Optical Engineer

We’re looking for an Optical Engineer in Austin, TX to help with the design and manufacturing of the custom optical solutions used in our trading systems.

In trading, nearly all communication uses fiber optics. Ensuring that our optical infrastructure is perfectly optimized for the challenges at hand is critical to our success. In this role you’ll use your strong grasp of the theory behind optical communication as well as your experience translating that theory into deployed components. You’ll be designing, assembling, customizing, evaluating, and manufacturing the optical components that are an integral part of our systems.

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 an Optical Engineer, you will research, develop, manufacture, integrate, assemble, customize, and evaluate optical communication infrastructure components and integrate these into our systems. These challenges range from optimizing fast systems with custom cables to ensuring our monitoring system gets enough light.

One day you’ll in the lab working on an optical design, and the day after you’ll be automating OTDR analysis. This role has both theoretical as well as practical aspects of getting enough components manufactured. You’ll take on both challenges.

• Act as a subject matter expert in all things optical engineering for a number of teams across the business. For example, you’ll work with the data center engineering and networking teams to deploy and integrate optical communication systems
• Occasionally travel to our data centers and other strategic communication points for field testing, deploying, inspection, and supervision of activities
• Work with suppliers to get (custom) parts made to specification

Who you are:

• Knowledgeable about the theoretical underpinnings of optical communication systems.
• Hands-on experience working with fiber optic communication systems, including designing, handling, measuring and debugging
• Experience with the tools and techniques of the trade like cleaning, splicing, scoping, and measuring
• Experience with CAD design, enabling you to design parts, enclosures and mockups. We’re using Fusion 360 but are open to all tools

Nice to haves:

• 3D printing/manufacturing experience
• Experience developing passive and active custom components (FBT, PLC, PIC)
• Familiarity with different vendors that make optical sub-assemblies. This ranges from selection of off the shelf components, specifying customizations or alterations, and co-creating new IP
• Knowledge of Python/Jupyter (or similar with willingness to learn), which we use heavily for analysis, automation and monitoring
• Electrical Engineering experience 

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.