Graduate FPGA Engineer

Job Title

Graduate FPGA Engineer

Role Summary

Work as an FPGA engineer building low-latency, high-throughput hardware solutions that accelerate trading systems. You will design nanosecond-response FPGA components, optimise low-level networking, and integrate hardware with server platforms.

The role is embedded in a multidisciplinary team of traders, software developers, and infrastructure engineers focused on performance-critical, data-rich systems.

Experience Level

Entry-level (new graduate). Role targets students on track to graduate between December 2026 and June 2027.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include:

• Design and implement high-speed FPGA hardware to accelerate network infrastructure and trading system components.
• Research and prototype low-latency techniques and platforms and identify integration opportunities with the trading stack.
• Collaborate with traders, software engineers, and infrastructure teams to translate business needs into hardware solutions.
• Integrate FPGAs with cutting-edge server hardware or develop in-house interfaces where required.
• Complete a structured onboarding (Global Academy) and work with a mentor to ramp quickly.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and attributes:

• Hands-on experience in digital design with FPGAs or ASICs.
• Practical experience writing hardware in VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog.
• Strong engineering instincts and a focus on clean, well-architected designs.
• Ability to work collaboratively with developers, traders, and business stakeholders.
• Interest in low-latency systems and continuous improvement.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with low-level networking or integrating FPGA designs with server hardware.
• Research or prototyping experience in latency optimisation.
• Prior exposure to performance-critical, data-rich environments.

Education Requirements

Student pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field; on track to graduate between December 2026 and June 2027. Degrees explicitly mentioned: Bachelor's, Master's, PhD. Fields explicitly mentioned: Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or another related field.

About the Company

Company: Optiver

Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Optiver is a global proprietary trading firm that combines technology, quantitative research, and trading expertise to provide market making and liquidity across financial markets. The firm focuses on low-latency systems, algorithmic trading, and quantitative strategies.