Software Engineer (Entry-Level) - C++

About the role

Entry-level C++ software engineer role at Akuna Capital in Chicago, focusing on building and maintaining high-performance trading systems. Candidates will work closely with Quant and Trading teams to develop scalable, efficient, and reliable software solutions.

Role Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain multithreaded, asynchronous, distributed C++ systems.
• Work on small-to-medium teams interfacing with Quant and Trading.
• Handle day-to-day upkeep of core systems and lower-risk feature requests.
• Execute individual projects for team stakeholders.
• Ensure systems are reliable, efficient, scalable, and flexible.
• Collaborate with non-technical stakeholders to gather requirements and implement solutions.

Candidate Requirements

• Pursuing a bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. in computer science, engineering, math, physics, or equivalent.
• Graduating by August 2027.
• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. from day one, including F-1 OPT/STEM.
• Experience programming in modern C++ (C++20 or later; C++23 preferred).
• Familiarity with debugging tools like GDB, Valgrind, and address sanitizer.
• Ability to communicate effectively with non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with distributed systems, parallel processing, and asynchronous architectures.
• Knowledge of networking or protocol encoding/decoding.
• Familiarity with lock-free data structures and algorithms.
• Experience with performance profiling tools (perf, gprof, vtune).
• Scripting skills in Python or shell.
• Ability to react quickly to changing market conditions and solve math/coding problems.

Candidate Qualities

• Passion for building complex systems from the ground up.
• Strong collaboration skills with diverse teams.
• Intrinsic motivation and ability to work independently.
• Strong sense of ownership and drive to fix bugs.
• Innovative problem-solving mindset.
• Ability to deliver cohesive solutions to non-trivial problems.

Compensation and Benefits

• Minimum base salary starts at $145,000 per Illinois Equal Pay Act.
• Discretionary performance bonus eligibility.
• Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, and paid time off.
• Compensation varies based on experience, qualifications, and skill set.