Optiver
Graduate Software Engineer

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As a Graduate Software Engineer
As a Graduate Software Engineer, your work is mission-critical at our firm. You will work on solutions that enable us to react to markets at lightning-fast speeds. Your work will be the magic behind the scenes, enabling our teams to make split-second decisions with precision and confidence. By working in an interdisciplinary manner and innovating and optimising code, you will keep our firm competitive in the ever-evolving capital markets.
Optiver is building with cutting edge AI technology in the most competitive, data rich landscapes in the world: financial markets. That means no two days are the same, and every day brings new, exciting technical challenges to solve.
What you’ll do
Your onboarding
You will participate in Optiver’s comprehensive Global Academy and be equipped with the knowledge needed to make an impact the moment you join your team. The comprehensive training covers trading theory and Optiver’s tech stack to hone your skills for your role. In addition, you will be paired with a dedicated mentor who will empower you to take ownership of your work and make a difference.
Your responsibilities
As a Graduate Software Engineer, you will work closely with best-in-class traders, researchers, risk analysts and other engineers to develop simple, well-architected solutions that meet the needs of our business. No one day is ever the same. You will gain and develop in-depth knowledge of engineering for the capital markets. Our collective passion to solve problems makes a direct impact on our business.
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.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
In addition, you’ll receive:
- A performance-based bonus structure, enabling all of our employees to benefit from our global profit pool
- The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals
- 27 paid vacation days plus all UK public holidays
- Daily breakfast and lunch, along with support on commuting expenses
- Private medical insurance, pension scheme, and ClassPass fitness membership
- Training and continuous learning opportunities
- International transfer opportunities for global career growth
- Competitive relocation packages and visa sponsorship where necessary for expats
Who you are
- Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or equivalent, with outstanding academic achievements
- Graduating between August 2024 and August 2027, with a maximum of 3 years of work experience
- Passionate about clean code, simple, well-architected systems, and continuous improvement
- Proficient in industry-standard coding languages such as C++, Python, or Java, with a strong understanding of underlying computer architecture and system operations
- A solid grasp of algorithms, memory and concurrency models, CPU-architecture, operating systems and relational databases
- Have an entrepreneurial attitude and an interest in the financial industry
- An analytical mindset and strong problem-solving skills
- Able to work closely with other engineers, traders, and business operations


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How to Apply:
Apply directly via the form below for the position of Graduate Software Engineer. Please provide us with a CV in English. Unfortunately we cannot accept applications via email for data protection reasons.
If your application is selected to proceed to the next round, you will be required to complete online assessments. By submitting your application you are confirming that you will be able to take the assessment within 7 days.
Kindly note that we do not require any assistance from third-parties including agencies in the recruitment of this role. If you have any questions feel free to contact our Recruitment team via the contact form.
Diversity statement
Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion.
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. Please let us know if you would like to request any reasonable adjustments by contacting the Recruitment team via the contact form, selecting “Reasonable Adjustments” as the subject of your inquiry.
For answers to some of our most frequently asked questions, refer to our FAQs.
For applicants based in India, our entry route is via the placement office internship hiring season (July/August).
Optiver has a global application re-apply policy for our intern and graduate roles. If you have completed an online assessment or interviewed for a technology graduate or internship role at any Optiver location in the past 8 months, please note that you are not yet eligible to reapply. We welcome you to re-apply after the 8-month cool off period.
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