Senior Software Engineer - DeFi

Drweng; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with employer match

Comprehensive medical and dental insurance

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

DRW is seeking experienced engineers to join our UP-Trade Operations team in Chicago, focusing on managing and developing software for our expanding DeFi landscape. Candidates should have a strong background in dealing with EVM internals and blockchain technologies.

The role emphasizes autonomy with a commitment to building reliable systems, integrating with DeFi protocols, and optimizing performance. DRW offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a dynamic work environment.

Qualifications

• Multiple years of server-side development.
• Willingness to learn Clojure.
• Understanding of multi-chain architectures.

Responsibilities

• Building systems focused on testing and reliability.
• Designing, modeling, and programming in various languages.
• Providing on-call support as needed.

Skills

Hands-on experience with EVM internals

Familiarity with DeFi protocols

Confident JVM knowledge

Working knowledge of Node.js/TypeScript

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

PostgreSQL

Job description

DRW is a diversified trading firm with over 3 decades of experience bringing sophisticated technology and exceptional people together to operate in markets around the world. We value autonomy and the ability to quickly pivot to capture opportunities, so we operate using our own capital and trading at our own risk.

Headquartered in Chicago with offices throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, we trade a variety of asset classes including Fixed Income, ETFs, Equities, FX, Commodities and Energy across all major global markets. We have also leveraged our expertise and technology to expand into three non-traditional strategies: real estate, venture capital and cryptoassets.

We operate with respect, curiosity and open minds. The people who thrive here share our belief that it’s not just what we do that matters–it's how we do it. DRW is a place of high expectations, integrity, innovation and a willingness to challenge consensus.

The UP-Trade Operations team builds software that enables DRW's trading operations teams to manage our growing DeFi footprint. A big part of what makes this work interesting is figuring out where DeFi instruments map to traditional financial concepts, where they extend them, and where they are something entirely new. We need engineers who can reason about these protocols financially, not just technically, and build reliable systems around them at institutional scale.

We work from high-level requirements where programmers are expected to gain an intimate understanding of the business. We strive for an environment where developers have the autonomy to pursue business solutions without arbitrary management constraints. We are a group of polyglots and technologists always seeking to find the right tool for each problem. Broadly, the development teams at DRW believe in rapid deployment and feedback, automated testing, and cohesive, transparent, lightly-coupled service architectures.

Problems You’ll Work On

• Ingesting and normalizing data across multiple chains (Ethereum, Solana, and L2 rollups like Arbitrum) and custody platforms
• Integrating with DeFi protocols -- AMMs, lending platforms, options vaults, staking providers -- to query on-chain state and track positions
• Building services that bridge on‑chain activity to off‑chain reporting: token balances, transfers, margin positions, settlement, and fees across different ERC standards
• Developing APIs and UIs that give traders and operations teams real‑time visibility into DeFi positions and risk
• Modeling DeFi instruments (liquidity pools, lending markets, perpetuals, yield products) alongside their traditional finance equivalents for unified reporting and risk

Responsibilities

• Building systems with a constant focus on testing, reliability, scalability, and maintainability
• Designing, modeling, and programming in a variety of languages and technologies
• Working on legacy code as well as greenfield development
• Taking initiative and driving projects to completion
• Learning and promoting new technologies with a focus on best practices
• Providing on‑call support as needed
• Sometimes working alongside other developers on the same task

Professional Experience

We expect strong engineering fundamentals, but what truly sets candidates apart is hands‑on experience navigating the DeFi landscape.

DeFi & Blockchain

• Hands‑on experience with EVM internals, smart contract ABIs, and libraries like ethers.js or web3.js
• Familiarity with DeFi protocols: AMMs (Uniswap), lending (Compound), options/structured products, or staking
• Understanding of multi‑chain architectures -- L1s, L2 rollups, bridging, and cross‑chain data challenges
• Exposure to Solana or other non‑EVM chains is a plus
• Experience with oracle systems (Chainlink) or on‑chain pricing
• Ability to reason about DeFi protocols from a financial perspective, e.g. how different AMM designs affect pricing, how lending rates compare across protocols, or what distinguishes different stablecoin mechanisms

Engineering & Stack

• Multiple years of server‑side development
• Willingness to learn Clojure, one of the team's primary languages
• Confident JVM knowledge
• Working knowledge of Node.js/TypeScript
• A solid understanding of micro‑service architectures
• Proficiency in domain‑driven design and domain modeling
• A good understanding of functional paradigms and type theory

Infrastructure & Tools

• Kubernetes, Docker, ArgoCD
• PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQS, RabbitMQ
• Linux, Ansible, Nginx, Git

The annual base salary range for this position is $130,000 to $225,000 depending on the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and relevant skill set. The position is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. In addition, DRW offers a comprehensive suite of employee benefits including group medical, pharmacy, dental and vision insurance, 401k (with discretionary employer match), short and long‑term disability, life and AD&D insurance, health savings accounts, and flexible spending accounts.