Summer Intern - Strategy

Location: Chicago - 125 S Franklin

• ****THIS POSITION IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR VISA SPONSORSHIP*****

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.

• ****INTERNS AND SEASONAL INTERNS ARE ELIGIBLE ONLY FOR PAID SICK LEAVE ACCRUED BASED ON HOURS WORKED. NO OTHER BENEFIT INCLUDING TECHNOLOGY STIPEND APPLY TO INTERNS OR SEASONAL INTERNS*****

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 skil