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Software Engineer (Entry-Level) - C++

Akuna Capital
🇺🇸ChicagoJuniorFull-time$145k+Posted July 13, 2026

About the Role

C++ software engineers at Akuna work on a variety of high-performance systems that power the firm's core business operations. Engineers work on small-to-medium-sized teams that frequently interface with Quant and Trading, building expertise in specific domain areas while maintaining broader exposure to end-user needs. Entry-level engineers are responsible for day-to-day upkeep of core systems, servicing lower-risk feature requests, and executing individual projects on behalf of their team's stakeholders. The role involves working with multithreaded, asynchronous, and distributed systems that must be reliable, efficient, scalable, and flexible.

Requirements

  • Pursuing a bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. in a technical field (computer science/engineering, math, physics, or equivalent)
  • Graduating by August 2027
  • Legal authorization to work in the U.S. as of the first day of employment, including F-1 students using OPT or STEM
  • Experience programming in modern C++ (C++20 or later; C++23 preferred)
  • Experience with several of the following: distributed systems, parallel processing, asynchronous architectures, networking or protocol encoding/decoding, lock-free data structures and algorithms, performance profiling, scripting, familiarity with standard debugging tools
  • The ability to effectively communicate with non-technical stakeholders in Quant and Trading to obtain requirements, workshop solutions, and implement agreed-upon roadmaps
  • The ability to react quickly and effectively to rapidly changing market conditions, including the ability to quickly and accurately respond and/or solve math and coding problems, is an essential function of the role
  • A passion for building complex systems from the ground up
  • The ability to collaborate with other developers of different backgrounds, specialties, and knowledge levels to collectively deliver cohesive solutions to non-trivial problems
  • An intrinsically motivated attitude and the ability to work independently
  • A strong sense of ownership, including a drive to fix bugs when they inevitably arise
  • Previous experience in finance or trading is not required
  • Resumes must be submitted in PDF format

What You'll Get

  • $145k+ base salary
  • Training and continuous education provided for all engineers
  • Comprehensive benefits package that may encompass employer-paid medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, paid time off, and other benefits
  • Discretionary performance bonus