Staff Software Engineer, Trading Services - Scala

Welcome to the dynamic world of NinjaTrader! As an industry-leading trading platform and futures broker, we're empowering traders to take control of their financial destiny. How do we do it? We provide cutting-edge products and services that enhance the trading journey. Whether a seasoned pro or just starting out, NinjaTrader equips traders with award-winning software and brokerage services to navigate the world's leading financial markets with confidence.

Our growth story is nothing short of exhilarating. Since 2003, NinjaTrader has been dedicated to understanding and supporting traders on their journey toward trading triumph. Through those efforts, our user base has grown to over 2 million users and we have become the number one rated futures brokerage worldwide.

But we're not stopping there. We're constantly evolving, pushing boundaries, and modernizing the futures industry. Our commitment to innovation means users will always have access to dynamic tools, real-time support, and a community of like-minded traders.

So, why work at NinjaTrader? Here, you're not just part of a team; you're part of a movement. We empower employees to reach new heights in their careers by providing a dynamic culture focused on social connection, professional development, and employee recognition initiatives. Sounds too good to be true? [Take it from our employees.](

Join us as we redefine what's possible in trading, advocate for our customers, and continue our journey toward becoming the world's top retail-focused trading platform in the world.

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Staff Software Engineer to join our Trading Services team. In this pivotal role, you will help evolve our advanced trading system. As a senior engineer on the team, your work will have a profound impact on our core high-throughput, low-latency trading application, directly influencing our business's bottom line.

• Design, develop, and maintain our Scala and Akka-based trading system deployed on Kubernetes in the cloud
• Architect, deploy, and manage backend services in a Kubernetes environment to ensure scalability, availability, and resilience
• Implement and enhance our services architecture for trading applications, promoting modularity and maintainability
• Develop distributed systems to support the high-performance and low-latency requirements of trading platforms
• Implement robust monitoring and logging solutions to track and analyze backend system performance in real time
• Integrate backend systems with market data feeds, ensuring accurate and timely data for trading activities
• Collaborate with other engineering teams and Product Managers to deliver end-to-end customer solutions

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
• 8+ years of software development experience with reactive, message-driven, distributed near real-time applications, preferably in a high-performance, low-latency environment
• 5+ years of professional experience with Scala (or similar JVM-based languages) backend software development
• Familiarity with functional programming principles
• Experience with Kubernetes and cloud services (e.g., Google Cloud Platform), with a focus on scalability and high availability
• Familiarity with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or equivalent
• Exceptional troubleshooting, debugging, and diagnostic skills for cloud and web-based technologies using industry-standard observability tooling and frameworks
• Deep understanding of modern distributed systems and the ability to troubleshoot WebSockets, TLS, DNS, TCP/IP, and similar protocols
• Dependable team player with a strong work ethic, exceptional accuracy, and analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on performance analysis and optimization
• Ability to take full ownership of projects (design, implement, test, deploy, maintain, and iterate), with a focus on delivering high-quality production software
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, collaborates effectively, seeks feedback, and strives for continual improvement

• The salary range for this role will be $150,000.00 - $200,000.00 USD. In addition, this position will also receive an annual target bonus of 12%. Bonus pay at NinjaTrader is based on individual performance (50%) as well as company/team performance (50%).
• Salary and bonus earnings are only two components of the total compensation package offered by NinjaTrader. NinjaTrader offers a 401K plan through ADP under which the company will match up to 3.5% of employee contributions. Annual paid time off allowance accrues at a rate of 23 days per year plus seven paid holidays.

This role is based in Chicago, IL.* We follow a hybrid work schedule: In-office Tuesday through Thursday, with remote work on Mondays and Fridays. In addition to these weekly remote days, we offer:

• 20 additional flex remote days annually


• 5 Company Wide Office-Optional weeks tied to major holidays

*There may be remote flexibility for exceptional candidates in the following states: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois (outside the Chicago area), Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, Wisconsin.

• Generous PTO
• 7 Paid Holidays Annually + 5 Conditional Holidays Annually
• 1 Service Day Annually
• 401k with 3.5% Company Match
• Paid Parental Bonding Leave
• Health, Vision, Dental Coverage
• Life and Disability Insurance Covered 100% by NinjaTrader