Senior Engineer - Data Ingestion

Chicago Trading Company; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

generous time off

insurance coverage

paid parental leave

free breakfast and lunch (plus healthy

wellness reimbursement

a variety of other benefits focused on

Job summary

Chicago Trading Company is seeking an engineer for the Data Ingest team to build and maintain core data assets powering our research platforms. These assets are used across desks from junior traders to executives, with high data quality driving daily decisions.

You will own data pipelines, collaborate with Traders and Quant Researchers, and design reliable data delivery. The role includes optimizing SLA, migrating pipelines to modern platforms, and improving data observability.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience building and operating large-scale data pipelines.
• Strong software architecture and system design skills.
• Proficiency in SQL and Python.
• Experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS/Azure/GCP) or HPC workloads.
• Strong teamwork and communication abilities.

Responsibilities

• Own the quality, reliability, and overall health of our source data pipelines.
• Collaborate with Traders and Quant Researchers to understand data needs.
• Design reliable data delivery for stakeholders and optimize data sources.
• Migrate pipelines to modern data platforms and improve efficiency.
• Collaborate across the data org to improve platform offerings.
• Detect data quality issues and surface them with tooling.

Skills

SQL

Python

System design

Interpersonal skills

Tools

Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

HPC workloads

Data quality tooling

Data observability tooling

Job description

Chicago Trading Company (CTC) is a premier proprietary trading firm specializing in options market making. Our collaborative culture fuels innovation in quantitative research, systematic trading strategies, and cutting-edge trading technology. For over three decades CTC has provided critical liquidity across derivatives exchanges worldwide – making them fairer, more transparent, and more efficient. We strive to be the most innovative firm in the industry today, tomorrow, and long into the future while upholding ethical excellence. We believe that CTC makes a positive impact on the markets, the lives of our employees, and all the communities to which we belong. Started in 1995 by a team of forward-thinking Traders, we are proud to call ourselves an industry leader that keeps making markets and each other better.

As an engineer for the Data Ingest team, you will build and maintain the core, top-level data assets that power our research platforms. These are used by every desk at CTC, from junior traders to executives. Because of this broad user base, the product’s surface area is extensive. By ensuring high quality data in a timely fashion, you help support data-driven decision-making on a daily basis.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own the quality, reliability, and overall health of our source data pipelines.
• Work closely with Traders and Quantitative Researchers to understand their needs, and how they use our final data products.
• Act as the data-delivery expert for your stakeholders, and design the most reliable and efficient way to source the data they need.
• Optimize existing pipelines to improve SLA for users and lower the compute and storage footprint across the firm.
• Migrate existing pipelines onto modern data platforms and hardware, and improve the process for future migrations.
• Collaborate with the broader data organization to improve our overall platform offering and functionality.
• Detect source data quality issues that lead to incorrect downstream metrics, and partner with data owners to build tools that surface and resolve these issues before users see them.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• Hands‑on experience building and operating large‑scale data pipelines, ideally in the hundreds of terabytes to petabytes range.
• Strong software architecture and large‑scale system design skills.
• Strong proficiency in SQL and in object‑oriented languages such as Python.
• Hands‑on experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS, Azure, GCP) and/or HPC workloads.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team environment.

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience with tick capture, market data, or trading industry data (options, equities, futures).
• C++.
• Experience with data observability and data quality tooling, including diagnosing source data problems.
• Experience with open table formats such as Iceberg or Delta, and with query engines such as Trino, Spark, or DuckDB.

Compensation

The salary range for this role is listed below. This role is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. The discretionary bonus will be dependent upon the individual’s skills, experience, qualifications, and firm performance.

Salary Range

$200,000—$250,000 USD

Most teams at CTC, with the exception of Trading, follow a hybrid workplace model, subject to change based on business need.

Our Benefits

• generous time off
• insurance coverage
• paid parental leave
• free breakfast and lunch (plus healthy snacks, of course)
• wellness reimbursement
• a variety of other benefits focused on providing the best employee experience

(Disclaimer: interns and contractors are not eligible for benefits at CTC)

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At CTC, we aim to cultivate a workplace that celebrates diversity and each person feels included, engaged and empowered. Where each of us feels we belong. We are committed to having a diverse workforce and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. CTC does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Information submitted by job applicants may be subject to review and analysis by automated systems, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), as part of the recruitment process. Such systems are utilized to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our hiring procedures. Applicants are advised that any information provided may be evaluated by AI tools to ensure an equitable and thorough assessment.