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Software Engineer - Research Platform

Optiver

Chicago, ILJob$200K/yrSeen 3w agoStill listed 6 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$200K/yr
Location
Chicago, IL
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

Optiver’s Research Platform team builds and operates the compute infrastructure and software platform used by global research teams for large-scale simulations, model training, and other computational workflows. The Senior Software Engineer will expand platform capabilities, improve performance and reliability, and integrate technologies into research workflows while collaborating with traders, researchers, and engineers.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Large-Scale Project LeadershipEngineering InstinctsComputer Science FundamentalsDistributed SystemsPythonCC++RustGPU ComputingCUDAComplex Problem SolvingContinuous LearningCommunicationCollaborationTechnical DirectionEngineering Principles

Benefits

401(k) Match
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Paid Time Off

Full job description

The Optiver Research Platform (ORP) is a vertically integrated platform team that manages both high-performance compute infrastructure and the software platform layered on top. ORP enables Optiver’s global research teams to define and execute large-scale computational problems such as simulations and model training through streamlined orchestration of complex workflows. By owning the full stack, from datacenter hardware to distributed research tooling, ORP provides the fastest possible turnaround time for experiments and continually expands Optiver’s ability to generate insights from the markets we operate in.

What you’ll do

As a Senior Software Engineer, your key responsibilities include:

  • Expanding the Optiver Research Platform’s capabilities by building features and improving performance across service orchestration, job scheduling, cluster management, big-data processing, and other core services that business teams directly interface with

  • Building and evolving a fully managed compute & data platform layer for improved scale & reliability in Python & Rust

  • Exploring cutting-edge technologies and integrate them into Optiver’s research workflows to enhance performance and allow deriving better insights

  • Collaborating globally with Optiver business teams including traders, researchers, and engineers to push their understanding of the market to new heights

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

  • A highly competitive compensation package

  • Global profit-sharing pool and 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

  • Experience leading large-scale engineering projects

  • Strong engineering instincts and a deep understanding of computer science fundamentals

  • Experience in distributed systems

  • Expertise in Python is required; experience with C, C++, or Rust is a plus

  • Experience working with GPUs and the CUDA ecosystem is a plus

  • Ability to tackle complex technical problems at the intersection of infrastructure and research enablement

  • Commitment to continuous learning and improvement in a rapidly evolving environment

  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills for working with global researchers and engineers

  • Readiness to set technical direction, promote engineering principles, and do the right thing

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.

Applicants may submit up to three application per calendar year across all open roles.

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 position will also be eligible for a discretionary bonus and Optiver’s benefits package with the benefits listed above.

Base Salary Range $200,000—$200,000 USD

How this job compares

Set against the 41,631 open Software Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 4, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$200K/yr
  • Illinois median$118–199K/yr665 salary ranges
  • US median$135–217K/yr33,223 salary ranges

This rate, $200K, is 28% above the Illinois median midpoint ($156K) — in the top quarter of Software Engineer salary ranges in Illinois.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 790 open Software Engineer jobs in Illinois and 41,631 across the US. 7% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Illinois
Experience
Software Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 3 to 7 years (33,828 postings).
Education
14,293 of the 41,631 open Software Engineer jobs (34%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 4, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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