Austin is home to Optiver’s hardware research, development, and manufacturing group. We build some of the world’s most competitive trading hardware—high-speed, high-density systems that push the limits of performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

We’re growing fast and looking for a Manufacturing Test Engineer focused on PCBA test development and deployment. You’ll own board-level test solutions from early prototypes through volume production—building fixtures, developing automation, driving debug, and partnering closely with contract manufacturers and our internal EE/ME/FPGA/firmware teams.

We’re a small, highly technical team, and this role comes with real autonomy: you’ll have the runway to improve how we do test, raise the bar on factory readiness, and build scalable processes as our hardware footprint grows.

Who we are

Optiver is a tech-driven trading firm and leading global market maker. As one of the oldest market making institutions, we are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe. Our mission is to constantly improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and acting as a stabilizing force no matter the market conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we participate in the safeguarding of healthy and efficient markets for everyone who participates.

Based in ‘The Domain’ neighborhood, Optiver’s Austin office serves as the firm’s innovation nucleus, with a strong focus on quantitative research, software and hardware engineering initiatives. With tech innovation an integral part of our core business, the booming city proved an ideal backdrop for our heavy investment into machine learning, research infrastructure and big data computing. What’s more, with world-class music, food and art scenes, as well as countless scenic outdoor activities, the quality of life for Austin Optiverians is second to none.

What you’ll do

• Own PCBA manufacturing test strategy across the product lifecycle:
• EVT/DVT/PVT → ramp → sustaining
• coverage definition, limits/thresholds, logging, and yield monitoring
• Design and build PCBA test fixtures spanning:
• ICT & Functional verification test (FVT)
• Burn-in / reliability screening
• Final assembly tests (FATP)
• System interoperability testing
• Develop automated test software with strong emphasis on Python scripting, maintainability, and scalability
• Partner with contract manufacturers to deploy tests on the line, train vendor teams, and drive continuous improvement.
• Drive DFT/DFM feedback into design reviews with EE and ME teams
• Define and maintain test documentation:
• Test plans, work instructions, golden unit strategy, calibration/maintenance procedures, and acceptance criteria.
• Use modern tooling (including AI-assisted workflows where helpful) to speed up debug, log triage, and documentation—without compromising repeatability and traceability.
• Travel periodically to supplier sites to support NPI builds, line bring-up, and ramp

Who you are

Requirements

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related discipline.
• 3+ years of industry experience
• Strong Python skills: automation, hardware I/O, parsing logs, data analysis, packaging/CI practices.
• Ability to understand register maps and leverage HALs for creation of test scripts
• Proficient ECAD skills to develop schematics and oversee layout work: Altium, Mentor Graphics, Cadence or equivalent.
• Hands-on experience developing and deploying manufacturing PCBA tests in a production environment.
• Comfortable with hardware debug using scopes, DMMs, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers; strong troubleshooting instincts.
• Experience working with contract manufacturers and external vendor engineering teams, including clear communication and escalation management.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with FPGA prototyping and basic RTL concepts (enough to support debug/bring-up and test hooks).
• Familiarity with C and/or C++ for embedded firmware development
• Experience with high-speed digital board debug (clocking, SERDES links, power sequencing, SI/PI-related failure modes).
• Solidworks familiarity.

What you’ll get:

• Work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries.
• Performance based bonus structure that is unmatched anywhere in the industry. We combine our profits across desks, teams and offices into a global profit pool fostering a truly collaborative environment to work in.
• Ownership over initiatives that directly solve business problems.  

Alongside this you will get great other benefits such as 25 paid vacation days and market holidays, fully paid health insurance, daily breakfast and lunch, training opportunities, 401(k) match up to 50% and charitable match opportunities, regular social events and clubs, and many more.

At Optiver, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Optiver recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, or other legally protected characteristics. 

Austin is home to Optiver’s main research, design and manufacturing facility for our custom trading system hardware. Fully understanding the components we use and the (exchange) environments in which our systems operate is critical to our success. We’re looking to expand the team with a quantitative researcher to help in hardware R&D.

With your quantitative skills and affinity for hardware, you’ll work with the engineers in the lab devising experiments, gathering data, running analysis and ultimately building an understanding of how things actually work. Using this knowledge to help to improve our designs, systems and the strategies that run upon them.

What you’ll do

You’ll be involved in a wide variety of tasks which focus around your quantitative skills and understanding of hardware. This is just a few of the things you’ll do:

• Design, build and run experiments to characterize hardware such as switches, routers and trading systems at picosecond scales
• Work with execution researchers at all of our offices to understand real world vs lab performance of our trading systems and strategies
• Work with our software engineers in the lab to scale out and automate your research such that we can apply it at a global scale
• Be part of designing the next generation of systems and strategies which take your findings into account
• Your experience with lab measurements makes you a valuable resource for anyone looking at production data or trying to improve our production captures
• Help run the lab, make sure we have everything we need to run upcoming experiments and manage the queue of work
• Be involved with suppliers to test and understand next generation systems and measurement equipment

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
• 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

The ideal candidate combines a strong quantitative background with a deep understanding of hardware and can combine both of these skills to drive analysis that helps us improve our designs and strategies:

• You have a strong understanding of quantitative analysis methods and have the ability to present findings to others
• You are grounded in physical reality; you have an understanding of how hardware works and have the ability to use this knowledge to form hypothesis, conduct physical experiments and draw conclusions from that
• You are comfortable working with Python and Jupyter notebooks
• You’re not afraid to be hands on in a datacenter lab environment
• Programming experience in low level languages such as C/C++ or VHDL is a strong plus
• Experience with (low-latency) networks and related hardware is a strong plus
• An educational background in Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science, or similar (Masters/PhD preferred)
• A preference for working collaboratively with like-minded people
• A passion for solving problems and a drive for results

Who we are

At Optiver, our mission is to improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and stabilising the market no matter the conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we prioritise 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.

Based in ‘The Domain’ neighborhood, Optiver’s Austin office serves as the firm’s innovation nucleus, with a strong focus on quantitative research, software, and hardware engineering initiatives. With tech innovation an integral part of our core business, the booming city proved an ideal backdrop for our heavy investment into systems, infrastructure, machine learning, big data and computing R&D efforts. What’s more, with world-class music, food and art scenes, as well as countless scenic outdoor activities, the quality of life for Austin Optiverians is second to none.

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.

When you start your career at Optiver, you’ll own the entire development pipeline, from idea generation to development, testing and monitoring. As we iterate and release new versions of our platform multiple times a week, you’ll never have to wait to see the impact of your work.

Optiver’s FPGA team build hardware-based trading systems ranging from low latency algorithms to high bandwidth computation. Our engineers leverage the latest technologies, techniques, and hardware to ensure the fastest and most reliable trading systems that are crucial to Optiver’s success.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

As a Graduate FPGA Engineer, you’ll work in a team of FPGA Hardware and Software Engineers to design and maintain our proprietary trading systems. Your goal is to find the simplest solutions to the most complex problems.

From day one, you’ll have a direct impact on the success of our trading strategies by producing highly-reliable FPGA designs that secure the lowest latency possible. You’ll be part of a collaborative, fast-paced and respectful engineering environment that focuses on continuous improvement.

During your first months at Optiver, you’ll learn the ins-and-outs of our trading systems and the engineering principles that make them successful. No prior financial experience is required, as we’ll also offer you our “Trading for Non-Traders” program, to get you fully up to speed on this fascinating industry. 

WHO YOU ARE:

• You have a university degree in Electronic Engineering or Computer Engineering or similar graduating in or before 2026.

