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Trading Automation Specialist

Optiver · Chicago, IL · Trading

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 manual workflow you automated. How much time or risk did it remove?

What they are checking: Proof they can eliminate manual work on a desk, which is the first responsibility listed.

Describe a root-cause analysis you led. How did you make sure the same problem didn't come back?

What they are checking: Whether they fix underlying causes rather than patching symptoms, which the role demands.

Where do you think your edge is: data, coding or trading? How would you go deep on it here?

What they are checking: Self-awareness about strengths, since the role is built to help people find and scale their edge.

What would you do

You're the escalation point and a core automation system breaks mid-session. Walk me through what you do.

What they are checking: Calm, ordered incident response when trading is live and every minute matters.

This role sits between traders and engineers. How do you handle a trader asking for a quick fix that an engineer says is risky?

What they are checking: Ability to be the connective tissue and weigh speed against operational risk.

How do you decide which of several urgent desk requests to work on first?

What they are checking: Prioritization by risk and impact in a fast environment with many stakeholders.

About the work

How would you build a pipeline that turns order-flow data into something traders can act on during the day?

What they are checking: Practical data engineering skill aimed at trading decisions, not just reporting.

What's your approach to testing automation code that touches live trading?

What they are checking: Discipline around safeguards, since a bug on a market-making desk can lose money fast.

What do you know about how a market maker manages inventory and risk across the day?

What they are checking: Enough trading knowledge to understand what the automation actually supports.

Write me a query or script that finds the five symbols with the largest change in fill rate versus yesterday.

What they are checking: Hands-on coding comfort with data, which the role uses every session.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Optiver.

Optiver is seeking a Trading&nbsp;Automation&nbsp;specialist responsible for the daily operations, automation, and continuous improvement of our market making activity in Chicago. Think: trading, technology, and operational excellence. This role sits closer to the business than a software engineer and closer to the systems than a trader. It’s the connective tissue between them: a unique opportunity in the industry to build range across data, coding, and trading, find where your edge lies, and then go deep and scale your impact. You will be expected to take ownership of critical workstreams and own solving them in real time on the desk.  &nbsp; <span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;" data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559740":240}">&nbsp; What&nbsp;you’ll&nbsp;do &nbsp; As a Trading Automation Specialist, your key responsibilities &nbsp;include: &nbsp; • Automate the desk &nbsp;— build the workflows and tooling traders&nbsp; rely &nbsp;on every session;&nbsp; eliminate manual work and reduce operational risk • Work with data — build the pipelines and analytics that turn market and order-flow data into trading decisions • Own reliability — take end-to-end ownership of core trading automation systems, act as an escalation point, and lead root-cause analysis &nbsp; • Partner across the floor — translate operational insight into system improvements alongside traders, researchers, and engineers • Find and scale your edge &nbsp;— use breadth across data, code, and markets to set&nbsp; direction where your impact is greatest What&nbsp; you’ll &nbsp;get &nbsp; You’ll &nbsp;join a culture of collaboration and excellence, surrounded by curious thinkers and creative problem-solvers. Motivated by a passion for continuous improvement,&nbsp; you’ll &nbsp;thrive in a supportive, high-performing environment alongside talented colleagues, collectively tackling some of the toughest challenges in the financial markets. &nbsp; In addition,&nbsp; you’ll &nbsp;receive: &nbsp; • The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries &nbsp; • Highly competitive compensation package&nbsp;with a global profit-sharing pool and performance-based bonus structure &nbsp; • 401(k) match up to 50% &nbsp; • Comprehensive health, mental, dental, vision, disability, and life coverage &nbsp; • 25 paid vacation days alongside market holidays &nbsp; • Extensive office&nbsp; perks , including breakfast, lunch and snacks, regular social events, clubs, sporting leagues and more &nbsp; Who you are &nbsp; Required: &nbsp; • 3+ years of experience in trading operations, trading technology, quantitative finance, or a closely related field • Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field (Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or related) &nbsp; • Strong programming skills in Python or similar languages, with&nbsp;experience&nbsp;building automation and tooling &nbsp; • Familiarity with&nbsp;electronic trading systems, market microstructure, and the mechanics of market making &nbsp; • Excellent analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving abilities &nbsp; • Outstanding communication skills with a proven ability to work cross-functionally   &nbsp; Who we are &nbsp; At Optiver, our mission is to improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing&nbsp; accurate &nbsp;pricing, increasing&nbsp; transparency &nbsp;and stabili z ing the market no matter the conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we prioriti z e 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. &nbsp; Our differences are our edge. Optiver does not discriminate&nbsp; on the basis of &nbsp;race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, or other legally protected characteristics. &nbsp; 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 &mdash; $200,000 USD

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