Trade Systems Engineer

DRW Holdings, LLC.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual discretionary bonus

Comprehensive employee benefits

401k with discretionary employer match

Job summary

A diversified trading firm in Chicago is looking for a Trade Systems Engineer to support trading technology and ensure system availability. The ideal candidate will have 1–3 years of experience in trade support, systems administration, or site reliability engineering. Responsibilities include diagnosing technical issues, responding to requests from traders, and participating in system onboarding. This role requires a Bachelor's in a related field and familiarity with networking and scripting languages.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years of experience in a technical role.
• Ability to troubleshoot technical problems under pressure.
• Familiarity with Linux/Unix command line.

Responsibilities

• Keeping trading systems healthy and available.
• Responding to trader requests urgently.
• Participating in onboarding of new desks and systems.

Skills

Trade support

Systems administration

Site reliability engineering

Networking concepts

Containerized applications

Scripting languages

Linux/Unix

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

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.

As a Trade Systems Engineer, you’ll have the opportunity to learn and grow while supporting our trading technology. You’ll work closely with trading, infrastructure, and software development teams to keep systems running smoothly. You’ll gain experience working with exchanges, traders, and developers to help resolve technical issues and assist with ongoing improvements.

As markets evolve toward 24×7 trading, we’re expanding coverage to ensure our systems run smoothly during high impact periods that extend beyond the traditional Monday–Friday schedule. In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to work a non‑traditional 5‑day shift, depending on what best fits your schedule. This flexible coverage model allows you to make a critical impact during peak trading hours while enjoying off days during quieter parts of the week.

Qualifications & Skills:

• 1–3 years of experience in trade support, systems administration, site reliability engineering, or a related technical role (internships or projects count!)
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related STEM field
• Basic understanding of networking concepts (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP) and ability to use common troubleshooting tools
• Exposure to containerized applications (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) is a plus
• Ability to think through and troubleshoot technical problems under time pressure
• Clear communication skills, written and verbal
• Familiarity with scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash, PowerShell) for basic automation tasks
• Experience with Linux/Unix environments (basic command line skills)

What You’ll Be Working On:

• Keeping trading systems healthy and available by proactively spotting and resolving potential issues
• Responding to trader and engineer request with both urgency and understanding of the bigger operational context
• Participating in the onboarding of new desks and systems, thinking ahead about how they’ll fit into the broader ecosystem
• Learning the trading environment deeply so you can anticipate challenges and suggest improvements

What we Value:

• Intent over Instruction: we’ll share what we’re trying to achieve; you’ll help determine the best way to get there
• Responsibility and trustworthiness: you follow through and communicate progress and results clearly
• Continuous learning and adaptability: when conditions change, you adjust while keeping the mission in mind
• Collaboration: you seek input when needed but are comfortable making informed decisions yourself

About You:

• You enjoy diagnosing problems and thinking creatively about solutions
• You’re excited about fast-moving environments and want to see your work make an impact quickly
• You learn by doing and feel comfortable diving into unfamiliar technology

Schedule

• 1 position: Monday - Friday.
• 1 position: Tuesday - Saturday or Wednesday - Sunday.
• This position will require working on weekends and providing holiday coverage as needed by the department.
• The orientation schedule will vary between 09:00-18:30 and 15:00-23:00.
• After orientation, the permanent shift will be 09:00 – 18:30.

The annual base salary range for this position is $85,000 - $125,000, 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.

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