• You have digital academic design experience with FPGAs or ASICs

• You have Academic Experience in VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog

• Have an open, collaborative, self-critical attitude and willingness to learn from your mistakes

• The desire to understand how the systems you build fit into our trading activities

WHO WE ARE:

At Optiver, our mission is to constantly improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and acting as a stabilizing force no matter the market conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we participate in the safeguarding of healthy and efficient markets for everyone who participates. We tackle the toughest problems, challenge the status quo, and always aim for excellence. As one of the largest market making institutions, we are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe.

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.

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.

• The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 50 different countries.

• 25 paid vacation days in your first year, increasing to 30 from your second year onwards.

• Training opportunities, discounts on health insurance, and fully paid first-class commuting expenses.

• Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, world-class barista coffee, in-house physio and chair massages, organized sports and leisure activities, and Friday afternoon drinks.

• Training and continuous learning opportunities, including access to conferences and tech events.

• Competitive relocation packages and visa sponsorship where necessary for expats.

HOW TO APPLY:

Apply directly via the form below. For answers to some of our most frequently asked questions, refer to our Campus FAQs. If you have any questions feel free to contact our Recruitment team via our recruitment inquiry form.

For applicants based in India, our entry route is via the placement office internship hiring season (July/August).

*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 reapply once the next recruitment season begins in 2026.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion.

At Optiver, we pride ourselves on being real Engineers, not just coders. Our Engineers work closely with Traders to identify the business problems we face and determine how they should be solved. We apply a disciplined and scientific approach to engineer simple, well-architected solutions that meet the dynamic needs of our traders. Our passion is to solve problems which really matter to the business, and we take great pride in the quality of our solutions. 

What you'll do
Hardware Engineers at Optiver build hardware-based trading systems ranging from low latency algorithms to high bandwidth computation. They are responsible for owning all aspects of the development process – from ideation to implementation, creating bespoke solutions to our complex trading problems. Their systems have little room for failure which add to the stability of the market, not detract from it. Working in close collaboration with Software Engineers and Traders, Hardware Engineers deeply understand our trading problems and create dynamic, well-architected systems that make an impact in a matter of days and weeks rather than months and years.

Who you are

• Master’s degree in CE, EE, CS, or related technical field
• Experience designing, coding, testing, and verifying FPGAs and/or ASICs
• Experience coding in VHDL, Verilog, SystemVerilog (C or C++ is a plus)
• Experience with RTL synthesis, writing timing, area, and other relevant constraints
• Experience with digital simulators and self-checking test benches.
• Experience supporting post-silicon bring-up and debugging a plus
• Ability to work closely with software developers to rapidly deliver integrated systems

Who we are
At Optiver, our mission is to constantly improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and acting as a stabilizing force no matter the market conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we participate in the safeguarding of healthy and efficient markets for everyone who participates. As one of the largest market making institutions, we are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe.

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.

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 from over 50 different countries.
• 25 paid vacation days in your first year, increasing to 30 from your second year onwards.
• Training opportunities, discounts on health insurance, and fully paid first-class commuting expenses.
• Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, world-class barista coffee, in-house physio and chair massages, organized sports and leisure activities, and Friday afternoon drinks.
• Training and continuous learning opportunities, including access to conferences and tech events.
• Competitive relocation packages and visa sponsorship where necessary for expats.

How to apply
Apply directly via the form below. If you have any questions feel free to contact our Recruitment team via our recruitment inquiry form.

Please note:

• We do not require any assistance from third-parties including agencies in the recruitment of this role
• We cannot accept applications via email

Diversity statement
Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion.

At Optiver we pride ourselves on being real engineers, not just coders. Our engineers work closely with traders to identify the business problems we face and determine how they should be solved. We apply a disciplined and scientific approach. We engineer simple, well-architected solutions that meet the dynamic needs of our traders. Our passion is to solve problems which really matter to the business, and we take pride in the quality of our solutions.

Hardware Engineers at Optiver build hardware-based trading systems ranging from low latency algorithms to high bandwidth computation. They are responsible for owning all aspects of the development process from ideation to implementation creating bespoke solutions to our complex trading problems. Their systems have little room for failure which add to the stability of the market, not detract from it. Working in close collaboration with software engineers and traders, hardware engineers deeply understand our trading problems and create dynamic, well-architected systems that make an impact in a matter of days and weeks rather than months and years.

What you’ll do: 

• Accelerate network infrastructure and trading system components with high-speed hardware designs.
• Research new low-latency techniques and platforms and identify opportunities for integration with our trading system.
• Work in a multidisciplinary team of traders, software developers, and infrastructure engineers.
• Leverage the best hardware available or build in-house versions to ensure our FPGAs can interface with cutting edge server hardware.
• Manage relationships with 3rd party vendors.

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:

• A Bachelor’s degree in CE, EE, CS, or related technical field.
• Experience designing, coding, testing, and verifying FPGAs and/or ASICs.
• Experience coding in VHDL, Verilog, SystemVerilog as well as C or C++.
• Experience with RTL synthesis, writing timing, area, and other relevant constraints.
• Experience with digital simulators and self-checking test benches.
• Experience supporting post-silicon bring-up and debugging a plus.
• Ability to work closely with software developers to rapidly deliver integrated systems.

Who we are:

At Optiver, our mission is to improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency, and stabilising the market no matter the conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we prioritise 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.

Optiver Chicago’s culture parallels the energetic city we’re immersed in. Home to the Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Board Options Exchange, and Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago has established itself as the trading capital of the US. Active on leading US exchanges, Optiver’s Chicago office trades a wide range of products from listed derivatives to cash equities, ETFs, bonds and foreign exchange

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.

Austin is home to Optiver’s custom trading system hardware research, design and manufacturing facility where we design and build bespoke high performance trading systems. We are seeking to expand our team with a Manufacturing Technician eager to specialize in the hands-on manufacturing of these advanced systems. You will engage with a broad spectrum of technologies, ranging from conventional manufacturing methods to 3D printing, and from fiber optics to electronics.

You will assume responsibility for the fabrication of custom parts and the assembly of systems. This role is heavily focused on hands-on technical work and ideally suited for someone with excellent attention to detail and an interest in advanced electronic devices.

What you'll do:

• Perform hands-on assembly, rework, and quality testing of custom parts, electronic subassemblies, and final assemblies
• Carry out fitting, fastening, and integration of components into bespoke hardware systems
• Complete delicate micro-assembly of fiber optic connectors
• Troubleshoot and resolve mechanical issues during the build process
• Collaborate with engineers to provide feedback on manufacturability and assembly improvements
• Maintain build documentation, processes, and best practices to ensure quality and repeatability
• Assist in managing the order book and coordinating fulfillment of dynamic requests
• Contribute to warehousing and inventory management, including packing systems for transit
• Keep our workshop, storage, and manufacturing spaces safe and well-organized

What you'll get:

• Direct hands-on involvement in building unique, high-performance hardware systems which deliver meaningful impact to our business
• A collaborative team environment where your contributions are visible and valued
• Diverse, non-repetitive work - nearly every system is bespoke
• Work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries
• Highly competitive compensation package including 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:

• Self-starter with a strong mechanical aptitude and proficiency using hand and power tools for assembly
• Experience in mechanical assembly, technician work, or similar (professional or personal projects)
• Ability to read and follow technical drawings, schematics, and work instructions
• Detail-oriented with a high degree of pride in workmanship and precision
• Strong communication skills to collaborate with engineers and document processes
• Able to occasionally lift and move up to 50 lbs
• Legally authorized to work in the U.S. (we do not sponsor employment authorization for this role)

Nice to have:

• Prototyping or low-volume manufacturing, particularly of electronic devices or fiber optics
• Experience with electronics assembly (professional or personal projects, such as PC building)
• Machining, 3D printing, or other fabrication experience
• Familiarity with CAD (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, etc.)
• Associate's or Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a similar field of study

Who we are:

Optiver is a global market maker driven by technology. 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 Austin office serves as the firm’s innovation nucleus, with a strong focus on quantitative research, software development and hardware engineering. The team here plays a central role in advancing our heavy investment in machine learning, research infrastructure and big data computing. Located in The Domain neighborhood, the office is surrounded by world-class music, great food and easy access to outdoor spaces, providing a vibrant setting for the team.

