Mid-Senior Level C++ Developer / Trading Strategies / Woodridge, IL

A growing financial services organization in the Chicago area is hiring a C++ Developer to support the enhancement of low-latency trading applications and infrastructure. Over the last year, the firm has steadily expanded its operations, adding traders and technology leadership, and is now at the point where additional engineering support is needed to keep pace with growth. While still operating with a lean startup-sized team, the company has established a solid platform and culture of collaboration, innovation, and data-driven decision making.

This role will work closely with senior strategy developers, traders, and operations teams to optimize existing systems while contributing to new feature development and exchange connectivity. It offers the opportunity to make a direct impact within a smaller, entrepreneurial environment where speed, precision, and reliability are critical to success.

The company is seeking a mid-to-senior level engineer with strong experience in C++ and a solid understanding of financial markets - particularly futures and securities. This is a chance to join a high-performance trading team where your work will be both highly visible and central to the firm's growth trajectory. Required Skills & Experience

• 3+ years of professional C++ development experience in high-performance or low-latency systems
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Solid understanding of futures trading concepts, market structure, and securities
• Experience optimizing applications for performance and scalability
• Strong debugging, problem-solving, and systems-level programming skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with traders and technical teams

Desired Skills & Experience

• Prior experience in proprietary trading, hedge funds, or financial services strongly preferred
• Familiarity with multi-threading, networking, and high-throughput application design
• Exposure to algorithmic trading systems or exchange connectivity development
• Strong communication skills and ability to contribute opinions on system architecture and improvements

What You Will Be Doing

• Tech Breakdown: 80% C++ core development & optimization, 20% collaboration with trading and operations teams
• Daily Responsibilities:
  • Architect, develop, and maintain low-latency trading applications under the guidance of senior strategy developers
  • Tackle a backlog of system improvements and performance tuning projects
  • Contribute to exchange connectivity and trader-facing models/applications
  • Identify bottlenecks, resolve downtime issues, and continuously improve system speed and resiliency

The Offer You will receive the following benefits:

• Competitive base salary ($150k+ DOE) with discretionary bonus opportunities
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage options
• Hybrid work structure: initial onsite training in Chicago area followed by flexible remote options
• Opportunity to be part of a small but growing trading firm where your work will directly shape the company's future trajectory

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