Fiber Optic Technician

We’re looking for a Fiber Optic Mechanical Engineer in Austin, TX.

Austin is home to Optiver’s main design and manufacturing facility for custom trading system hardware. We’re looking to expand our team with an engineer who can help with designing, integrating, manufacturing, validating and installing the fiber optic components we employ. We’re looking for a recently graduated mechanical engineer who’s willing to dive deep into the world of optics.

Who we are

Optiver is a tech-driven trading firm and leading global market maker. As one of the oldest market making institutions, we are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe. Our mission is to constantly improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and acting as a stabilizing force no matter the market conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we participate in the safeguarding of healthy and efficient markets for everyone who participates.

Based in ‘The Domain’ neighborhood, Optiver’s Austin office serves as the firm’s innovation nucleus, with a strong focus on quantitative research, software, and hardware engineering initiatives. With tech innovation an integral part of our core business, the booming city proved an ideal backdrop for our heavy investment into systems, infrastructure, machine learning, big data and computing R&D efforts. What’s more, with world-class music, food and art scenes, as well as countless scenic outdoor activities, the quality of life for Austin Optiverians is second to none.

What you’ll do

As a fiber optic (mechanical) engineer, you are the key to our fiber optic component design and manufacturing efforts. At its core the role entails:

• Design
  You will work with our other engineers and partners to design fiber-optic components and installations. This ranges from custom connectors to mocking up entire trading system deployments.
  
• Manufacturing
  Once designed you’ll source the required components, build (self and outsourced) the parts and then test fiber optic assemblies to ensure they work as intended. This can be as simple as splicing on a connector to an existing cable, all the way to fully custom designed parts. For large batches you’ll coordinate with external parties to have components made and then validate the delivered products.
  
• Deployment
  Once built and tested, the systems we make go into production globally. This is mostly done by local data center engineers, who will look at you for specifications and guidance on how to deploy and validate. You’ll fly out once in a while to help with deploying, measuring or investigate the environment if we cannot resolve the problem remotely.
  
• Validation and characterization
  As the in-house optical expert we will look at you not only for design but also for measurement and characterization of links and components we use to trade on.

The role is primarily on-site at our Domain office with a focus on design and manufacturing. Most problems we design for are not just build to spec, but require a creative approach and interaction with our other engineering disciplines.

Who you are

• Junior mechanical engineer (or similar training)
• Solid mechanical engineering skills
• Deep understanding of optical communications
• Ability to deliver products
• Prior experience in fiber optic communications and computer networking skills are preferred

What you’ll get

• Work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countries.
• Performance based bonus structure that is unmatched anywhere in the industry. We combine our profits across desks, teams and offices into a global profit pool fostering a truly collaborative environment to work in.
• Ownership over initiatives that directly solve business problems. 

Alongside this you will get great other benefits such as 25 paid vacation days and market holidays, fully paid health insurance, daily breakfast and lunch, training opportunities, 401(k) match up to 50% and charitable match opportunities, regular social events and clubs, and many more.

At Optiver, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Optiver recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, or other legally protected characteristics.