Year-Round Intern - Application Security

Location and Work Arrangements

Location: Dallas

Internship type: Year-round intern (1,000 hours max, January 2027–December 2027)

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 the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC)

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.

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! The Year‑Round Internship Program is a 12‑month opportunity running from January through December and is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who are actively enrolled at a college or university. Interns work up to 20 hours per week during the school year and up to 40 hours per week during the summer, subject to a 1,000‑hour cap. The role is based in a hybrid work environment, and overtime is not permitted.

*****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*****

Team & Role

The Product & Application Security team is responsible for securing OCC's applications across their entire lifecycle, from code to production. Our work spans security testing (penetration testing, SAST, DAST, SCA, container scanning), security integration into developer workflows and CI/CD pipelines, and vulnerability research and advisory. A core part of our mission is making secure development the path of least resistance for every developer at OCC.

The intern will support a key initiative: using frontier AI models to develop, codify, and embed security standards directly into OCC's developer workflows and AI‑assisted coding environments. This includes building AI‑consumable security configurations, automating the enforcement of security standards within our existing tooling and pipelines, and helping reduce the manual effort currently required to maintain consistency across OCC's development ecosystem. This is high‑impact work that will have lasting effect on how security is practiced across the organization long after the internship concludes.

The intern will gain hands‑on experience at the intersection of application security, software engineering, and frontier AI, working alongside experienced security professionals on real, production‑affecting initiatives rather than isolated side projects.

Responsibilities

• Using frontier AI models and LLMs as core engineering tools to research, synthesize, and codify OCC‑specific secure coding standards based on industry frameworks (OWASP, NIST, CIS)
• Building AI‑consumable configuration files (e.g., Claude.md) that embed security requirements directly into AI‑assisted developer workflows and GitHub repositories across OCC
• Automating the enforcement of security standards within CI/CD pipelines and developer tooling (Snyk, SAST/DAST tools, GitHub), writing real automation that runs in production workflows
• Collaborating with development teams to integrate and test security standards in real developer environments
• Assisting with vulnerability triage and remediation guidance, gaining exposure to real‑world security findings alongside experienced AppSec engineers

Qualifications

• Rising senior or second‑year graduate student, graduating December 2027 or May/August 2028.
• Desired Majors: Computer Science, Cybersecurity / Information Security, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Management Information Systems.
• Basic programming/scripting ability (Python, Bash, or similar) for automation work.
• Familiarity with software development concepts and the SDLC.
• Understanding of version control (Git/GitHub).
• Basic familiarity with AI/LLM tools and concepts (Claude, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or similar).
• Exposure to CI/CD concepts (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, etc.) – a plus.
• Familiarity with security concepts — OWASP Top 10, common vulnerability classes – a plus.
• Experience with any security tooling (Snyk, SonarQube, Burp Suite, etc.) – a plus.
• Familiarity with static analysis or code review – a plus.
• Basic understanding of APIs and how applications communicate – a plus.
• Exposure to cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) – a plus.
• Experience with prompt engineering or structuring AI‑consumable instruction files (e.g., markdown‑based configuration such as Claude.md) – a plus.
• Additional Qualifications: Ability to work collaboratively across technical teams and communicate findings clearly to both security and non‑security audiences; self‑starter who can take ownership of deliverables and drive work forward with minimal supervision; strong written communication; curiosity and willingness to learn; attention to detail.

Compensation

Salary Range $25.00 - $25.00

Incentive Range: This position is eligible for an annual discretionary incentive compensation award, for which the target range is listed above.

Benefits

• A hybrid work environment
• Up to 2 days per week of remote work
• Tuition Reimbursement to support your continued education
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance
• Technology Stipend allowing you to use the device of your choice to connect to our network while working remotely
• Generous PTO and Parental leave
• 401k Employer Match
• Competitive health benefits including medical, dental and vision

Equal Opportunity / Diversity Statement

OCC is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. OCC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, marital status, religion, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Numerous studies have shown that people from certain groups are less likely than others to apply to jobs if they believe they do not meet 100% of the requirements. We encourage everyone to review our open positions and apply if you think your experience may be a match, even if you do not meet all of the qualifications. Your perspective may be an element we need to continue building innovative solutions to support the markets and market participants we serve.

If you need a disability related accommodation for any part of the application process, please email