We value in-person collaboration across disciplines, and this role is based on-site in our Austin office.

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.

When you start your career at Optiver, you’ll own the entire development pipeline, from idea generation to development, testing and monitoring. As we iterate and release new versions of our platform multiple times a week, you’ll never have to wait to see the impact of your work.

Optiver’s FPGA team build hardware-based trading systems ranging from low latency algorithms to high bandwidth computation. Our engineers leverage the latest technologies, techniques, and hardware to ensure the fastest and most reliable trading systems that are crucial to Optiver’s success.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

As a Junior FPGA Engineer, you’ll work in a team of FPGA Hardware and Software Engineers to design and maintain our proprietary trading systems. Your goal is to find the simplest solutions to the most complex problems.

From day one, you’ll have a direct impact on the success of our trading strategies by producing highly-reliable FPGA designs that secure the lowest latency possible. You’ll be part of a collaborative, fast-paced and respectful engineering environment that focuses on continuous improvement.

During your first months at Optiver, you’ll learn the ins-and-outs of our trading systems and the engineering principles that make them successful. No prior financial experience is required, as we’ll also offer you our “Trading for Non-Traders” program, to get you fully up to speed on this fascinating industry. 

WHO YOU ARE:

• You have a university degree in Electronic Engineering or Computer Engineering or similar

• You have digital academic design experience with FPGAs or ASICs

• You have Academic Experience in VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog

• Have an open, collaborative, self-critical attitude and willingness to learn from your mistakes

• The desire to understand how the systems you build fit into our trading activities

WHO WE ARE:

At Optiver, our mission is to constantly improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and acting as a stabilizing force no matter the market conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we participate in the safeguarding of healthy and efficient markets for everyone who participates. We tackle the toughest problems, challenge the status quo, and always aim for excellence. As one of the largest market making institutions, we are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe.

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.

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.

• The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 50 different countries.

• 25 paid vacation days in your first year, increasing to 30 from your second year onwards.

• Training opportunities, discounts on health insurance, and fully paid first-class commuting expenses.

• Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, world-class barista coffee, in-house physio and chair massages, organized sports and leisure activities, and Friday afternoon drinks.

• Training and continuous learning opportunities, including access to conferences and tech events.

• Competitive relocation packages and visa sponsorship where necessary for expats.

HOW TO APPLY:

Apply directly via the form below. 

For applicants based in India, our entry route is via the placement office internship hiring season (July/August).

*We accept one application per role per year. 

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion.

Optiver’s hardware research, development, and manufacturing team, based in Austin, builds some of the world’s fastest and most competitive trading systems. As we continue to grow, we’re looking for a software engineer to help develop the OS and software that powers our custom hardware.

This role spans everything from low-level hardware integration to collaborating with infrastructure teams that manage production systems and traders who configure them to fit their specific needs. While we primarily use Python and Linux, you’ll also encounter a diverse tech stack including TCL, C, C++, ASM, VHDL, and DSLs across platforms from x64 servers to embedded cores.

