About the role#
As an Institutional Trader Intern at Optiver, you will spend your summer embedded on the trading floor, learning from industry experts. Through a combination of structured education and hands-on experience in live market conditions, you will gain insight into how markets move and how institutional traders make an impact. This 10-week program focuses on testing ideas, sharpening decision-making, and collaborating with peers and mentors to solve real market challenges.
What you'll do#
- Deep dive into trading fundamentals, ranging from theoretical concepts to financial markets, trading strategies, and technology.
- Learn to identify and capitalize on trading opportunities while representing markets and executing trades with external counterparties.
- Understand how to expand the external trading network by sourcing, developing, and maintaining trading relationships.
- Collaborate with peers and mentors to solve real market challenges.
- Gain deep insight into how markets move.
What you'll need#
- Pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a STEM field, Business, or Economics.
- On track to graduate between December 2027 and June 2028.
- Superior quantitative and logical reasoning skills.
- Strong communication skills and self-assurance.
- Ability and interest in building and maintaining trading relationships.
Location & details#
- Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States.
- Term: Summer 2027.
- Modality: On-site.
- Employment type: Full-time.
- Compensation: Paid internship including competitive base salary, housing, flights, and commuting stipends.
About Optiver
Optiver is a global electronic market maker founded in 1986. The firm provides liquidity for financial products such as derivatives, cash equities, bonds, and foreign currencies. It operates from offices in cities including Amsterdam, Chicago, Sydney, and Singapore. The company employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people.
How to get in at Optiver
Securing a position at Optiver requires speed because early applicants are often reviewed before the candidate pool becomes unmanageable. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published, which helps you apply among the first. Applying early is a practical way to ensure your profile is seen by the team. You can reach out to the recruiters behind Optiver roles directly to ask about the position or a potential referral, as this often improves your response rate. Intern Insider surfaces these specific contacts for you. Connecting with the right person is a more effective strategy than relying solely on a standard application queue.
