Senior Software Engineer – Real-Time Systems

Join our Trading Technology team in Amsterdam, where you’ll build real-time data systems that directly support Optiver’s trading strategies and market insights. As a Senior Software Engineer, you’ll focus on creating scalable, high-performance platforms for real-time data capture and analytics, enabling traders to make precise, data-driven decisions across various products. At Optiver, technology drives our approach to market-making—whether optimizing for nanosecond response times or processing massive data volumes with efficiency, even in extreme market conditions. This role offers the chance to tackle complex technical challenges in a dynamic environment, collaborating closely with traders and researchers to advance smarter, more effective trading practices that keep Optiver at the forefront of the industry.

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 50+ 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.

Our Amsterdam office is where it all began. Over 35 years ago, Optiver’s business started with a single trader on the floor of Amsterdam’s European Stock Exchange. Since our 1986 founding, Optiver’s Amsterdam office has grown into one of the most dynamic and exciting trading floors in Europe. Our culture reflects the Dutch capital city’s progressive, innovative and inclusive nature. With its unique spirit, Amsterdam is the ideal hub for our teams to trade a wide range of products from listed derivatives to cash equities, ETFs, bonds and foreign exchange. 

What You’ll Do:

You’ll be focused on addressing complex challenges in real-time data analytics in high throughput data environments for trading. As a Senior Software Engineer in the Trading Technology team, you’ll develop and optimize scalable systems for data capture, storage, and processing that handle vast volumes of market data with nanosecond precision. Your work will ensure low-latency data pipelines, high-throughput storage, and robust data recovery—essential for reliability and speed in our trading operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop scalable, reliable data systems that support real-time analytics for trading and large-scale historical analysis.

• Partner closely with traders and researchers to deliver actionable insights and meet dynamic data needs across ingestion, storage, and real-time processing.

• Drive the development of our data lake and analytics frameworks, enabling immediate access to live and historical data.

• Build real-time analytics capabilities to support rapid decision-making in trading operations.

• Engineer for resilience and reliability, implementing automated recovery processes and safeguards for high-demand periods.

Projects You Might Work On:

• Enhancing research frameworks to enable quick deployment of trading applications and strategy optimizations.

• Expanding real-time analytics for high-frequency trading and predictive market insights.

• Integrating machine learning models within data pipelines to improve predictive accuracy.

Who You Are:

You’re a highly skilled engineer passionate about building sophisticated systems that drive data-driven trading decisions:

• 5+ years of experience in high-performance data systems and infrastructure.

• Proficiency in C++ or Python, with a commitment to clean, maintainable code.

• Strong understanding of operational excellence in areas like networking, database performance, and system resilience.

• Experience with real-time analytics platforms, for example ClickHouse, is highly desirable.

• Familiarity with big data tools and frameworks, such as Pandas, Polars, PyArrow, Kafka, PostgreSQL, and DeltaTable.

• Background in trading or financial markets is a plus, but not required.

In this video, you can watch Software Engineers at Optiver describe what Engineering entails within an electronic trading firm and what you need to join our Trading Technology Team.

WHAT YOU'LL GET:

• The chance to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries.
• Our performance based bonus structure 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.

Alongside this you will get great secondary benefits such as 25 paid vacation days, fully paid first-class commuting expenses, training opportunities, discounts on health insurance, breakfast and lunch facilities, sports and leisure activities, Friday afternoon drinks and even weekly in-house chair massages.

Being highly international, we are accustomed to guiding expats through their relocation, offering competitive relocation packages and providing visa sponsorship where necessary.

HOW TO APPLY:

Apply directly via the form below for the position of Senior Data Engineer. Please provide us with a CV and letter of motivation in English. Applications without a letter of motivation will not be reviewed. When we think there is a potential match, you will hear from us sooner than you expect. If you have any questions feel free to contact our Recruiter Tommy Smith via tommysmith@optiver.com. Please note, we cannot accept applications via email for data protection reasons.

Please note, if you are selected from your application to proceed to the next round for the position of Software Engineer – Automated Trading Systems you will be required to take an online assessment.

Kindly note that we do not require any assistance from third-parties including agencies in the recruitment of this role.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

As an intentionally flat organization, we believe that great ideas and impact can come from everyone. We are passionate about empowering individuals and creating diverse teams that thrive. Every person at Optiver should feel included, valued and respected, because we believe our best work is done together.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion 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.

More information on how Optiver Europe processes your personal data can be found in our Privacy Policy.