Quantitative Research Intern, PhD (Summer 2027)

What You’ll Do

• Build a strong foundation in market structure and options theory under the guidance of the Education team.
• Contribute to a project aligned with current business needs, working alongside an experienced researcher.
• Develop predictive models and machine learning systems to better understand market behavior and identify trading opportunities.
• Analyze large-scale market and order-flow data to uncover signals, evaluate hypotheses, and improve trading performance.
• Build and test statistical and stochastic models for pricing, forecasting, and risk management.
• Apply modern research techniques, including deep learning and AI-enabled workflows, to accelerate discovery and improve research efficiency.

What You’ll Get

• Work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries.
• The opportunity to earn a return internship or full-time offer in Chicago, Austin, or New York City based on performance.
• A highly-competitive internship compensation package.
• Optiver-covered flights, living accommodations, and commuting stipends.
• Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch, snacks, regular social events, clubs, sporting leagues, and more.

Who You Are

• Currently enrolled in a PhD program in Statistics, Computer Science, Machine Learning, Mathematics, or a related STEM field with outstanding academic performance.
• Expected graduation between December 2027 – June 2029 and available to intern during Summer 2027.
• Open to full-time opportunities upon graduation in 2028 or 2029.
• Solid foundation in mathematics, probability, and statistics.
• Excellent research, analytical, and modeling skills.
• Experience applying machine learning methods to real-world research problems, such as time-series analysis, prediction, forecasting, pattern recognition, optimization, or decision-making.
• Proficiency in any programming language.
• Strong interest in working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Fluent in English with strong written and verbal communication skills.

Who We Are

• Optiver is a leading technology- and research-driven trading firm.
• Our teams of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and traders work side by side to develop, test, and scale ideas that shape how we understand and trade global markets.
• We combine the scientific rigor of a research institution with the pace of a technology company.
• We are supportive of US immigration sponsorship for this role.