Optiver is looking for an experienced and hands-on Infrastructure Lead to join our US Enterprise Infrastructure Engineering team in Chicago. In this role, you’ll lead a small team of high-performing engineers, drive technical initiatives across our hybrid infrastructure, and collaborate closely with global stakeholders. You’ll be responsible for both technical delivery and team development — striking the balance between strategic leadership and deep technical expertise. We’re looking for someone who thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced setting and is passionate about building scalable, secure, and automated infrastructure solutions.
What you'll do
- Lead and mentor a team of infrastructure engineers based in Chicago
- Develop and manage the global Optiver Trading Workstation infrastructure. You’ll directly influence the front-end systems used by all traders in Optiver
- Drive automation and infrastructure-as-code best practices using tools like Python, PowerShell, and Terraform
- Own critical systems across VMware, Windows Server, NetApp, and related enterprise infrastructure
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams globally, ensuring reliability, scalability, and operational excellence
- Be a culture carrier — shaping team values, communication practices, and ways of working
- Influence long-term technical direction and provide strategic input on how infrastructure evolves to meet business needs
- Ensure observability and proactive system monitoring across all platforms
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
- Highly competitive compensation package including performance-based bonus structure
- 401(k) match up to 50%
- Comprehensive health, mental, dental, vision, disability, and life coverage
- 25 paid vacation days alongside market holidays
- Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and snacks, regular social events, clubs, sporting leagues and more
Who you are
- Proven leadership experience managing or mentoring technical teams (minimum 3+ years in a lead capacity)
- Strong technical background in infrastructure engineering
- Deep hands-on experience with, or a willingness to learn and dive deep into:
- Python, PowerShell, or Terraform (HCL)
- Virtualization infrastructure
- Windows Server management & debugging
- NetApp or similar enterprise storage systems
- Solid understanding of Active Directory, DNS, and core networking concepts
- Experience with observability stacks (e.g., SCOM, Telegraf/Influx/Grafana, Prometheus)
- Strategic thinker with the ability to influence and drive decisions, with a high degree of ownership
- Strong listener who creates space for diverse views while providing technical direction
Who we are
At Optiver, our mission is to improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and stabilizing the market no matter the conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we prioritize 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.
Below is the expected base salary for this position. This is a good-faith estimate of the base pay scale 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 a discretionary bonus (if determined by Optiver) and Optiver’s benefits package with the benefits listed above.
Skills Required
- Minimum 3+ years in a lead capacity
- Strong technical background in infrastructure engineering
- Deep hands-on experience with Python, PowerShell, or Terraform
- Experience with virtualization infrastructure
- Windows Server management & debugging expertise
- Experience with NetApp or similar storage systems
- Understanding of Active Directory and DNS
- Observability stacks (SCOM, Telegraf/Influx/Grafana, Prometheus) experience
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 materially elevating total earnings for strong contributors. High performers are described as seeing outsized upside when firm and team results are strong.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is depicted as comprehensive, including medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, alongside HSA/FSA options and mental-health support. Some locations note unlimited therapy access through a partner platform.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — U.S. roles are often described as offering 25 days of paid vacation plus market holidays, alongside generous parental leave. This breadth of time off is highlighted as helping to offset a high-intensity environment.
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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