Optiver is looking for a Quantitative Developer to join our Pricing Data Group (PDG) in Amsterdam. Pricing Data Group builds and runs the systems that produce the pricing data the trading floor and systematic research desks across the firm depend on, both live and over many years of history. PDG sits at the intersection of pricing automation, quantitative research and data platform engineering. Rather than building infrastructure for others to consume, we build the pricing data products that researchers and traders use directly to develop and deploy new trading strategies. Researchers across the firm build real alpha-generating work on top of what we ship, extending Optiver's trading reach beyond the high-frequency market making the firm is built on, into systematic and longer-horizon strategies.
What you'll do:
- You'll see the engineering decisions you make - about data shape, replay performance, external coverage - land directly in what kinds of research the firm attempts next;
- You'll work closely with traders, researchers and platform teams to build and run the pricing data systems the firm trades and prices off - both live and across many years of history;
- PDG owns the production pipelines that compute and serve our core pricing data. This includes:
- Build and optimize live pricing systems that run continuously throughout the trading day
- Develop replay frameworks that reproduce production pricing calculations over years of historical market data
- Integrate new external datasets into Optiver's pricing ecosystem to expand research capabilities
You'll join a small, multidisciplinary group that ships across the C++/Python boundary daily, with a direct line to the trading and research consumers of your work;
Who you are:
- Strong engineering instincts and a solid grounding in computer-science fundamentals;
- Productive in either C++ or Python, comfortable working in the other, and able to move fluidly between systems-level code and orchestration / ETL code;
- Comfortable designing distributed data systems and understanding trade-offs around throughput, schema evolution and historical replay;
- Experience with data platforms (e.g. Delta Lake), cloud infrastructure or large-scale data engineering is a plus;
- Pragmatic about delivery: able to spot the "good enough" path through a complex domain while keeping a clear-eyed view of where the right long-term investment is;
- Operational mindset - you reach for monitoring, validation, and data-quality checks instinctively rather than treating them as someone else's problem;
- A collaborator who can work with traders, researchers, and other engineering teams to turn ambiguous requirements into production systems;
- Interest in systematic trading, derivatives pricing, or quantitative finance more broadly is a strong plus - but not a hard requirement; we will teach you what you need to know.
Who we are:
At Optiver, 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 safeguarding healthy and efficient markets for everyone who participates. As one of the largest market making institutions, we are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe.
What you'll get:
You'll join a culture of collaboration and excellence, where you'll be 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, working collectively to tackle the toughest problems in the financial markets.
In addition, you’ll receive:
A performance-based bonus structure unmatched anywhere in the industry. We combine our profits across desks, teams and offices into a global profit pool.
The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries.
25 paid vacation days and fully paid first-class commuting expenses.
Training opportunities and discounts on health insurance.
Extensive office perks, including breakfast and lunch, world-class barista coffee, sports and leisure activities, Friday afternoon drinks, and weekly in-house chair massages.
Competitive relocation packages and visa sponsorship where necessary for expats.
How to apply:
Are you interested in furthering your career on one of the most dynamic and exciting trading floors in Europe?
Apply directly via the form below for the position of Quantitative Developer. If you are selected from your application to proceed to the next round for the position of Core Software Engineer, you will be required to take an online assessment. If you have any questions feel free to contact our Recruitment team via our recruitment inquiry form.
Please note:
- We cannot accept applications via email for data protection reasons.
- We do not require any assistance from third-parties including agencies in the recruitment of this role.
Diversity Statement:
Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion.
Skills Required
- Strong engineering instincts and solid grounding in computer-science fundamentals
- Productive in either C++ or Python and comfortable working in the other
- Able to move fluidly between systems-level code and orchestration/ETL code
- Comfortable designing distributed data systems and understanding throughput, schema evolution and replay trade-offs
- Operational mindset: monitoring, validation, and data-quality checks
- Experience with data platforms (e.g., Delta Lake), cloud infrastructure or large-scale data engineering
- Collaborative: able to work with traders, researchers, and engineering teams to turn ambiguous requirements into production systems
- Interest in systematic trading, derivatives pricing, or quantitative finance
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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