What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Technical Program Manager - Trading & Core Software position at Optiver?
About The Role
As a Senior Technical Program Manager – Trading & Core Software, you will drive programs that expand Optiver’s trading footprint and evolve the core systems that underpin our global trading platform. This role focuses on delivering initiatives that enable new markets, asset classes, and products, while strengthening the foundational software that supports trading at scale. You’ll work closely with high-performing engineering and trading teams to turn strategy into delivery, ensuring Optiver’s trading systems evolve with speed, reliability, and precision.
What You’ll Do
In Optiver’s fast-paced environment, you will work alongside engineers and leaders to deliver multiple projects that support the firm’s strategic growth and take Optiver to the next level.
As a Senior Technical Program Manager, your key responsibilities include:
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.
As a Senior Technical Program Manager – Trading & Core Software, you will drive programs that expand Optiver’s trading footprint and evolve the core systems that underpin our global trading platform. This role focuses on delivering initiatives that enable new markets, asset classes, and products, while strengthening the foundational software that supports trading at scale. You’ll work closely with high-performing engineering and trading teams to turn strategy into delivery, ensuring Optiver’s trading systems evolve with speed, reliability, and precision.
What You’ll Do
In Optiver’s fast-paced environment, you will work alongside engineers and leaders to deliver multiple projects that support the firm’s strategic growth and take Optiver to the next level.
As a Senior Technical Program Manager, your key responsibilities include:
- Lead and coordinate delivery of large-scale technology programs across trading expansion and core trading software domains, including instruments, trades, positions, and control systems.
- Drive end-to-end program execution across multiple engineering and trading teams.
- Partner with trading, research, and engineering leadership to align technical delivery with trading strategy.
- Apply data-driven insights to program prioritization, sequencing, and decision-making.
- Ensure delivery discipline while operating in a fast-moving, performance-critical environment.
- Drive continuous improvement and operational excellence across trading and software development teams.
- The opportunity to 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
- Highly self-motivated and thrive in environments with minimal oversight. You take full ownership, show initiative, manage your own priorities effectively and keep momentum even when direction isn’t fully defined.
- Hold a degree in computer science, engineering, or a related STEM field.
- Have 5 years of experience in software engineering or technical program management within a high-performance technology environment
- Comfortable operating close to trading and quantitative research & development teams.
- Strong technical foundation in distributed systems and core platform software.
- AI-first mindset with experience leveraging generative or agentic AI to automate workflows, improve program visibility, and enhance productivity
- Motivated by impact and intrigued by the intersection of trading, technology, and strategy.
- Exposure to AI/ML workflows or data-driven trading initiatives is a plus.
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.