Senior Legal Counsel

The role

You will act as a legal adviser to trading desks, supporting European listed derivatives, commodities, and systematic trading businesses. You will lead negotiations, advise on market structure and regulation, and manage legal documentation.

What you will do

• Lead legal support for key business initiatives and act as primary legal adviser to assigned trading desks.
• Advise traders and stakeholders on legal issues from market making, exchange trading, listed derivatives, and clearing.
• Draft, review and negotiate trading and commercial documentation.
• Provide advice on market structure, trading regulation, market conduct and legal risk.
• Work with compliance and risk teams to develop practical solutions.
• Support strategic projects like new market launches and legal entity expansions.
• Manage external counsel for specialist expertise.
• Develop scalable legal processes, templates, playbooks and technology-enabled solutions.
• Contribute to the development of Legal as a proactive business partner.

Required qualifications

• Qualified lawyer in England & Wales.
• 8–15 years' post-qualification experience, with most focused on financial markets, derivatives, or trading.
• Experience within the markets legal function of an investment bank or other financial markets participant.
• Experience advising on trading regulation as part of a broader markets legal practice.
• Experience advising trading businesses on legal and commercial issues.
• Strong experience negotiating complex financial markets agreements.
• Strong understanding of financial market infrastructure, including exchanges, central counterparties, clearing brokers, and execution models.
• Ability to lead negotiations independently.
• Outstanding drafting, analytical and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple high priority matters simultaneously.

Nice to have

• Experience at a leading international law firm with a recognised financial markets, derivatives or trading practice.
• 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.

Benefits

• Performance-based bonus structure from a 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.
• Access to conferences and tech events.
• International transfer opportunities.

About the company

Optiver is a market making institution that aims to improve the market by injecting liquidity and providing accurate pricing. They are a trusted partner of 70+ exchanges across the globe.