Senior Legal Counsel
Optiver is a global technology- and research-driven proprietary trading firm and market maker providing liquidity across financial markets, including through an active 24/7 Digital Assets desk.
Maintainer signals as of 9/2/2026
About Optiver
Founded in Amsterdam in 1986, Optiver uses its own capital, quantitative research and proprietary technology to continuously quote, price and trade financial instruments across global markets. Its activities include listed derivatives, cash equities, ETFs, bonds, foreign currencies and digital assets; its Digital Assets desk operates crypto options market-making strategies across major venues with follow-the-sun coverage.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will act as the primary legal adviser to assigned trading desks and support significant commercial initiatives. You will advise on market making, exchange trading, derivatives, clearing, market infrastructure, regulation, and market conduct. You will draft and negotiate trading and commercial agreements, manage external counsel, support market launches and entity expansions, and improve legal processes and tools.
Requirements
- Qualification as a lawyer in England and Wales
- 8–15 years of post-qualification experience in financial markets, derivatives or trading
- Experience in a markets legal function at a financial markets participant or a leading international law firm
- Experience advising trading businesses on legal, commercial and trading-regulation issues
- Experience negotiating financial markets agreements
- Understanding of exchanges, central counterparties, clearing brokers and execution models
- Legal drafting, analysis and communication
- Ability to manage multiple high-priority matters
Responsibilities
- Lead legal support for key business initiatives and act as the primary legal adviser to assigned trading desks
- Advise stakeholders on market making, exchange trading, listed derivatives, clearing and market infrastructure
- Draft, review and negotiate trading and commercial documentation
- Provide advice on market structure, trading regulation, market conduct and legal risk
- Partner with compliance and risk teams to balance business objectives and legal risk
- Support new market launches, legal entity expansions and growth initiatives
- Manage external counsel
- Develop scalable legal processes, templates, playbooks and technology-enabled solutions
Benefits
- Performance-based bonus structure
- 27 paid vacation days plus UK public holidays
- Daily breakfast and lunch
- Commuting-expense support
- Private medical insurance
- Pension scheme
- ClassPass fitness membership
- Access to conferences and tech events
- International transfer opportunities
