Amsterdam is one of the few cities in the world where several large proprietary trading firms grew up side by side. For quant researchers, developers and traders, that means real choice within one city. It also means the firms are easy to confuse from the outside.
This guide covers four names candidates ask us about most: Optiver, IMC, Flow Traders and Da Vinci. It is written from a recruiter's point of view. For current openings and official process details, always check each firm's own careers page.
Why Amsterdam
The city's trading scene traces back to the options exchange that opened here in the late 1970s. Market makers who started trading on that floor built firms that now operate globally, and they kept their headquarters in Amsterdam. Newer firms followed, drawn by the talent pool, the time zone and the presence of exchanges and clearing infrastructure across Europe.
For candidates, the result is a dense market: moving between firms is common, and a good reputation travels fast.
Optiver
Optiver was founded in Amsterdam in 1986 and is one of the largest market makers in the world, with major offices in Chicago, Sydney and several Asian cities. It is privately owned.
What it is known for: market making in options and other listed products across many exchanges, with a strong emphasis on pricing, risk and low-latency technology.
Roles it hires for: traders (including graduate trader programmes), quant researchers, software engineers across low-latency and research platforms, and hardware engineers.
What candidates search for: Optiver salary, Optiver careers and the Optiver assessment are among the most common questions we see. Like most market makers, its early stages are known to test quick reasoning with numbers and probability.
IMC
IMC was founded in Amsterdam in 1989 and also operates globally, with large offices in Chicago and Asia-Pacific. It is privately owned.
What it is known for: market making across asset classes, with technology built largely in house. IMC tends to describe itself as a technology company as much as a trading firm.
Roles it hires for: traders, quant researchers, software engineers and hardware engineers, plus graduate and internship programmes.
What to prepare: strong programming fundamentals for engineering roles, and probability, statistics and market intuition for trading and research roles.
Flow Traders
Flow Traders was founded in Amsterdam in 2004 and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. That makes it the one firm in this list that publishes annual reports, which is useful reading before an interview.
What it is known for: liquidity provision in exchange-traded products such as ETFs, and more recently a growing presence in digital assets.
Roles it hires for: traders, quant researchers and developers, and technology roles supporting its trading systems.
What to prepare: a clear view on how ETF pricing and hedging work. Reading the latest annual report gives you context that most candidates skip.
Da Vinci
Da Vinci is a younger Amsterdam proprietary trading firm focused on options and derivatives. It is smaller than the other three, which usually means broader responsibility per person and shorter lines to decision makers.
What it is known for: derivatives trading with a compact team where traders, researchers and developers work closely together.
Roles it hires for: traders, quant researchers and developers, often with a smaller number of openings at any time.
What to prepare: expect questions on options theory and on how you would contribute across functions, not only in one narrow role.
How the four compare
| Founded | Ownership | Core focus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optiver | 1986, Amsterdam | Private | Market making, options and listed products |
| IMC | 1989, Amsterdam | Private | Market making across asset classes |
| Flow Traders | 2004, Amsterdam | Listed on Euronext Amsterdam | Liquidity in exchange-traded products |
| Da Vinci | Amsterdam | Private | Options and derivatives |
Preparing for interviews at Amsterdam trading firms
The processes differ in detail, but the building blocks are similar:
- Online assessments. Mental arithmetic, sequences, probability and sometimes coding. Practise under time pressure, because speed matters as much as accuracy.
- Technical interviews. For engineers: data structures, systems design and, for low-latency roles, C++ and performance. For researchers: statistics, machine learning and a discussion of your own research.
- Trading games and case discussions. Common for trader roles. Interviewers watch how you size risk and update your view when new information arrives.
- Final rounds. Usually a day of interviews with team leads, where fit and communication matter.
Two things help at every firm: being able to explain your past work simply, and having a clear reason why that specific firm and team interest you.
Choosing between them
The right firm depends on what you want to work on and how you like to work. Large firms offer structured training and scale. Smaller firms offer breadth and visibility. Listed firms offer transparency about strategy and results.
If you are weighing offers or considering a move between Amsterdam firms, we are happy to talk it through confidentially. You can reach us at hello@quant-flow.com or read more about how we work as a quant recruitment agency.
