Software Engineer (Entry-Level) - C++

Akuna Capital; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 131,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Akuna Capital is hiring an entry‑level C++ Software Engineer in Chicago to work on high‑performance, multi‑threaded systems powering our liquidity operations. You’ll join small-to-medium teams, interface with Quant and Trading, and contribute to reliable, scalable platforms.

The role emphasizes learning, rapid problem solving, and collaboration. Strong C++20+ skills, debugging, and scripting are valued as you grow technically in a fast-paced trading environment.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. in a technical field (CS/Engineering/Math/Physics) required.
• Graduating by August 2027 expected.
• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. on day one (including OPT/STEM for F-1).

Responsibilities

• Maintain and improve core high-performance systems daily.
• Handle lower-risk feature requests and complete individual projects.
• Collaborate with Quant and Trading to align requirements and roadmaps.

Skills

Modern C++ (C++20+)

Distributed systems

Parallel processing

Asynchronous architectures

Networking/ protocol encoding

Lock-free data structures

Performance profiling

Scripting (Python/Shell)

Debugging tools

Communication with non-technical stake

Problem solving in fast markets

Education

Technical degree in CS/Engineering/Math/Physics

Graduating by Aug 2027

Tools

GDB

Valgrind

AddressSanitizer

Python

Shell

Job description

About Akuna

Akuna Capital is an innovative trading firm with a strong focus on collaboration,cutting-edgetechnology, data-driven solutions, and automation. We specialize in providing liquidity on a variety of exchangesacross various asset classes, primarily asan options market maker. To do this successfully, webuildandmaintainour own low-latency technologies, including application frameworks, trading strategies, and mathematical models.

Our Founding Partners first conceptualized Akuna in their hometown of Sydney, Australia. They opened the firm’s first office in 2011 in the heart of the derivatives industry and the options capital of the world – Chicago. Today, Akuna is proud tooperatefromadditionaloffices around the world:Sydney, Shanghai, Singapore, and London.

What You’ll Do as an Entry-Level C++ Software Engineer at Akuna

C++ software engineers at Akunahavethe opportunity to work on a variety of high-performance systems thatpowerthe firm’s core business operations.Our engineers work on small-to-medium-sized teams thatfrequentlyinterface with Quant and Trading, allowing them to buildexpertisein a specific domain area whilemaintainingbroader exposure to the needs of their end-users.Akuna’s C++ systems are heavily multithreaded, asynchronous, and distributed by nature, which comes with a slew of challenges; ourengineers are tasked with ensuring these systemsarereliable,efficient, scalable,and flexible enough foreven the mostniche use cases. Entry-level engineersin particularareresponsible forday-to-day upkeep of core systems, servicing lower-risk feature requests, and executingindividual projects on behalf of theirteam’sstakeholders.

Akuna islooking for software engineers who are motivated,can solve complex problems, and are willing to reach forcreativesolutions when faced with novel problems. We value innovation, hard work, and knowledge, and we wantour engineers to make a directimpact on the firm. Whether you are interested in algorithms and data structures, concurrency, networking and protocols, performance tuning, data capture and analysis, mathematical modeling, hardware, or somethingelse,there’sengaging work to be done.

Requirements for This Role

• Pursuing a bachelor’s,master’s, orPh.D. in a technical field (computer science/engineering, math,physics, or equivalent)

• GraduatingbyAugust 2027

• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. as of the first day of employment, including F-1 students using OPT or STEM

Previousexperience in finance or trading isnotrequired.Many of ourengineersjoinedAkuna with little-to-nopriorknowledgeof the markets, and we pride ourselves on our ability to onboard those new to the industry. Training and continuous education are provided for all engineers to ensure they can buildthe requisite technical and non-technical skillset for success.

Qualities That Make a Great C++ Software Engineer Candidate

• Experience programming in modern C++ (C++20or later;C++23preferred)

• Experience with several of the following

• Distributed systems

• Parallel processing

• Asynchronousarchitectures

• Networking or protocol encoding/decoding

• Lock-free data structures andalgorithms

• Performance profiling (e.g.perf,gprof,vtune)

• Scripting, such as in Python orshell

• Familiarity with standard debugging tools(e.g.GDB,Valgrind, address sanitizer)

• 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 forbuildingcomplexsystems from the ground up

• The ability to collaborate with other developers ofdifferent backgrounds, specialties, and knowledge levels to collectively delivercohesive solutions to non-trivial problems

• An intrinsically motivated attitude and the ability to work independently

• A strong senseof ownership, including a drive to fix bugs when they inevitably arise

In addition to the above technical skills, Akunavalues diversity of experience and perspective. We believethatengineers withvaried backgrounds and interests allowus toapproach problems fromuniqueanglesandtouncover innovative,optimalsolutions.We want everyone to feel empowered to apply; we welcome your application, and we strongly encourage you to take the first steps in joining usin the future!

Resumes must be submitted in PDF format.

By applying to this role, you areindicatingthis is your top preference and acknowledge you will not be considered for other Quant and/or Tech roles at Akuna this recruiting season. This acknowledgement does not limit applications to Trading roles - in addition to this role, you may apply to any Trader roles of interest.

We are an AI-friendly company and encourage employees to leverage AI in their daily work. However, AI assistance is not permitted during interviews or assessments. Our interview process is designed to evaluate your individual skills and judgment, and the use of AI tools will result in disqualification from the hiring process.

In accordance withthe Illinois Equal Pay Act, the minimum base salary starts at $145,000. Exact compensation offered may vary based on many factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and skill set. This role is also eligible for a discretionary performance bonus as part of the total compensation package and includes a comprehensive benefits package that may encompass employer-paid medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, paid time off, and other benefits. The minimum base salaryhereinwasdeterminedin good faith by Akuna Capital LLC.