Swaps & Derivatives Python Engineer

Axiom Path, Inc.; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Axiom Path, a capital markets technology firm, seeks an experienced software QA/SDET engineer to join a derivatives-focused team in Charlotte. You will develop Python automation for swaps-related trading applications, validate trades, and test lifecycle events across front-to-back workflows.

Ideal candidates bring 5–7+ years in software development or QA automation, strong Python, and solid swaps/derivatives knowledge; relocation to NC/SC may be required for hybrid work with a strategic

Qualifications

• 5–7+ years of software development, quality engineering, SDET, or automation experience.
• Strong hands-on Python programming capability.
• Strong practical knowledge of swaps or closely related OTC derivatives.
• Ability to explain at least one swaps product in depth, including how the trade is structured and processed.
• Understanding of deal-ticket attributes and lifecycle events such as modifications, cancellations, novations, and unwinds.
• Experience with capital markets trading applications across front-, middle-, or back-office environments.
• Understanding of how derivatives transactions move through valuation, risk, P&L, VAR, settlement, payments, and accounting.
• Strong SQL and backend/API experience.
• Ability to communicate technical reasoning clearly and collaborate with engineering and business stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop Python automation for derivatives trading and post-trade applications.
• Validate swaps across front-, middle-, and back-office processing.
• Test deal tickets, lifecycle events, modifications, novations, cancellations, and unwinds.
• Validate backend services, APIs, transactional data, and SQL reconciliations.
• Test downstream risk, valuation, settlement, payments, accounting, and reporting workflows.
• Collaborate with developers and domain SMEs to identify risk and expand automation coverage.

Skills

Python programming

Derivatives knowledge

SQL

Automation

QA/Testing

Stakeholder communication

Job description

Charlotte, United States | Posted on 09/04/2026

Axiom Path is an AI-first recruiting and staffing firm delivering RPO, MSP, and direct-hire solutions to enterprise clients across the U.S. Our team of experienced recruiters, supported by purpose-built automation, moves faster and communicates better so clients get qualified talent sooner and candidates get a clear, responsive process from first contact to start date.

Job Description

Be Part Of A High-Performing Team

Join a specialized capital markets technology organization supporting sophisticated institutional derivatives trading platforms. The team works across front-, middle-, and back-office systems responsible for processing high-value swaps transactions and ensuring trades move accurately through execution, risk, settlement, payment, accounting, and regulatory workflows.

Although the function sits within quality engineering, many successful team members come from software development backgrounds. The environment is highly technical, collaborative, and domain-driven, making it particularly well suited for engineers who combine strong programming ability with genuine understanding of derivatives trading.

What's In Store For You

• Engagement: W2 only (no C2C/1099).
• Hybrid opportunity based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Contract-to-convert opportunity within a strategic technology location.
• Opportunity to work closely with experienced capital markets and engineering professionals.
• Exposure to front-to-back swaps processing and complex trading-system architecture.
• Strong fit for developers interested in applying software engineering skills to quality engineering and automation.

How You Will Make An Impact

• Develop and maintain Python automation supporting swaps and derivatives trading applications.
• Validate trades across front-, middle-, and back-office workflows.
• Test product structures, deal-ticket attributes, trade events, and downstream processing.
• Validate transactions across execution, trade capture, confirmation, valuation, risk, cash flows, settlement, accounting, payments, and regulatory reporting.
• Build backend/API automation and SQL-based validation across interconnected trading platforms.
• Investigate defects and processing breaks involving complex derivatives transactions.
• Partner with developers and capital markets SMEs to assess requirements, identify risks, and improve automated coverage.

Are you an experienced derivatives engineer ready to make an impact?

