Principal Software Engineer (Trading Platform, Java/C++)

TL;DR

Principal Software Engineer (Trading Platform, Java/C++): Designing, evolving, and optimizing core trading infrastructure for a highly scalable, low-latency system with an accent on performance, scalability, and reliability. Focus on architectural strategy, JVM tuning for distributed systems, and ensuring compliance with security and regulatory standards.

Location: Onsite in Chicago, USA

Salary: $195,000–$220,000 USD annually

Company

hirify.global is an industry-leading trading platform and futures broker empowering traders with cutting-edge products and services.

What you will do

• Design, develop, and optimize Scala-based trading services for high-volume, low-latency, 24x7 environments.
• Lead architectural strategy for future-state scalability and performance optimization.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote best practices.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, engineering, operations, and security teams.
• Optimize system performance, focusing on JVM tuning for distributed systems.
• Enhance monitoring and observability of services for real-time trade execution.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
• Extensive experience with high-performance, high-concurrency distributed trading systems.
• Proven expertise in JVM and performance tuning.
• Experience supporting 24/7 production systems, ideally in trading environments.
• Deep knowledge of networking and protocols (HTTP/HTTPS, WebSockets, DNS, TCP/IP).
• Experience in Java, Scala, Rust, C++, or functional programming in exchange/trading environments.

Nice to have

• Experience in low-latency, lock-free development and multithreading.
• Familiarity with binary or custom trading protocols and messaging frameworks (Kafka, RabbitMQ).
• Hands-on experience implementing HTTP/WebSockets, REST APIs, OAuth, gRPC, and Redis APIs.
• Understanding of order handling/matching engines and FIX protocol.
• Practical experience with cloud-native technologies (Kubernetes and Docker).

Culture & Benefits

• Generous PTO, 7 paid holidays + 5 conditional holidays, 1 service day annually.
• 401k with 3.5% company match.
• Paid parental bonding leave.
• Health, Vision, Dental Coverage, Life and Disability Insurance covered 100%.
• Dynamic culture focused on social connection, professional development, and employee recognition.