What you’ll do:

As Software Engineer, your key responsibilities include:

• Designing and maintaining the OS and software stack behind our trading hardware
• Building and supporting Python-based interface layers to control and monitor hardware systems
• Developing software for STM processors embedded on prototype boards
• Managing and supporting a fleet of hardware systems in a live production environment
• Collaborating closely with hardware, infrastructure, and trading teams to ensure seamless system performance
• Contributing to infrastructure automation and transitioning into embedded development and low-level hardware logic over time

What you’ll get:

• 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:

• Strong foundation in computer science fundamentals and hardware systems
• Proficiency in Python, including familiarity with relevant libraries and APIs
• Experience writing software in C/C++
• Creative problem-solving skills at the system level
• Ability to collaborate with developers and researchers

Nice to have:

• Experience with low-level hardware/software interactions (drivers, buses, pins, registers, etc.)
• Ability to read and interpret datasheets and electrical engineering schematics
• Familiarity with devices and drivers in Linux
• Experience with FPGA design using VHDL/Verilog and the Vivado suite of tools
• Knowledge of communication protocols, especially Ethernet
• Exposure to network equipment operating systems like Cisco IOS, Arista EOS, or Juniper MOS
• Experience working with high-performance trading network hardware (both packet- and circuit-switched)

Who we are:

At Optiver, our mission is to improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency, and stabilising the market no matter the conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we prioritise 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.

Optiver’s hardware research, development, and manufacturing team in Austin designs some of the world’s most competitive trading systems. Within this group, our hardware research team explores how every device in our environment behaves under real-world conditions from low-level network cards to custom hardware.

As we continue to grow, we’re looking for a software engineer with a research mindset to join this team. In this role you will investigate the behavior and performance of all devices we use or interact with in our trading environment. We’re looking for someone who can apply strong software engineering principles to the systems we build to do this.

You’ll collaborate closely with teams across the organization, applying your knowledge to improve our systems and trading strategies.

What you’ll do:

As Software Engineer in Hardware Research, your key responsibilities include:

• Design and develop software to help investigate the performance and behavior of trading hardware and communication devices
• Conduct hands-on research with a wide range of hardware components and network protocols
• Collaborate with hardware, trading, and infrastructure teams to share findings and improve systems
• Interact directly with low-level devices, drivers, and embedded systems using C/C++

What you’ll get:

• 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:

• Strong foundation in computer science fundamentals and programming
• Proficiency in Python, including familiarity with libraries and APIs
• Comfortable conducting research and data analysis in Python using Jupyter Notebooks
• Experience writing software in C/C++
• Creative problem-solving skills at the system level
• Solid understanding of the OSI model and networking fundamentals

Nice to have:

• Experience with low-level hardware/software interactions
• Familiarity with devices and drivers in Linux
• Experience with low-level communication APIs and frameworks such as EFVI, RoCE, DPDK, and Onload
• Hands-on experience with high-precision timestamping of electrical signals and network packets
• Experience working with high-performance trading network hardware (both packet- and circuit-switched)
• Knowledge of communication protocols, especially Ethernet
• Exposure to network equipment operating systems like Cisco IOS, Arista EOS, MOS or similar

Who we are:

At Optiver, our mission is to improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and stabilising the market no matter the conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we prioritise 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

At Optiver we pride ourselves on being real engineers, not just coders. Our engineers work closely with traders to identify the business problems we face and determine how they should be solved. We apply a disciplined and scientific approach. We engineer simple, well-architected solutions that meet the dynamic needs of our traders. Our passion is to solve problems which really matter to the business, and we take pride in the quality of our solutions.

Hardware Engineers at Optiver build hardware-based trading systems ranging from low latency algorithms to high bandwidth computation. They are responsible for owning all aspects of the development process from ideation to implementation creating bespoke solutions to our complex trading problems. Their systems have little room for failure which add to the stability of the market, not detract from it. Working in close collaboration with software engineers and traders, hardware engineers deeply understand our trading problems and create dynamic, well-architected systems that make an impact in a matter of days and weeks rather than months and years.

What you’ll do: 

• Accelerate network infrastructure and trading system components with high-speed hardware designs.
• Research new low-latency techniques and platforms and identify opportunities for integration with our trading system.
• Work in a multidisciplinary team of traders, software developers, and infrastructure engineers.
• Leverage the best hardware available or build in-house versions to ensure our FPGAs can interface with cutting edge server hardware.
• Manage relationships with 3rd party vendors.