• 5–7+ years of software development, quality engineering, SDET, or automation experience.
• Strong hands‑on Python programming capability.
• Strong practical knowledge of swaps or closely related OTC derivatives.
• Ability to explain at least one swaps product in depth, including how the trade is structured and processed.
• Understanding of deal‑ticket attributes and common lifecycle events such as modifications, cancellations, novations, and unwinds.
• Experience with capital markets trading applications across front-, middle-, or back-office environments.
• Understanding of how derivatives transactions move through areas such as valuation, risk, P&L, VAR, settlement, payments, and accounting.
• Strong SQL and backend/API experience.
• Ability to communicate technical reasoning clearly and collaborate effectively with engineering and business stakeholders.
• Fixed Income experience is valuable but not required when the candidate brings strong swaps/derivatives expertise.

Requirements

• Charlotte‑area hybrid alignment or committed NC/SC relocation.

NICE‑TO‑HAVES

• End‑to‑end front‑to‑back swap lifecycle knowledge.
• Swaptions.
• Caps/floors.
• Cross‑currency swaps.
• Curve or butterfly structures.
• Risk, P&L, or VAR processing.
• Treasury or accounting interaction.
• Regulatory reporting.
• Murex, Summit, Sophis, Charles River, Aladdin, DTCC, Omgeo, or comparable trading platforms.
• Prior developer experience within a QE/testing organization.
• Wells Fargo Charlotte capital‑markets technology experience.

WATCH‑OUTS

• Fixed Income without swaps is no longer enough.
• Wealth‑management experience should not be interpreted as Fixed Income trading expertise simply because portfolios contained bonds.
• Candidates who answer “yes” to swaps but cannot describe a product should not be submitted.
• Candidates must understand how instruments actually trade, settle, process, and feed risk/P&L/VAR, not simply recognize terminology.
• Pure manual QA candidates remain weak.
• Resume title does not need to say QA/SDET; developer profiles are preferred.
• Do not over‑prioritize traditional QA framework experience at the expense of real development + swaps expertise.
• Do not submit a candidate requiring exceptional rate approval as the initial/default profile.
• Candidates outside NC/SC who are vague about relocation should not move forward.
• Don't oversell the Python test as advanced; the bigger risk is candidates claiming Python without being able to perform basic coding/debugging.
• Candidates should be coached to communicate their reasoning during the technical exercise rather than code silently without explaining their approach.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE

• Develop Python automation for derivatives trading and post‑trade applications.
• Validate swaps across front-, middle-, and back‑office processing.
• Test deal tickets, lifecycle events, modifications, novations, cancellations, and unwinds.
• Validate backend services, APIs, transactional data, and SQL reconciliations.
• Test downstream risk, valuation, settlement, payments, accounting, and reporting workflows.
• Collaborate with developers and domain SMEs to identify risk and expand automation coverage.

IDEAL CANDIDATE WOULD HAVE

• Developer‑first background with meaningful testing or quality‑engineering exposure.
• Deep practical experience with at least one swaps product.
• Ability to speak comfortably about trade structures and lifecycle processing.
• Front‑to‑back capital markets system exposure.
• Strong backend/API and SQL engineering skills.

SCREENING QUESTIONS

• Pick the swaps product you know best and explain how the trade is structured from the beginning.Strong answer should demonstrate genuine product knowledge rather than definitions.
• Walk me through the important fields or attributes you would expect to see on the deal ticket for that product.Listen for notional, counterparties, fixed/floating details, dates, currency, rates/indexes, payment/reset schedules, etc., depending on product.
• Walk me through what happens to that trade after execution.Strong candidates should describe multiple lifecycle stages rather than stopping at trade capture.
• What trade events have you handled—modifications, cancellations, cancel/reissue, novations, or unwinds—and what did the system need to do when those occurred?
• Which trading platforms or internal systems did you use for swaps, and what did you personally do within them?
• How did trades flow into areas such as valuation, risk, P&L, VAR, settlements, payments, accounting, or regulatory reporting?
• Describe your strongest hands‑on Python development or automation work. Would you be comfortable solving a basic problem and debugging broken Python code live?
• What backend/API automation or development have you personally built?
• How have you used SQL to validate trades, reconcile systems, or investigate processing breaks?
• Are you currently in North Carolina/South Carolina, or would you relocate at your own expense and establish a local address before onboarding?