Data Operations Engineer

At Optiver, technology and data are at the core of every trading decision we make. As a leading global market maker, we rely on accurate, reliable, and scalable data platforms to power our trading, research, and analytics systems in some of the world's fastest financial markets. As a Data Operations Engineer, you'll join our Global Data Engineering team in Chicago, partnering closely with traders, researchers, and engineers to ensure our data platform operates reliably at scale. Combining software engineering with operational ownership, you'll troubleshoot production issues, onboard new datasets, improve platform reliability, and build the systems that keep our trading teams supplied with high-quality data every day. What You'll Do As a Data Operations Engineer, your key responsibilities include: Operational Ownership Serve as the primary point of contact for traders, researchers, and engineers on data platform issues and operational supportInvestigate and resolve data quality, freshness, and availability issues across business-critical datasetsMonitor data ingestion pipelines, scheduled workflows, and real-time market data feeds, responding rapidly to alerts and minimizing production impactPartner directly with external data vendors to resolve upstream issues, manage specification changes, and ensure timely delivery of accurate datasetsCommunicate clearly during production incidents, providing timely updates and driving issues through to resolution Engineering & Platform Reliability Integrate and operationalize new datasets, including schema mapping, normalization, historical backfills, and metadata managementDesign, build, and maintain reliable, scalable ETL/ELT pipelines supporting both real-time trading systems and research platformsDevelop automated data quality validation, monitoring, and anomaly detection frameworks to proactively identify issuesModel and normalize complex financial datasets to ensure they are accurate, consistent, and production-readyBuild and maintain high-performance APIs that expose market and reference data to trading, research, and analytics platformsPartner closely with traders, researchers, and engineering teams to understand evolving data requirements and deliver scalable solutionsContribute to the ongoing evolution of Optiver's global data platform, improving reliability, observability, and operational excellence What You'll Get You'll join a culture of collaboration and excellence, surrounded by curious thinkers and creative problem-solvers. Motivated by continuous improvement, you'll thrive in a supportive, high-performing environment alongside talented colleagues while solving some of the toughest data engineering challenges in the financial markets. In addition, you'll receive: The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countriesHighly competitive compensation package including performance-based bonus structure401(k) matching up to 50%Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and mental health coverage25 paid vacation days alongside market holidaysExtensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and snacks, regular social events, clubs, sporting leagues, and more Who You Are 3+ years of experience as a Data Engineer, Data Operations Engineer, Software Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer, or similar role in a high-performance or mission-critical environmentStrong Python programming skills, including experience with libraries such as Pandas, PyArrow, and SparkExperience building and maintaining scalable data pipelines, APIs, and data processing systemsStrong understanding of data modeling, normalization, and data quality best practicesExperience with modern lakehouse technologies such as Delta Lake, Databricks, or cloud-based data platforms is preferredExposure to real-time and historical financial market data (such as equities, ETFs, fixed income, or credit) is advantageousStrong operational mindset with a passion for ownership, troubleshooting, automation, and continuous improvementExcellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to partner effectively with traders, researchers, engineering teams, and external data vendorsLegal authorization to work in the U.S. is required; we will not sponsor individuals for employment authorization for this role 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. Base Salary Range $140,000—$200,000 USD