Corporate Strategy - Digital Assets

Optiver is scaling its Digital Assets business into a 24/7 global trading operation, with desks in London and Singapore to provide liquidity in crypto derivatives around the clock.  As the business grows, we are looking for a Digital Assets Strategy & Business Development professional to join our UK Corporate Strategy team in London. 

You will lead strategy and commercial development across our digital assets footprint, supporting existing business activities and identifying new opportunities for growth. Working directly with the Head of Digital Assets Trading, you will partner with teams across trading, technology, research and control functions, as well as exchanges, regulators, custodians, prime brokers and other industry participants. This is a role for a commercially minded strategist who is comfortable with ambiguity and wants meaningful ownership in a fast-growing business. 

What you'll do 

You will sit within the UK Corporate Strategy team and act as the commercial and strategic counterpart to the broader Optiver UK business, including FX, Commodities and the Digital Assets desk. Specifically, you will: 

• Monitor developments across crypto derivatives, tokenised assets, stablecoins, settlement rails, and the broader ecosystem, covering market structure, industry trends, and relevant regulatory and policy changes to inform business decisions.
• Identify, assess and develop new business opportunities, partnerships, and growth areas through rigorous, fact-based analysis. 
• Map and prioritise the digital assets opportunity set , building the commercial case for new products, venues and geographies, including market sizing, competitive positioning and the build, buy or partner decision. 
• Support the development and execution of corporate and business strategy initiatives aligned with Optiver's UK and global digital assets priorities. 
• Prepare strategy papers, management presentations and other materials for leadership discussions. 
• Source and secure new partnerships across the ecosystem: exchanges and trading venues, direct counterparties, token and perpetuals issuers, custodians, prime brokers, infrastructure providers and intermediaries. 
• Represent Optiver externally and build trusted relationships with regulators, exchanges, standard-setting bodies, and industry leaders.
• Build and maintain a network  across both traditional finance and crypto-native participants. 
• Work with Principal Strategic Investments  to assess opportunities where investment may be more appropriate than a commercial partnership. 
• Lead commercial structuring and negotiation for new products, venues and partnerships. 
• Support ongoing business activities across the digital assets business lines, partnering with trading, control and support functions as needed. 
• Own integration workstreams end to end, coordinating across trading, technology, legal, compliance, risk and operations to take opportunities from proposal to live trading. 
• Define success metrics for new initiatives and hold the business to it after launch. 
• Represent Optiver at industry events, conferences and forums. 

Who you are

• 3-5 years' experience in corporate strategy, corporate development, business development, or a related commercial role in financial markets, or relevant strategy consulting or investment banking experience. Working knowledge of both traditional markets (execution, clearing, settlement and financing) and digital assets (exchange and custody models, derivatives, blockchain infrastructure and tokenisation), with a genuine interest in how the two are converging. 
• Proven ability to assess opportunities through rigorous, data-driven analysis and turn recommendations into execution. 
• Experience structuring and negotiating complex commercial partnerships and building and maintaining senior relationships both internally and externally, including with regulators, exchanges and market participants where relevant. 
• A track record of building something early – a new product, a new revenue stream or a new business line – or of carrying a strategic recommendation through implementation. 
• High integrity and sound judgment in sensitive stakeholder and regulatory contexts. 
• Self-motivated, results-driven and commercially minded, with strong ownership and accountability. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the credibility to represent Optiver externally and the clarity to influence internally. 
• Willingness to travel as required.

Strong preference will be given to candidates with: 

• Experience at a market maker, proprietary trading firm, exchange, or the digital assets arm of a bank or broker. 
• An established network across traditional finance and/or the crypto ecosystem. 
• Enough quantitative or technical literacy to hold your own with traders and engineers. 

Who we are

At Optiver, 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. As one of the largest market making institutions, we are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe.

What you'll get

You’ll join a culture of collaboration and excellence, where you’ll be surrounded by curious thinkers and creative problem solvers. Motivated by a passion for continuous improvement, you’ll thrive in a supportive, high-performing environment alongside talented colleagues, working collectively to tackle the toughest problems in the financial markets. 

In addition, you’ll receive: 

• A performance-based bonus structure, enabling all of our employees to benefit from our global profit pool. 
• 27 paid vacation days plus all UK public holidays. 
• Daily breakfast and lunch, along with support on commuting expenses. 
• Private medical insurance, pension scheme, and ClassPass fitness membership. 
• Training and continuous learning opportunities, including access to conferences and tech events. 
• International transfer opportunities for global career growth. 

How to apply

Are you interested in furthering your career on one of the most dynamic and exciting trading floors in Europe?  

Apply directly via the form below. If you have any questions feel free to contact our Recruitment team via our recruitment inquiry form.

Please note:

• We do not require any assistance from third-parties including agencies in the recruitment of this role
• We cannot accept applications via email

Diversity statement

Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion.