any and all backgrounds, and we welcome requests for reasonable adjustments during the process to ensure that you can best demonstrate your abilities.
Questions? Get in touch with our team at [email protected].
Skills Required
- Currently a PhD student (graduating 2027 or 2028)
- Enrolled in Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Electrical/Mechatronic/Software Engineering, Computer Science, Applied/Quantitative Finance, or Econometrics
- Experience in Machine Learning, Statistics, or Applied Mathematics
- Comfortable working with complex, data-intensive problems and uncertainty
- Ability to apply programming, mathematical modelling and data-driven methodologies
- Clear communicator of technical ideas and collaborative team player
- Available to attend program dates (3-5 September 2026) in Shanghai
Optiver Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Optiver and has not been reviewed or approved by Optiver.
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Career-Linked Recognition & Rewards — Pay is considered highly competitive in trading, quantitative, and engineering paths, with performance-linked bonuses that materially elevate total compensation. High performers receive differentiated rewards tied to impact.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous paid vacation alongside market holidays is a consistent component of the U.S. package. This breadth of leave is a notable element of the offering.
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Healthcare Strength — Comprehensive health coverage—including medical, dental, and vision—is prominently offered in U.S. roles, with indications that employee premiums are fully covered in some cases. Disability and life coverage further strengthen the core health benefits.
Optiver Insights
What We Do
Optiver’s story began over 30 years ago, when we started business as a single trader on the floor of Amsterdam’s options exchange. Today, we are at the forefront of trading and technology as a leading global electronic market maker, focused on pricing, execution and risk management.
Why Work With Us
People at Optiver love challenges, welcome collaboration, and strive to be better tomorrow than they are today. Improving the market is an extraordinary challenge that requires a carefully crafted approach. Optiver provides a collaborative working environment to tackle these challenges. In fact, it is this way of working that sets us apart.
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