Principal Software Engineer

Atlas Search; New York (NY); On-site; USD 275,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Atlas Search seeks an exceptionally talented, hands-on Principal C++ Software Engineer to join a high-performance Global Trading & Execution technology team at a leading global investment firm. The role is ~80% hands-on development and 20% technical leadership with direct exposure to the front office.

You will design, develop, and deliver critical components across statistical arbitrage and low-latency platforms, mentor a small team, and drive architectural decisions while collaborating with

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional C++ development in Linux environments.
• Expertise in microsecond-latency C++ development with cache-conscious data structures and lock-free concurrency.
• Systems-level performance engineering including kernel bypass, CPU core isolation, NUMA optimization.
• Experience building electronic trading systems, market data platforms, execution engines, or exchange connectivity solutions.
• Experience with exchange-native protocols, market data feeds, and feed handler development.
• Experience delivering software within co-located trading environments.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and collaborate with highly technical engineering teams.
• Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deliver critical components across statistical arbitrage, low-latency execution, and high-touch trading platforms.
• Remain hands-on with C++ development while mentoring a small team of engineers.
• Partner with business stakeholders, quantitative teams, and front-office leadership on architecture.
• Drive technical direction, architectural decisions, and engineering best practices.
• Provide Level 3 production support for global trading operations.
• Continuously improve system performance, reliability, and scalability.

Skills

C++ development

Linux environments

Low-latency design

Lock-free concurrency

Kernel bypass

NUMA optimization

Leadership

Communication

Agile / SRE familiarity

Tools

CI/CD pipelines

Build automation

Job description

We’re seeking an exceptionally talented, hands-on Principal C++ Software Engineer to join a high-performance Global Trading & Execution technology team at a leading global investment firm.

This is an opportunity to work on mission-critical technology powering sophisticated statistical arbitrage and low-latency trading strategies. You’ll play a key role in designing and developing ultra-low-latency execution platforms while providing technical leadership and mentoring a small team of highly skilled engineers.

The role is approximately 80% hands-on development and 20% technical leadership, offering significant ownership, architectural influence, and direct exposure to the front office.

What You’ll Do

• Design, develop, and deliver critical components across statistical arbitrage, low-latency execution, and high-touch trading platforms.
• Remain heavily hands-on with C++ development while mentoring and coordinating a small team of engineers.
• Partner closely with business stakeholders, quantitative teams, and front-office leadership on architecture and implementation.
• Drive technical direction, architectural decisions, and engineering best practices across the organization.
• Provide Level 3 production support for global trading operations.
• Continuously improve system performance, reliability, and scalability.

What We’re Looking For

• 10+ years of professional C++ development experience in Linux-based environments.
• Deep expertise in microsecond-latency C++ development, including cache-conscious data structures, lock-free concurrency, and the C++ memory model.
• Strong systems-level performance engineering experience, including kernel bypass, CPU core isolation, NUMA optimization, and minimizing system calls on critical paths.
• Background building electronic trading systems, market data platforms, execution engines, or exchange connectivity solutions.
• Experience with exchange-native protocols, market data feeds, and feed handler development.
• Experience delivering software within co-located trading environments.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and collaborate with highly technical engineering teams.
• Exceptional software architecture and system design capabilities.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and build automation.
• Experience working within Agile development and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) frameworks.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Key Attributes

• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical abilities.
• Passion for performance optimization and continuous improvement.
• Ability to adapt quickly to evolving business and technology requirements.
• Strong technical leadership, ownership, and collaboration skills.

Salary: 275k - 300k Base + 200k - 450k Bonus