Graduate Quantitative Researcher, PhD (2027 Start)
Posted Oct 2, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about your thesis research. What question were you trying to answer, and how did you know your answer was right?
What they are checking: Whether they frame questions and validate answers rigorously, which carries over directly to applied market research.
Tell me about a time you had to explain a technical result to someone who needed to act on it but didn't share your background.
What they are checking: Ability to communicate with traders and engineers who will use the research to make decisions.
What would you do
Your model works in backtest but loses money in live trading. What are the likely reasons?
What they are checking: Awareness of execution costs, latency, regime change and lookahead bias that separate research from reality.
A trader disagrees with what your model says. How do you approach that conversation?
What they are checking: Whether they treat trader intuition as information worth testing rather than an obstacle.
About the work
Research here is end-to-end. Walk me through how you would take an idea from hypothesis to something tested in a live market.
What they are checking: Whether they understand the full research cycle, including the steps after a model looks good offline.
How would you build a model to predict short-term returns, and what would make you distrust it?
What they are checking: Their modeling instincts plus a healthy fear of leakage, overfitting and nonstationary data.
You've tested twenty signals and one is significant at the 5 percent level. What do you conclude?
What they are checking: Understanding of multiple testing, which is one of the most common ways researchers fool themselves.
How do you decide between a simple linear model and a more complex machine learning approach?
What they are checking: Judgment about model complexity when data is noisy and interpretability matters to traders.
How would you use AI-enabled research tools in your workflow, and where would you keep a human check?
What they are checking: Thoughtful use of modern research infrastructure without outsourcing scientific judgment.
What's the expected maximum of two independent uniform random variables on zero to one?
What they are checking: Fluency with basic probability that underpins quick reasoning in research discussions.
Practice this interview out loud.
Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Optiver from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.
Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Optiver.
As a Graduate Quantitative Researcher, you’ll tackle some of the most challenging quantitative problems in global financial markets. Working alongside researchers, engineers, and traders, you’ll analyze large-scale datasets, develop predictive models and algorithms, and apply statistical and machine learning techniques to better understand market behavior and identify trading opportunities. <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
Research at Optiver is highly applied and end-to-end. You’ll frame research questions, test hypotheses, develop and validate models, and see your ideas evaluated in live market environments. Combining rigorous scientific thinking with modern AI-enabled research infrastructure, you’ll transform insights into solutions that directly influence how we trade. <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}"> This opportunity is also available in our Austin and New York offices.
What You’ll Do: <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
Your onboarding <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":true,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
You’ll participate in Global Optiver Academy , a structure onboarding program for graduates. It gives new joiners a shared foundation in how Optiver trades, builds systems, and manages risk before they move into their teams. As part of your onboarding, you'll gain exposure to the AI tools and technologies that support research and development across the business. <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":true,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
Your responsibilities <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
As a Quantitative Researcher, you will have the opportunity to contribute to several key areas: <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="11" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"> Develop predictive models and machine learning systems to better understand market behavior and identify trading opportunities <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="11" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"> Analyze large-scale market and order-flow data to uncover signals, evaluate hypotheses, and improve trading performance <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="11" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"> Build and test statistical and stochastic models for pricing, forecasting, and risk management <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="11" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"> Apply modern research techniques, including deep learning and AI-enabled workflows, to accelerate discovery and improve research efficiency <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
What You’ll Get: <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
You’ll join a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and excellence, surrounded by curious thinkers and creative problem-solvers. Together, you’ll tackle some of the toughest challenges in the financial markets by leveraging cutting-edge machine learning research to develop innovative, real-world solutions. <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":true,"134245529":true,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
In addition, you’ll receive: <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"> The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"> Highly competitive compensation package <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"> Global profit-sharing pool and performance-based bonus structure <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"> 401(k) match up to 50% <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"> Comprehensive health, mental, dental, vision, disability, and life coverage <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1"> 25 paid vacation days alongside market holidays <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="15" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1"> Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch, snacks, regular social events, clubs, sporting leagues, and more <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
What To Expect : <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
As part of our assessment process, you may be invited to participate in a multi-day, on-site evaluative program. Through hands-on workshops, technical discussions, and direct exposure to our researchers and traders, you’ll gain insight into how research is applied at Optiver and how PhD students transition successfully into industry. Attendance and successful completion of this program may be required to receive a full-time offer. <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
Who You Are: <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="12" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"> PhD in Statistics, Computer Science, Machine Learning, Mathematics, or a related STEM field, with outstanding academic achievements <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="12" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"> Expected to graduate by mid-2027 and available to start full-time employment upon graduation <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="12" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"> Solid foundation in mathematics, probability, and statistics <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335557856":16777215,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="12" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"> Excellent research, analytical, and modeling skills <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335557856":16777215,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="12" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"> Experience applying machine learning methods to real-world research problems, such as time-series analysis, prediction, forecasting, pattern recognition, optimization, or decision-making <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="12" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1"> Proficiency in any programming language <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335557856":16777215,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="12" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1"> Strong interest in working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335557856":16777215,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="12" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="8" data-aria-level="1"> Fluent in English with strong written and verbal communication skills <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335557856":16777215,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
Who We Are: <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}">
Optiver is a leading technology- and research-driven trading firm. Our teams of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and traders work side by side to develop, test, and scale ideas that shape how we understand and trade global markets. Powered by a global platform built for rapid experimentation and iteration, we combine the scientific rigor of a research institution with the pace of a technology company. <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"134245529":true,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559738":60,"335559739":60,"335559740":240}">
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. <span data-ccp-props="{"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}">
Optiver is supportiv e of US immigration sponsorship for this role . <span data-ccp-props="{"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}">
<span data-ccp-props="{"134245529":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}">
*Optiver has a global application re-apply policy for our intern and graduate roles. If you have completed an online assessment or interviewed for a quantitative graduate or internship role at any Optiver location in the past 8 months, please note that you are not yet eligible to reapply. We welcome you to re-apply to after the 8-month cool off period. <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"134245529":true,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335557856":16777215,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}">
Below is the expected base salary for this position. This position will also be eligible for a discretionary bonus and Optiver’s benefits package with the benefits listed above.
Base Salary Range
$200,000 — $200,000 USD