Software Engineer - Prediction Markets (Python)

P2P; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual discretionary bonus

Comprehensive employee benefits

401k with discretionary employer match

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

A diversified trading firm in Chicago is seeking Software Engineers for its Prediction Markets Desk. The role involves building systems for production trading across various venues and requires at least 2 years of experience in Python. Candidates should have strong skills in building production systems, familiarity with real-time data processing, and an understanding of trading operations. This is an opportunity to work in a fast-paced environment with autonomy and significant responsibility.

Qualifications

• 2+ years' experience in Python and multiple programming languages.
• Experience delivering production systems in ambiguous environments.
• Familiarity with order lifecycle, break resolution, audit trails.
• Experience in financial markets or crypto is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Build systems for production trading on prediction markets.
• Implement trading signals and capture market opportunities.
• Grow research tooling and provide on-call support.

Skills

Python

Real-time data processing

Trade capture systems

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Engineering

Tools

Linux

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. DRW is a place of high expectations, integrity, innovation and a willingness to challenge consensus.

About the Team

DRW's Prediction Markets Desk is a new trading desk building trading across prediction market venues. The desk is looking for engineers who want to own critical systems in a fast-moving, high-autonomy environment. We embed deeply with quantitative researchers and traders to turn pricing models, risk frameworks, and trade lifecycle requirements into scalable, reliable production systems.

About the Role

Software Engineers on the Prediction Markets Desk will build systems that take the desk from idea to production trading, including real-time pricing input pipelines, middle office, cross-venue reconciliation, and risk.

• During a build phase, you will be directly embedded with the desk lead and quantitative researchers, navigating ambiguity in requirements, making trade-offs, and delivering systems that the desk depends on to know what it owns, what it paid, and whether its books are clean.
• As the desk matures, you will harden and extend these systems — extracting reusable patterns, improving reliability, and scaling infrastructure to support new venues and market categories.

In this role you will:

• Grow research tooling and infrastructure to support the business
• Implement trading signals and strategies
• Create infrastructure that allows the desk to efficiently capture market opportunity
• Take full ownership of the products you create, from prototype to stable production
• Work with both greenfield and legacy systems, primarily in Python
• Provide on-call support as needed

Qualifications

• A minimum of 2+ years' experience in Python, with the ability to work comfortably across multiple programming languages
• A track record of working directly with end customers, scoping and delivering production systems in fast-moving and ambiguous environments
• Experience building trade capture, position management, middle-office, or reconciliation systems
• Familiarity with real-time data processing and multi-venue environments
• Familiarity interacting with on-chain data
• Understanding of trading operations (order lifecycle, break resolution, audit trails, PnL calculation)
• Ability to dive deep into complex problems, develop intuitive understandings, spot risks early, and minimize complexity
• Exceptional interpersonal skills — you communicate clearly with traders, researchers, and other engineers, fostering a collaborative, supportive working environment
• Experience in the financial markets, crypto, or prediction markets is a plus
• Experience with linux-based, concurrent, high-throughput software systems
• Have a Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, or equivalent work experience

The annual base salary range for this position is $150,000 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.

For more information about DRW's processing activities and our use of job applicants' data, please view our Privacy Notice at https://drw.com/privacy-notice.

California residents, please review the California Privacy Notice for information about certain legal rights at https://drw.com/california-privacy-notice.

[LI-BL1]