Software Engineer Internship (2026 Start)

As a Software Engineering Intern, you will work side-by-side with your mentor and teammates to build real-world applications. You will work on projects that further develop and optimize our systems and see contributions in real-time – testing and shipping your code to production. In our business, where the markets are always evolving, each day brings fresh challenges to solve.

What you’ll do

During the ten week internship, you will be mentored by Optiver engineers, play a key role in advancing our world-class trading systems and work on projects that push the boundaries of performance and efficiency. You will:

• Deep dive into trading fundamentals, from theoretical concepts to financial markets, strategies and cutting-edge technology
• Work closely with senior engineers and traders to design, develop, test, and ship your code to production
• Tackle complex, real-world problems to enhance your critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Based on your performance during the internship, you could receive an offer to join our firm full-time after your studies.

What you’ll get

You’ll join a culture of collaboration and excellence, where you’ll be 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, working collectively to tackle the toughest problems in the financial markets.

In addition, you’ll receive:

• A highly competitive internship compensation package
• Optiver-covered flights and accommodation in the city centre for the duration of the internship
• Extensive office perks, including breakfast and lunch, world-class barista coffee and Friday afternoon drinks
• The opportunity to participate in sports and leisure activities, along with social events exclusively organised for your intern cohort

Who you are

• Penultimate year student in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or equivalent, with the ability to work full time upon graduation in 2027
• Passionate for clean code, simple, well-architected systems and continuous improvement
• Proficient in industry-standard coding languages such as C++, Python, or Java, with a strong understanding of underlying computer architecture and system operations
• Have an entrepreneurial attitude and an interest in the financial industry
• An analytical mindset and strong problem-solving skills
• Able to work closely with other engineers, traders and business operations

Diversity statement

Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion.

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. Please let us know if you would like to request any reasonable adjustments by contacting the Recruitment team via the contact form, selecting "Reasonable Adjustments" as the subject of your inquiry.

For answers to some of our most frequently asked questions, refer to our Campus FAQs.

For applicants based in India, our entry route is via the placement office internship hiring season (July/August).

 

*We accept one application per role per year. If you have previously applied to this position during this season and have been unsuccessful, you can reapply once the next recruitment season begins in 2026.