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:

• A Bachelor’s degree in CE, EE, CS, or related technical field.
• Experience designing, coding, testing, and verifying FPGAs and/or ASICs.
• Experience coding in VHDL, Verilog, SystemVerilog as well as C or C++.
• Experience with RTL synthesis, writing timing, area, and other relevant constraints.
• Experience with digital simulators and self-checking test benches.
• Experience supporting post-silicon bring-up and debugging a plus.
• Ability to work closely with software developers to rapidly deliver integrated systems.

Who we are:

At Optiver, our mission is to improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency, and stabilising the market no matter the conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we prioritise 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.

We’re looking for a Test and Automation Engineer to join our hardware R&D team building long-range HF communication systems. You’ll build and scale the systems that validate and operate our hardware across both development and production, working across test automation, lab infrastructure, and hardware coordination. In this role, you’ll own how hardware is exercised end-to-end, ensuring reliable and repeatable performance in demanding environments.

What you'll do 

As a Test and Automation Engineer, your key responsibilities include:

• Designing, developing, and maintaining automated test frameworks for hardware validation and production testing

• Building and maintaining automation for hardware coordination and state control; managing transitions between operational states and integrating with monitoring systems, safety interlocks, and protection mechanisms

• Developing Python-based tooling and test suites to exercise hardware interfaces, including Ethernet, SPI/I2C/Serial, Modbus, SCPI, and custom protocols

• Implementing and maintaining communication with industrial peripherals and test equipment

• Automating lab instrumentation, including oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, VNAs, and cable/component testers

• Creating and managing CI/CD pipelines that integrate hardware test results into the broader build and release workflow

• Instrumenting and monitoring test and production infrastructure by collecting metrics, generating reports, and tracking hardware test coverage over time

• Collaborating closely with hardware, RF, and infrastructure engineers to improve system reliability, observability, and testability

Who you are

• Experienced in hardware test automation, production/manufacturing automation, or embedded systems validation

• Strong in Python, with a focus on building clean, maintainable, and scalable automation frameworks

• Hands-on experience communicating with and coordinating industrial devices and peripherals

• Familiar with Ethernet-based systems and protocols (TCP/UDP sockets, network configuration, packet capture/analysis)

• Experienced in automating lab instruments using SCPI, VISA, or vendor-specific APIs

• Comfortable working in Linux environments, including command-line tooling, shell scripting, and service management

• Able to take ownership of systems end-to-end and operate effectively in a highly collaborative, fast-paced environment

Nice to Have

• Experience with RF systems, SDR, or HF communication systems

• Familiarity with Protocol Buffers or similar serialization frameworks

• Experience with CI/CD systems such as Jenkins or Bamboo for hardware-integrated pipelines

• Understanding of network infrastructure concepts such as VLANs, DHCP, PXE/TFTP boot, and SSH tunneling

Who we are

At Optiver, our mission is to constantly improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and acting as a stabilizing force no matter the market conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we participate in the safeguarding of healthy and efficient markets for everyone who participates. As one of the largest market making institutions, we are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe.

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.

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.
• The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 50 different countries.
• 25 paid vacation days in your first year, increasing to 30 from your second year onwards.
• Training opportunities, discounts on health insurance, and fully paid first-class commuting expenses.
• Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, world-class barista coffee, in-house physio and chair massages, organized sports and leisure activities, and Friday afternoon drinks.
• Training and continuous learning opportunities, including access to conferences and tech events.
• Competitive relocation packages and visa sponsorship where necessary for expats.

How to apply

Apply directly via the form below. If you have any questions feel free to contact our Recruitment team via our recruitment inquiry form.

Please note:

• We do not require any assistance from third-parties including agencies in the recruitment of this role
• We cannot accept applications via email

Diversity statement

Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion.