Senior Legal Counsel

Legal Europe is a trusted partner to the business, playing a critical role in enabling commercial growth while managing legal and regulatory risk for our

European trading

businesses

We're

looking for an experienced financial markets lawyer who can

operate

as a trusted adviser to the business from day one.

You’ll

lead complex negotiations, advise senior stakeholders

,

and take ownership of significant legal

matters

in a fast-moving environment where

your

advice has

direct commercial

impact.

What you'll do

As a Senior Legal

Counsel,

you

will work closely with trading, compliance, risk, finance,

operations

and technology teams

. You will support the businesses and trading desks covered by the

Legal

Europe

team, including our European listed derivatives,

commodities,

and systematic trading businesses. The role is primarily focused on listed markets and market infrastructure.

Proximity to trading is fundamental to the way we work. You will partner directly with traders and business leaders, developing a deep understanding of the products,

markets,

and commercial

objectives

of the desks you support. Experience advising on

relevant

trading products or market structures will be a significant advantage.

Your responsibilities will include:

Leading legal support for

key

business initiatives and acting as the primary legal adviser to assigned trading desks.

Advising

traders and business stakeholder

s on legal issues arising from market making, exchange trading, listed derivatives, clearing and related market infrastructure.

C

hallenging stakeholders where

appropriate

and

helping shape

commercial outcomes through clear, pragmatic legal advice.

Drafting,

reviewing

and negotiating

trading and commercial documentation, including:

futures and options clearing agreements;

prime brokerage agreements;

execution,

brokerage

and market access agreements;

exchange and market infrastructure documentation;

market data,

connectivity

and trading technology agreements; and

other commercial agreements supporting the trading business.

Providing

pragmatic advice on market structure, trading regulation, market

conduct

and legal risk affecting the European trading business.

Working closely with

our c

ompliance and

r

isk

teams

to develop

practical solutions that appropriately balance business

objectives

and legal risk.

Supporting strategic projects, including new market launches, legal entity

expansions,

and

growth initiatives.

Managing external counsel where specialist jurisdictional or product expertise is

required

.

Developing scalable legal processes, templates,

playbooks

and technology-enabled solutions that improve the effectiveness of the

l

egal function.

Contributing to the continued development of Legal as a proactive, commercially focused business partner

Who you are

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.

A

bility 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. You build trusted relationships through sound judgement,

responsiveness

and high-quality execution, and are known for being approachable,

pragmatic,

and easy to work with.

Nice to have

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.

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

Y

ou’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

Apply directly via the form belo

w

. If you have any

questions

feel free to contact our Recruit

ment

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

.