About the Role
Legal Europe is a trusted partner to the business, playing a critical role in enabling commercial growth while managing legal and regulatory risk for Optiver's European trading businesses.
As a Senior Legal Counsel, you will work closely with trading, compliance, risk, finance, operations and technology teams, supporting the European listed derivatives, commodities, and systematic trading businesses. The role is primarily focused on listed markets and market infrastructure, partnering directly with traders and business leaders.
- Lead legal support for key business initiatives and act as the primary legal adviser to assigned trading desks.
- Advise traders and business stakeholders on legal issues arising from market making, exchange trading, listed derivatives, clearing and related market infrastructure.
- Draft, review and negotiate trading and commercial documentation, including futures and options clearing agreements, prime brokerage agreements, execution/brokerage and market access agreements, exchange and market infrastructure documentation, and market data, connectivity and trading technology agreements.
- Provide pragmatic advice on market structure, trading regulation, market conduct and legal risk affecting the European trading business.
- Support strategic projects such as new market launches, legal entity expansions, and growth initiatives, and manage external counsel where specialist expertise is required.
Requirements
- Qualified lawyer in England & Wales
- 8–15 years' post-qualification experience, with most of that experience focused on financial markets, derivatives, or trading
- Experience within the markets legal function of an investment bank or other financial markets participant
- Experience at a leading international law firm with a recognised financial markets, derivatives or trading practice is also desirable
- Demonstrable experience advising trading businesses on legal and commercial issues
- Experience advising on trading regulation as part of a broader markets legal practice is required, including close partnership with front-office trading businesses
- Strong experience negotiating complex financial markets agreements, including execution agreements, brokerage agreements, exchange documentation, clearing documentation, market access arrangements, market data agreements, or other trading-related contracts
- A strong understanding of financial market infrastructure, including exchanges, central counterparties, clearing brokers, and execution models
- The judgement and confidence to lead negotiations independently, balance legal and commercial risk, and provide pragmatic advice without close supervision
- Outstanding drafting, analytical and communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to traders, technologists and senior management
- Ability to manage multiple high priority matters simultaneously while exercising sound judgement in a fast-moving environment
- Intellectual curiosity and a genuine interest in understanding the products, strategies and markets that underpin Optiver's trading business
- A collaborative, low-ego approach and a genuine enjoyment of working as part of a high-performing team
- Build trusted relationships through sound judgement, responsiveness and high-quality execution, and are known for being approachable, pragmatic, and easy to work with
- Experience at a proprietary trading firm or market maker
- Experience supporting algorithmic or electronic trading businesses
- Familiarity with MiFID II, UK MiFIR and exchange rulebooks
- Experience implementing scalable legal processes or legal technology
- Experience supporting strategic business projects
What You'll Get
- Performance-based bonus structure, enabling all employees to benefit from our global profit pool
- 27 paid vacation days plus all UK public holidays
- Daily breakfast and lunch
- Support on commuting expenses
- Private medical insurance
- Pension scheme
- ClassPass fitness membership
- Training and continuous learning opportunities, including access to conferences and tech events
- International transfer opportunities for global career growth