Graduate Hardware Engineer

IMC Trading; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

IMC Trading is seeking a Graduate Hardware Engineer to begin your career through a five-week Global Trainee Programme, followed by ongoing development in your local Amsterdam office. You’ll work on FPGA trading systems, learn RTL/FPGA processes, and collaborate with engineers and traders on high-impact projects.

You will gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge hardware, pair programming, and exposure to IMC’s trading strategies, with a pathway to contribute to low-latency systems across

Qualifications

• Recently graduated (or graduating by 2027) with a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience with a hardware descriptive language such as VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog.
• Proficiency in at least one programming language (C++ or Python preferred).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a passion for tackling complex technical challenges.
• Collaborative mindset; you thrive in environments that value creativity, innovation, and teamwork.
• A genuine interest in how technology shapes financial markets (no prior finance experience required).
• Available to start full-time in February or August 2027.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and validate improvements to IMC’s FPGA trading systems
• Work hands-on with cutting-edge hardware and development tools to optimise system performance
• Participate in pair programming sessions, peer code reviews, and design discussions to ensure high-quality solutions
• Collaborate with traders and software engineers to deliver robust, low-latency systems
• Continue to grow through workshops, training sessions, and networking events with engineers across all IMC regions

Skills

VHDL

Verilog

SystemVerilog

C++

Python

Team collaboration

Education

CS/EE degree

Job description

Your IMC Journey as a Graduate Hardware Engineer

As a Graduate Hardware Engineer at IMC, you’ll begin your career with a comprehensive five-week Global Trainee Programme led by our experienced engineers and traders, together with fellow graduates from our offices in Europe, the United States, and Asia-Pacific.

After completing the programme, you’ll continue your professional development in your local office, working closely with your mentor, an experienced IMC engineer, to apply what you’ve learned to real-world, high-impact projects.

Your work will go far beyond coding, you’ll gain a deep understanding of IMC’s field-programmable gate array RTL/FPGA development process, learn how technology drives our unique trading strategies, and collaborate with some of the brightest minds in both engineering and trading.

Your Core Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and validate improvements to IMC’s FPGA trading systems
• Work hands-on with cutting-edge hardware and development tools to optimise system performance
• Participate in pair programming sessions, peer code reviews, and design discussions to ensure high-quality solutions
• Collaborate with traders and software engineers to deliver robust, low-latency systems
• Continue to grow through workshops, training sessions, and networking events with engineers across all IMC regions

Your Skills And Experience

• Recently graduated (or graduating by 2027) with a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline
• Experience with a hardware descriptive language such as VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog
• Proficiency in at least one programming language (C++ or Python preferred)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a passion for tackling complex technical challenges
• Collaborative mindset; you thrive in environments that value creativity, innovation, and teamwork
• A genuine interest in how technology shapes financial markets (no prior finance experience required)
• Available to start full-time in February or August 2027

Please note: If you have already applied for this position during the current recruitment season and were not selected, you may reapply when the next recruitment season begins in Summer 2027. We encourage you to focus on enhancing your skillset before reapplying.

Due to current U.S. immigration and visa restrictions, some candidates may not be eligible to obtain the U.S. business visa required as part of our Global Traineeship Programme. As the programme includes mandatory training in the United States shortly after joining, we are unfortunately unable to proceed with applications from candidates who are unable to obtain the required visa within the programme timeline.

If you are a dual passport holder of another nationality or a European citizen who wants to relocate back to Europe, you remain welcome to apply and should inform our campus recruitment team of your situation: [e-mail].

For more information on our technology interview process, please review our preparation guide here.

About Us

IMC is a research-driven trading firm where quantitative modeling, machine learning, and engineering shape how modern markets are traded. A stabilizing force in markets since 1989, we provide liquidity across trading venues, delivering the best outcome in value and risk management to investors. Using our own technology and capital, we build proprietary systems and algorithms that operate across global markets. Our researchers, traders, and engineers work as a collective, combining rapid experimentation, advanced infrastructure, and real-time feedback to turn insight into execution and execution into advantage.