Market-maker Optiver is stepping up recruitment from investment banks and hedge funds as the electronic trading firm continues to scale rapidly and deepen its push into new markets, particularly the US, according to a report by eFinancial Careers.
The group has more than doubled its workforce over the past six years to around 2,233 employees and is increasingly tapping external talent pools as it expands beyond its traditional hiring pipeline.
Recent hires highlight this shift. In New York, Optiver brought in Qian Zhao as a quant researcher in its credit trading team. She previously led applied AI initiatives for machine learning strategies at Goldman Sachs and also spent several years at JPMorgan.
The firm has also strengthened its leadership bench, including senior appointments such as CTO Lance Braunstein and Andrew Arnold, who heads its New York AI lab, as it builds out capabilities in data science and algorithmic trading.
Expansion in New York has been a key focus, with Optiver opening a 23,000 square foot office in Manhattan last year to support its growing US footprint, alongside its established base in Chicago.
Hiring momentum has also extended to Europe. In London, the firm recently recruited Antish Manna from Man Group, where he worked in execution analytics within a multi-strategy investment platform.
The firm currently lists more than 150 open roles globally, including a significant number in New York, reflecting continued demand for quant researchers, trading engineers and AI specialists. Some entry-level positions in the US are offering base salaries of around $200,000, underscoring competition for technical talent.
Optiver’s hiring strategy reflects broader competition across electronic trading and hedge fund firms, where demand for quantitative and AI-skilled professionals has intensified as firms invest heavily in automation, market-making technology and data-driven trading systems.
