AI Researcher

Optiver is a global market maker founded in Amsterdam, with offices in London, Chicago, Austin, New York, Sydney, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei and Mumbai. Established in 1986, today we are a leading liquidity provider, with over 2,000 employees in offices around the world, united in our commitment to improve the market through competitive pricing, execution and risk management. By providing liquidity on multiple exchanges across the world in various financial instruments we participate in the safeguarding of healthy and efficient markets. We provide liquidity to financial markets using our own capital, at our own risk, trading a wide range of products: listed derivatives, cash equities, ETFs, bonds and foreign currencies.

Since its establishment in 2012, our Shanghai office is a rapidly growing participant in the Chinese markets, trading exchange-listed futures, options and equities in China mainland. Our vision is to become the trusted partner in the development of Chinese financial markets. With the culture of a start-up but the backing of a close-to-40 year-old trading firm, the Optiver Shanghai office is truly unique. Everyone who joins us will help shape the future of our company and its global impact. Get ready: we are only just beginning.

About the AI Lab at Optiver

Optiver has built its reputation as a global leader in trading through rigorous research, rapid innovation, and uncompromising performance. Now, we’re launching a new frontier: AI Lab Shanghai.

This newly established team will operate independently from our core trading operations, serving as a long-term innovation engine to explore, develop, and apply the most advanced AI and machine learning technologies to complex problems. From foundational model development to novel AI systems, the AI Lab will be at the forefront of pushing boundaries.What You’ll Do

• Leadership & Strategy
  • Establish the AI Lab's technical vision and long-term roadmap aligned with cutting-edge research and internal innovation goals.
  • Build a world-class team of AI researchers, engineers, and applied scientists.
  • Foster a strong culture of experimentation, ownership, and high-impact delivery.
• Technical Direction
  • Drive exploration into areas such as deep learning, foundation models, generative AI, reinforcement learning, and novel model architectures.
  • Oversee design and deployment of experimental AI systems, both for proof-of-concept and strategic long-term application.
  • Collaborate with domain experts to identify high-value, AI-native opportunities.
• Team Development
  • Attract and mentor top-tier talent from academia and industry.
  • Design internal processes for research sharing, experimentation, and review.
• Collaboration
  • Partner with internal stakeholders across research, trading, and technology to ensure alignment where needed while preserving the lab’s independence and vision.
  • Represent the lab externally in the AI community and conferences.

What We’re Looking For

• Technical Excellence
  • PhD or equivalent experience in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, or related field.
  • Deep expertise in modern ML techniques (e.g., deep learning, transformers, RL, generative models).
  • Proven track record of research, publications, or system-level innovation.
• Startup Mindset with Big-Tech Rigor
  • Comfortable working in ambiguous, open-ended environments.
  • Ability to balance long-term vision with milestone-driven progress.
• Communication & Collaboration
  • Clear, compelling communicator who can inspire and influence across disciplines.
  • Strong ability to present complex ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.

 Why Join Us?

• Build a new frontier of AI innovation at one of the world’s top trading firms.
• Operate in a high-trust, low-bureaucracy environment with exceptional resources.
• Access to cutting-edge infrastructure, compute, and proprietary datasets.
• Competitive compensation and long-term incentives.

Diversity statement

Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, and welcome requests for reasonable adjustments during the process.

Questions? Get in touch with the recruitment team at [email protected].

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