Graduate Quantitative Researcher - 2026

As our Graduate Quantitative Researcher, you’ll develop, refine and implement statistical models that directly impact and improve the global financial markets. As part of a team of expert researchers, you’ll leverage our large historical datasets and the latest technologies to develop innovative solutions that drive Optiver’s cutting-edge trading strategies, fully immersing in the world of market making.

If you have a critical mindset, a passion for quantitative problems and mathematical precision, you are the ideal candidate for this role. Join us and be a part of a dynamic team where you can make a meaningful impact.

What you’ll do

Your onboarding and training

Kickstart your training in the Optiver Academy, our four-week global training program in Amsterdam. Here you’ll learn from our dedicated in-house education team and other industry experts through a series of lectures, coursework and collaborative project work.

Following this, the comprehensive training program in Sydney will equip you with the knowledge needed to make an impact from the moment you join your research team. You’ll learn the intricacies of option theory and apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios, developing models that contribute towards our trading success. We believe a realistic hands-on experience is the best way to learn, and that is exactly what we provide.

After joining one of our research teams, you’ll continue to optimise our innovative trading strategies, and gain a deeper insight into the different products and trading strategies within the team. Our education team will continue to provide training through a curated series of lectures over your first 12 months as a graduate researcher.

Your responsibilities

From your first day on the team, you’ll have the autonomy and responsibility to make decisions that create an immediate impact. Every day will present you with new and interesting challenges to solve, and it’s up to you and your team to drive our success by ensuring that our quantitative models remain at the cutting-edge of constantly evolving capital markets.

Key responsibilities may include:

• Using statistical models and machine learning to develop innovative solutions that are foundational to Optiver’s trading strategies
• Leveraging big data technologies to analyse high-frequency trading strategies, market microstructure and financial instruments to identify trading opportunities.
• Building stochastic models to determine the fair value of financial derivatives.
• Combining quantitative analysis and high-performance implementation to ensure the efficiency and accuracy of pricing engines and libraries.
• Seeking continuous improvement in everything you do.

Find your niche in research

We offer a range of opportunities in our research teams. During the training program, we will work with you to ensure that you’re placed in the most suitable role for you. Below are examples of the various roles available.

• Read Dom’s story to discover how he uses cutting-edge statistical and machine learning algorithms to develop profitable live trading strategies in the Delta 1 team.
• Read Noah’s story to discover how he leverages large datasets to create underlying models that price our financial instruments in the Options Pricing team.
• Read Rob’s story to discover how he develops and tests hypotheses that drive improvements in the execution, speed and success of our trading systems, in the Performance Research team.

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. Driven by a passion for continuous improvement, you’ll thrive in a supportive, high-performing environment alongside talented colleagues, working collectively to tackle the most complex 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, fostering a truly collaborative environment.
• The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals.
• Training, mentorship and personal development opportunities.
• Gym membership, plus weekly in-house chair massages.
• Daily breakfast, lunch and an in-house barista.
• Regular social events, including an annual company trip.

Who you are

• Final year university student or recent graduate. 
• An Australian or New Zealand Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident or able to provide evidence of full working rights.
• Studying a quantitative or technically focused degree, such as Maths, Statistics, Physics, Electrical / Mechatronic / Software Engineering, Computer Science, Applied / Quantitative Finance or Econometrics.
• Inquisitive and critical thinker, who enjoys creating innovative, new solutions.
• Have a passion for quantitative problems and working in collaborative, dynamic environments.
• Pragmatic and focused on outcomes, and can communicate technical concepts well.
• Enjoy utilising technology, programming or maths in your daily life to solve problems.
• Possess programming experience in any language (C, C++, Python, Basic, JAVA, etc.).

Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion, and it is hardwired through every stage of our hiring process. 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.

Questions? Check out our Optiver Sydney Campus recruiting FAQs or get in touch with the team at [email protected].

We accept one application per role per year. If you have previously applied to this position during this season and have been unsuccessful, you can re-apply when the next recruitment season begins in 2026.