FPGA Developer Internship (Nov 2024)

Want to challenge your technical skills and make a tangible impact on the financial markets?

Led by our in-house education team that consists of ex-traders and engineers, Optiver's 12-week FPGA developer internship program will equip you with practical skills, invaluable knowledge and technical tools that'll set you up for success. 

With guidance from your mentor and team, you'll lead entrepreneurial projects to solve complex challenges that deliver immediate impact. In just a few weeks, you’ll develop latency-critical applications that contribute towards our trading success. Plus, if you’ve excelled over the summer, you could receive an offer to return as a FPGA Graduate Developer.

Your summer of exponential growth starts today. Apply now.

What you’ll do

No previous experience in trading or financial markets? You bring the passion and we'll have the training to support you along the way.

At Optiver, FPGAs play a critical role in executing successful trades. With no external clients, we operate in a fast feedback, quick release environment. 

As our FPGA Developer Intern, you’ll work in a close-knit team to design and  develop highly accurate and efficient systems that solve complex problems in real time. You'll also: 

• Take ownership of a project with tangible business value.
• Have the autonomy and responsibility to apply fresh ideas.
• Accelerate network infrastructure and trading systems using the latest devices, tools and techniques.
• Develop rigorous test benches using a combination of VHDL and System Verilog.
• Explore new mechanisms for faster data communication/ processing to accelerate network infrastructure and trading systems.
• Work with the fastest devices/platforms in the industry.

By the end of the program, you’ll have learnt the ins-and-outs of our trading systems and the engineering concepts that make them successful.

Aside from technical skills, our dedicated Head of IT Education will also work with you on your development, including:  

• Workshops on a variety of tech-based topics, along with soft skills to support your holistic growth as a developer.
• A dedicated mentor who will guide you through our development process and how our trading systems work
• Trader training to get you up to speed on our business. This helps you understand the fundamentals of trading, enabling you to make an impact from the early stages of your Optiver career.

What you’ll get

• The chance to work alongside diverse and intelligent peers in a rewarding environment
• Competitive remuneration
• Training, mentorship and personal development opportunities
• Gym membership plus weekly in-house chair massages
• Daily breakfast, lunch and an in-house barista
• Regular social events
• Accommodation for the entirety of the internship, and flights where necessary

Who you are

• A penultimate or pre-penultimate university student
• Studying a Computer Science, Software/Electrical/Mechatronic Engineering or similarly technical degree
• An Australian or New Zealand Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident or able to provide evidence of full working rights

You’re a problem solver at heart. You won’t stop until you’ve found a solution and then you'll take one step further to improve it. In addition, you’re:

• Deeply passionate about technology, particularly FPGA hardware, and have a range of out-of-classroom projects or activities to prove it.
• Knowledgeable about HDL languages: VHDL and/or Verilog as well as some experience with Python and/or C++
• Understand network protocols: Ethernet, IP, TCP/UDP
• Familiar with FPGA logic elements, transceivers, memory and other on-chip resources
• Have some experience developing algorithms in software
• Keen to create high-performance, low-latency designs that critically impact trading success
• Keen to work alongside the best developers and traders in the industry, with the humility to continually upskill and improve yourself

Who we are

Optiver is a global market maker founded in Amsterdam, with offices in London, Chicago, Austin, New York, Sydney, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei and Mumbai. Established in 1986, today we are a leading liquidity provider, with close to 2,000 employees in offices around the world, united in our commitment to improve the market through competitive pricing, execution and risk management. By providing liquidity on multiple exchanges across the world in various financial instruments we participate in the safeguarding of healthy and efficient markets. We provide liquidity to financial markets using our own capital, at our own risk, trading a wide range of products: listed derivatives, cash equities, ETFs, bonds and foreign currencies.

Optiver’s Sydney office is one of the primary players within Asian markets, trading a range of products. Established in 1996, we're an active participant on the Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan exchanges, and act as Optiver’s APAC head office. 

Apply now

Ready to take your career to the next level? Apply today.

As an intentionally flat organisation, we believe that great ideas and impact can come from everyone. We are passionate about empowering individuals and creating diverse teams that thrive. Every person at Optiver should feel included, valued and respected, because we believe our best work is done together.

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.

If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please contact us.