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Software Engineer Intern (Summer 2027 - Chicago)

Optiver · Chicago, IL · Software

Posted Oct 2, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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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 a project where you wrote code that other people relied on. How did you make it last?

What they are checking: Care for code quality, since interns here ship real code to production.

Tell me about a time you had to learn a new language or tool quickly to finish a project.

What they are checking: Learning speed, which the posting describes as essential for fast thinkers.

Why do you want to build software for a trading firm?

What they are checking: Genuine interest in the domain beyond compensation or prestige.

What would you do

How would you debug a program that works on your machine but fails intermittently in production?

What they are checking: Systematic debugging of nondeterministic problems like race conditions or environment differences.

Your mentor reviews your code and asks for big changes. How do you respond?

What they are checking: Coachability and comfort with direct feedback from an invested mentor.

About the work

Given a stream of price updates, how would you keep track of the highest price seen in the last minute?

What they are checking: Data structure choice under performance constraints, a common trading systems pattern.

What happens in memory when you pass a large object by value versus by reference?

What they are checking: Low-level understanding that matters for performance-sensitive trading systems.

Explain the difference between a process and a thread, and when you'd use each.

What they are checking: Core systems knowledge needed for reliable, scalable software.

How have you used AI coding tools, and what do you check before trusting their output?

What they are checking: Responsible use of AI tools in a firm that builds with them daily.

How would you measure whether a change you made actually improved system performance?

What they are checking: Habit of benchmarking rather than guessing about performance.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Optiver.

As a Software Engineer Intern, you’ll work side-by-side with your mentor and teammates to build real-world applications that power a global trading firm. Your projects will be scoped based on your team’s real needs — not hypothetical tasks — and your mentor will be fully invested in helping you build high-quality software that’s designed to last. You’ll contribute to meaningful projects solving trading problems and improving the performance, reliability, and scalability of our systems — and you’ll see your code hit production in real time. Optiver is building with cutting edge AI technology in the most competitive, data rich landscapes in the world: financial markets. That means no two days are the same, and every day brings new, exciting technical challenges to solve. This opportunity is also available in our Austin office — learn more and apply .&nbsp;<a class="_ymio1r31 _ypr0glyw _zcxs1o36 _mizu1v1w _1ah3dkaa _ra3xnqa1 _128mdkaa _1cvmnqa1 _4davt94y _4bfu1r31 _1hms8stv _ajmmnqa1 _vchhusvi _kqswh2mm _ect4ttxp _syaz13af _1a3b1r31 _4fpr8stv _5goinqa1 _f8pj13af _9oik1r31 _1bnxglyw _jf4cnqa1 _30l313af _1nrm1r31 _c2waglyw _1iohnqa1 _9h8h12zz _10531ra0 _1ien1ra0 _n0fx1ra0 _1vhv17z1" href="https://www.optiver.com/join-us/jobs/?location=austin" data-renderer-mark="true" data-is-router-link="false" data-testid="link-with-safety"> What you’ll do: Our internship is designed for fast thinkers with a critical mindset and a drive to solve tough problems. You’ll experience what it’s like to be a full-time engineer at a leading trading firm – working on projects that push the limits of performance, efficiency, and real-world impact. Mentored by Optiver engineers, our program gives you the opportunity to: • Deep dive into trading fundamentals, from theoretical concepts to financial markets, strategies, AI-enabled tools and cutting-edge technology. • Collaborate closely with best-in-class engineers, traders, and business teams to develop, test, and ship your code to production. • Tackle complex, real-world problems to enhance your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. • Push your limits and accelerate your growth in a fascinating and high-performing environment. 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 internship compensation package • Optiver-covered flights, living accommodations, and commuting stipends • Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and snacks, regular social events, clubs, sporting leagues and more Who you are: • A student pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD in Computer Science or Computer Engineering • On track to graduate between December 2027 to June 2028, with junior standing or higher • Passionate for writing clean code, well-architected systems, and continuous improvement • Proficient in coding languages such as C++, Python, or Java • A student with strong engineering instincts and a solid understanding of computer science fundamentals • Driven by an entrepreneurial mindset and curious about how tech powers the financial industry • A natural problem-solver with a sharp, analytical approach to tackling challenges • A collaborative teammate comfortable working with developers, traders and business teams Who we are:&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; 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. Optiver is supportive of US immigration sponsorship for this role.&nbsp; 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 technology 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. &nbsp; Below is the expected compensation for this position. This is a good-faith estimate of the base pay scale and sign-on bonus for this position and offers will ultimately be determined based on experience, education, skill set, and performance in the interview process. This position will also be eligible for the benefits listed above. Base Salary Range $70,000 &mdash; $85,000 USD

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