Performance Engineer

Akuna Capital is an innovative trading firm with a strong focus on collaboration, cutting‑edge technology, data‑driven solutions, and automation. We specialize in providing liquidity as an options market‑maker – meaning we are committed to providing competitive quotes that we are willing to both buy and sell. To do this successfully, we design and implement our own low latency technologies, trading strategies, and mathematical models.

Our Founding Partners first conceptualized Akuna in their hometown of Sydney. They opened the firm’s first office in 2011 in the heart of the derivatives industry and the options capital of the world – Chicago. Today, Akuna is proud to operate from additional offices in Sydney, Shanghai, London and Singapore.

What you’ll do as a Performance Engineer at Akuna:

We are seeking to grow our Performance Engineering Team, which is focused on a rigorous and holistic approach to improving software, hardware, and strategy performance. This team is responsible for maintaining and increasing our competitiveness at the various exchanges Akuna does business with around the globe. As a member of this multidisciplinary team, you will be responsible for investigating new opportunities for optimizations and bringing these ideas to fruition. This can be achieved through software optimizations, analysis of hardware, orchestration of physical installations, analysis of exchange‑specific protocols, or building tools for gauging Akuna’s performance. In this role, you will:

• Contribute to the design and implementation of our trading engine by increasing its performance with projects such as benchmarking systems, evaluating new devices, latency, and throughput analysis
• Develop tools and applications for benchmarking new devices and software
• Assist with performance troubleshooting and identify key opportunities for improvement
• Use a data‑driven approach to collaborate with relevant Trading, Quant, and Technology teams to expand and improve our systems, footprint, and latency across different strategies and exchanges
• Review and analyze how we leverage our proprietary systems, identifying potential bottlenecks and considering how we can improve our technology stack to better our trading success

Qualities that make great candidates:

• BS/MS/PhD in a technical field – Computer Science, Math, Physics, Engineering
• Strong C++ or Python programming background with demonstrated experience developing performant, scalable applications
• Experience analyzing and tuning operating systems, compilers, networking, IO subsystems, or accelerators
• Exposure to statistical and experimental methods and tools for testing performance
• Highly collaborative in nature – excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work on cross‑functional teams including Trading, Development, IT, and Quant
• The ability to react quickly and accurately to rapidly changing market conditions, including the ability to quickly and accurately respond and/or solve math and coding problems are essential functions of the role

In addition to technical skillsets, Akuna values the unique perspectives people can bring to the table to collaboratively solve complex problems and drive Akuna forward. We want everyone to feel empowered to apply. We welcome your application and encourage you to take the first steps toward your future with us!

In accordance with Illinois Equal Pay Act, the minimum base salary starts at $130,000. Exact compensation offered may vary based on many factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and skill set. This role is also eligible for a discretionary performance bonus as part of the total compensation package and includes a comprehensive benefits package that may encompass employer‑paid medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, paid time off, and other benefits. The minimum base salary herein was determined in good faith by Akuna Capital LLC.