Hardware Engineer

Austin is home to Optiver’s’ hardware research, development, and manufacturing department. We build some of the world’s most competitive trading hardware using a wide variety of technologies – from fiber optics to custom silicon, from software to antennas – and everything in between.

We’re growing fast and are looking to expand our team with an experienced hardware engineer who deeply understands the complexities of designing and developing high-speed, high-density systems and boards. Our systems push the limits of what’s possible, so we’re looking for creative thinkers who can oversee the big picture and who aren’t afraid to step out of their comfort zone to explore novel approaches.

What you'll do:

• Design, develop, test, bring up and manufacture custom hardware (primarily PCBs)
• Schematic capture, PCB layout, and simulation (Spice, Ansys SiWave HFSS)
• Write the initial bring up code (C/Python/VHDL) for hardware
• Interpret Eye Diagram/BERT results, correlating lab and production measurements to simulations
• Create test plans and engineering requirements specifications
• Debug issues as they arise
• Research new ways to improve system performance (latency, scale, thermals) and how our trading requirements can be realized
• Collaborate in a multidisciplinary team of traders, researchers, software (FPGA, firmware, application), mechanical and infrastructure engineers
• Own your designs from concept through production
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors

Who you are:

• BS in Electrical or Computer Engineering, Master’s or PhD preferred
• 5+ years of industry experience
• Advanced ECAD skills for schematic and layout creation in tools such as Altium, Mentor Graphics, Cadence or equivalent
• Proficiency in signal and power integrity SIPI best practices
• End-to-end product development experience, from concept through release
• Expertise with one or more high speed interfaces, and the protocols running on top, such as PCIe Gen3-6, USB3/4, 10/25G Ethernet
• Experience with low-speed communication protocols both in hardware and software, such as I2C, SPI, JTAG, USB
• Experience validating high speed interfaces using TDRs, sampling and real-time oscilloscopes
• Ability to read and write Python

Nice to have:

• Familiarity with Ethernet (IEEE3)
• Experience in data center or consumer electronics design
• Software engineering skills in C/C++
• RTL development skills (VHDL/Verilog)
• Experience supporting post-silicon bring-up and debugging

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 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.

Our differences are our edge. Our people have the freedom to challenge conventions so that we can solve the most complex problems every day. Diversity is fundamental to our edge, and our success is enabled by an inclusive culture that leverages the unique perspectives and experiences of our people. Brilliant people doing their best work together – to provide liquidity to the world’s markets.

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.