Windows Server Team Lead

Chicago Trading Company; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

generous time off

insurance coverage

paid parental leave

free breakfast and lunch (plus healthy

wellness reimbursement

a variety of other benefits focused on

Job summary

Chicago Trading Company (CTC) is seeking a seasoned Windows Server leader to guide and grow a team responsible for high-availability trading infrastructure in Chicago. You will design, implement, and optimize Windows Server solutions with a focus on uptime and low latency for trading workloads.

The role emphasizes automation, hybrid identity, and cross-team collaboration to deliver safe, scalable changes. On-call leadership and strong incident response are key aspects of this position.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of hands-on Windows Server administration experience in high-availability environments.
• Demonstrated leadership running infrastructure teams or as a senior technical lead.
• Strong PowerShell scripting/automation and IaC tooling experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Windows Server engineers, setting priorities for reliability and platform initiatives.
• Design and implement high-performance Windows Server solutions for latency-sensitive trading workloads.
• Drive automation and infrastructure-as-code practices to improve deployment consistency and scale operations.
• Lead Active Directory modernization and hybrid identity initiatives for secure access.
• Collaborate with Security, Infrastructure, and Development teams to plan and deliver changes safely.
• Improve incident response through leadership during events and root cause analysis.
• Contribute to resource management, forecasting requirements, and performance improvements.
• Produce and maintain runbooks, diagrams, and post-incident reviews.
• Participate in on-call rotation and lead during critical incidents.

Skills

Windows Server administration

Active Directory

Group Policy

DNS

DHCP

Failover Clustering

PowerShell scripting

Infrastructure-as-code

On-call readiness

Leadership

Tools

SCCM/MECM

Monitoring tools

Backup systems

Load balancers

CI/CD

Job description

Chicago Trading Company (CTC) is a premier proprietary trading firm specializing in options market making. Our collaborative culture fuels innovation in quantitative research, systematic trading strategies, and cutting‑edge trading technology.

For over three decades CTC has provided critical liquidity across derivatives exchanges worldwide - making them fairer, more transparent, and more efficient. We strive to be the most innovative firm in the industry today, tomorrow, and long into the future while upholding ethical excellence. We believe that CTC makes a positive impact on the markets, the lives of our employees, and all the communities to which we belong. Started in 1995 by a team of forward‑thinking Traders, we are proud to call ourselves an industry leader that keeps making markets and each other better.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and develop a team of Windows Server engineers, setting priorities and focusing effort on high‑impact reliability and platform initiatives.
• Design and implement high‑performance Windows Server solutions with a strong emphasis on availability, operational excellence, and latency‑sensitive trading workloads.
• Drive automation and infrastructure‑as‑code practices to improve deployment consistency, reduce manual work, and scale operations.
• Lead Active Directory modernization and hybrid identity initiatives, ensuring secure, reliable access across the firm.
• Partner closely with Security, Infrastructure, and Development teams to plan and deliver changes safely and predictably.
• Improve incident response through clear leadership during events, root cause analysis, and durable preventative follow‑ups.
• Contribute to resource management, forecasting requirements, and enhancing performance to support peak market activity.
• Produce and maintain documentation (runbooks, diagrams, post‑incident reviews) to support knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Participate in an on‑call rotation and provide leadership during critical incidents as needed.

What We’re Looking For

• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to lead, mentor, and collaborate across technical teams.
• A pragmatic approach that balances fast delivery with long‑term maintainability and operational excellence.
• Ability to triage and resolve issues end‑to‑end, including clear ownership of root cause and prevention.
• 8+ years of hands‑on Windows Server administration experience in critical, high‑availability environments.
• Deep expertise in Windows Server, Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, and Failover Clustering, including performance tuning and resolving complex challenges.
• Proven leadership experience running infrastructure teams (or acting as a senior technical lead), with a record of developing engineers and driving standards.
• Strong PowerShell scripting/automation skills; experience with infrastructure‑as‑code tools and/or configuration management (or demonstrated willingness to adopt and lead these efforts).
• Willingness to participate in an on‑call rotation and lead through high‑severity incidents.
• Meticulous attention to procedure, change management, and meeting service expectations.

Nice to Haves

• Experience with enterprise platforms such as SCCM/MECM, endpoint/server monitoring, backup systems, and/or load balancers.
• Familiarity with ITIL concepts, operational workflows, project management, and DevOps/CI/CD practices.
• Experience supporting financial services infrastructure, trading systems, or market data platforms.
• Exposure to modern deployment approaches (e.g., containerization, orchestration).

Work Location and Collaboration

This role is based in Chicago, working closely with Infrastructure, Security, Networking, and Development teams for high‑bandwidth collaboration. We value face‑to‑face teamwork and pragmatic flexibility.

Compensation

The salary range for this role is listed below. This role is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. The discretionary bonus will be dependent upon the individual's skills, experience, qualifications, and firm performance.

Salary Range

$175,000—$225,000 USD

Most teams at CTC, with the exception of Trading, follow a hybrid workplace model, subject to change based on business need.

Our Benefits

• generous time off
• insurance coverage
• paid parental leave
• free breakfast and lunch (plus healthy snacks, of course)
• wellness reimbursement
• a variety of other benefits focused on providing the best employee experience

(Disclaimer: interns and contractors are not eligible for benefits at CTC)

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At CTC, we aim to cultivate a workplace that celebrates diversity and each person feels included, engaged and empowered. Where each of us feels we belong. We are committed to having a diverse workforce and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. CTC does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or to apply for a position, please contact us at [e-mail]. Note that emails sent to this email account for non‑disability related issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Information submitted by job applicants may be subject to review and analysis by automated systems, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), as part of the recruitment process. Such systems are utilized to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our hiring procedures. Applicants are advised that any information provided may be evaluated by AI tools to ensure an equitable and thorough assessment.