Principal Software Engineer (Trading Systems/Scala)

TL;DR

Principal Software Engineer (Scala): Designing and optimizing core trading infrastructure for a retail futures platform with an accent on low-latency, high-concurrency distributed systems. Focus on JVM tuning, architectural strategy for scalability, and implementing robust trading services in a 24/7 environment.

Location: Chicago

Salary: $195,000 - $220,000 USD annually

Company

An industry-leading trading platform and futures broker empowering over 2 million users to navigate financial markets with cutting-edge software.

What you will do

• Design and optimize Scala-based trading services for high-volume, low-latency, 24/7 environments.
• Lead architectural strategy for future-state scalability and performance optimization.
• Mentor junior engineers, promoting technical excellence and best practices.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, engineering, and security teams to build secure technical solutions.
• Perform JVM tuning for Scala/Akka-based distributed systems.
• Enhance monitoring and observability for real-time trade execution and operational transparency.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, IT, or equivalent experience.
• Extensive experience with high-performance, high-concurrency distributed trading systems.
• Proven expertise in JVM and performance tuning for high-performance environments.
• Experience supporting 24/7 production systems, ideally in trading environments.
• Deep knowledge of networking and protocols including TCP/IP, WebSockets, and HTTP/HTTPS.
• Proficiency with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins and GitHub Actions.

Nice to have

• Experience in lock-free development, multithreading, and high-performance design.
• Knowledge of FIX or other market data and order-entry protocols.
• Experience with messaging frameworks like Kafka and RabbitMQ.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, Docker, gRPC, and Redis APIs.
• Deep understanding of order handling and matching engines.

Culture & Benefits

• 401k with 3.5% company match.
• Comprehensive Health, Vision, and Dental coverage.
• Life and Disability Insurance covered 100% by the company.
• Generous PTO, including 7 paid and 5 conditional holidays annually.
• Paid Parental Bonding Leave and an annual service day.