Talent Pool: Trading Systems Engineer

About the role

Flow Traders is building a talent pool for a Trading Systems Engineer position based in New York. The firm operates electronic trading platforms and relies on engineered systems to support its trading activities across multiple markets. This role is part of a rolling recruitment process where qualified candidates are considered as relevant openings arise over time. The position involves working closely with infrastructure that underpins the firm's trading operations and enables fast execution of orders, with candidates contributing to the reliability and performance of systems central to the firm's business.

Key facts

What you'll do

Design and maintain trading system components that support electronic order execution and market connectivity.

Monitor and optimize the performance of low-latency infrastructure used for real-time trade processing.

Collaborate with quantitative and development teams to integrate new trading strategies into production systems.

Troubleshoot and resolve issues in trading applications, network layers, and data feed handlers.

Implement automated testing frameworks to validate system behavior before deployment to live trading environments.

Manage version control and deployment pipelines for trading software across development and production stages.

Analyze system logs and metrics to identify bottlenecks and improve overall trading infrastructure reliability.

Support the configuration and upkeep of servers, switches, and network equipment used for trading.

Document system architectures, operational procedures, and incident response plans for internal knowledge sharing.

Participate in on-call rotations to provide rapid response during market hours for critical incidents.

Coordinate with risk management teams to ensure trading systems comply with internal controls and regulatory requirements.

Participate in capacity planning exercises to ensure infrastructure can handle peak trading volumes and market events.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution.

Experience with Linux operating systems, including administration, scripting, and performance tuning in production environments.

Familiarity with networking protocols such as TCP/IP, multicast, and FIX protocol for trading applications.

Proficiency in at least one programming language commonly used for systems-level development and automation.

Understanding of distributed systems concepts including concurrency, fault tolerance, and horizontal scaling patterns.

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment where system uptime directly affects financial outcomes.

Strong analytical skills with the capacity to diagnose complex issues across multiple system layers.

Comfort with on-site presence in New York during regular business hours and market sessions.

Experience with cloud computing platforms and virtualization technologies is valuable for managing scalable trading infrastructure.

Knowledge of security best practices including access control, encryption, and audit logging for trading systems.

Nice to have

Prior experience working at a proprietary trading firm, electronic market maker, or similar financial institution.

Exposure to low-latency networking setups including kernel bypass techniques and specialized hardware accelerators.

Knowledge of containerization and orchestration platforms such as Docker and Kubernetes for service deployment.

Background in market data processing, including handling high-throughput feeds from multiple exchanges simultaneously.

Skills & tools

Linux system administration and shell scripting for automating operational tasks across trading infrastructure.

Programming languages such as C, C++, Python, or Go for building and extending systems.

Networking fundamentals including packet analysis, firewall configuration, and latency measurement techniques.

Version control systems like Git for managing source code and configuration files.

Monitoring and observability tools for tracking system health, latency, and throughput metrics.

Database systems and message queues used for storing and routing trading-related data.

Financial market data formats and protocols used in electronic trading environments.

Incident management and change control processes in production trading environments.

Practical notes

This listing is part of a talent pool, meaning selected candidates will be contacted as suitable roles open up.

The position is based in New York and requires regular on-site attendance during market trading hours.

Candidates should be prepared for a thorough technical interview process that includes system design and coding exercises.

Flow Traders values candidates who demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities and a deep interest in trading technology.

The hiring process may involve multiple rounds of interviews with engineering managers and senior team members.

The firm offers a collaborative engineering culture with opportunities to learn about electronic market structure and trading workflows.

Flow Traders is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals.