Summer Intern - Strategy

To be considered for this position, applications and resumes are accepted only through our careers site by directly applying to the posted job. We do not accept unsolicited resumes or sales solicitations from staffing agencies. Any OCC employee wishing to submit a referral must do so through their Workday account. Any resume submitted outside of an active job posting will not be considered for employment.

Hybrid Work Program

OCC operates under a Hybrid Work Program which, absent an approved exception, requires employees to work from an OCC office at least 3 days per week . To maximize in–person collaboration, Tuesday and Wednesday are considered anchor days, and all employees are expected to work in the office both days. Employees meeting performance expectations are generally permitted to select 2 other days per week to work remotely if desired. When working remotely, employees are generally expected to work from the state in which they reside, absent an exception approved by Human Resources. Additionally, OCC generally does not permit employees to work while traveling internationally.

About OCC:

A World Class Clearing Organization

The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) is the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization. Founded in 1973, OCC is dedicated to promoting stability and market integrity by delivering clearing and settlement services for options, futures and securities lending transactions. As a Systemically Important Financial Market Utility (SIFMU), OCC operates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. OCC has more than 100 clearing members and provides central counterparty (CCP) clearing and settlement services to 21 exchanges and trading platforms.

OCC also provides free and engaging educational resources about the benefits and risks of options through its Options Industry Council (OIC). 

OCC is building a culture that empowers continued learning, authentic innovation, and constant creativity.

About the Intern Program:

OCC is looking for interns who are eager to learn, humble enough to ask questions, and ready to think critically about complex problems. The OCC Internship Program equips students with the real-world skills needed to transition successfully into a career in financial services. As an intern, you will contribute to meaningful projects, applying your skills and knowledge to real challenges facing the business. Your time with us is a real opportunity to make a genuine impact on the future of OCC!

OCC's Summer Internship Program is a 12-week opportunity running either May through August or June through September, and is open to undergraduate and graduate students who are actively enrolled at a college or university. Interns work up to 40 hours per week in a hybrid work environment, and overtime is not permitted.

About the Team & Role

The Strategy team sits within OCC's Product Management organization and is responsible for defining, prioritizing, and delivering enhancements to OCC's clearing platforms. We operate as an Agile Scrum team, managing our backlog and sprint execution in Jira and maintaining our documentation, roadmaps, and requirements in Confluence. The team partners closely with Engineering, Risk, Operations, and QA to translate business needs into well-defined user stories and to ensure what we build aligns with both regulatory requirements and market participant needs.

Beyond day-to-day delivery, the team also contributes to longer-term product strategy — evaluating industry trends, competitive positioning, and emerging needs in the derivatives clearing space to inform our roadmap.

The intern would contribute directly to both tracks of this work: supporting active sprint execution (backlog grooming, story writing, ceremony participation) alongside our Product Owners, while also assisting with research and analysis that feeds into product strategy discussions. This gives the intern visibility into both the tactical "how we build" and the strategic "why we build it" sides of product ownership.

Job Summary & Responsibilities

• Support the creation and refinement of user stories, acceptance criteria, and backlog items in Jira

• Assist in maintaining product documentation, roadmaps, and meeting notes in Confluence

• Participate in Agile ceremonies (sprint planning, daily stand-ups, backlog refinement, sprint reviews, retrospectives)

• Help prioritize the product backlog in partnership with Product Owners based on business value and stakeholder input

• Conduct research and gather requirements from internal stakeholders (Operations, Risk, Technology)

• Support competitive analysis, market research, and other inputs to product strategy initiatives

• Track sprint progress, help identify blockers, and support reporting on team velocity and delivery metrics

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, QA, design) to ensure alignment on product goals

• Assist in creating presentations or summaries for leadership on product updates and strategic recommendations

Candidate Qualifications

Rising senior or second-year graduate student, graduating December 2027 or May/August 2028.

Desired Majors

• Business, Finance, Information Systems, Information Systems, Computer Science

Technical Skills/Experience Desired

• Strong interest in product management, financial technology, or capital markets

• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodology (coursework, certification, or prior experience acceptable)

• Basic understanding of or willingness to quickly learn Jira and Confluence

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Detail-oriented with an ability to manage multiple priorities

Additional Qualifications

• Prior internship or coursework experience in product management, business analysis, or software development

• Exposure to financial markets, derivatives, clearing, or post-trade processing (a plus, not required)

• Experience with data analysis tools (Excel, SQL, Tableau) is a plus

• Interest in product strategy, market research, or competitive analysis

About Us

The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) is the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization. Founded in 1973, OCC is dedicated to promoting stability and market integrity by delivering clearing and settlement services for options, futures and securities lending transactions. As a Systemically Important Financial Market Utility (SIFMU), OCC operates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. OCC has more than 100 clearing members and provides central counterparty (CCP) clearing and settlement services to 19 exchanges and trading platforms. More information about OCC is available at www.theocc.com.

Compensation

• The salary range listed for any given position is exclusive of fringe benefits and potential bonuses. If hired at OCC, your final base salary compensation will be determined by factors such as skills, experience and/or education.
• In addition, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer.
• We typically do not hire at the maximum of the range in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer a substantial benefits package as noted on www.theocc.com/careers
• All employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus. Discretionary bonuses are based on various factors, including, but not limited to, company and individual performance and are not guaranteed.

Salary Range

Incentive Range

This position is eligible for an annual discretionary incentive compensation award, for which the target range is listed above (see Incentive Range). The amount of such award, if any, will be based on various factors, including without limitation, both individual and company performance.

Step 1
When you find a position you're interested in, click the 'Apply' button. Please complete the application and attach your resume.  

Step 2
You will receive an email notification to confirm that we've received your application.

Step 3
If you are called in for an interview, a representative from OCC will contact you to set up a date, time, and location. 

For more information about OCC, please click here.

OCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer