Software Engineer - Data Engineering

About Akuna

Akuna Capital is an innovative trading firm focused on collaboration, cutting‑edge technology, data‑driven solutions and automation, providing liquidity as an options market‑maker.

• Work within a growing Data Engineering division supporting the strategic role of data at Akuna
• Drive the ongoing design and expansion of our data platform across a wide variety of data sources, supporting an array of streaming, operational and research workflows
• Work closely with Trading, Quant, Technology & Business Operations teams to identify how data is produced and consumed, helping to define and deliver high-impact projects
• Build and deploy batch and streaming pipelines to collect and transform our rapidly growing Big Data set within a hybrid cloud architecture utilizing Kubernetes/EKS, Kafka/MSK and Databricks/Spark
• Mentor junior engineers in software and data engineering best practices
• Produce clean, well-tested, and documented code with a clear design to support mission-critical applications
• Build automated data validation test suites that ensure that data is processed and published in accordance with well-defined Service Level Agreements (SLAs) pertaining to data quality, data availability and data correctness
• Challenge the status quo and help push our organization forward, as we grow beyond the limits of our current tech stack

• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Math, or equivalent technical field
• 5+ years of professional experience developing software applications
• Java/Scala experience required – Python experience a significant plus
• Highly motivated and willing to take ownership of high-impact projects upon arrival
• Prior hands‑on experience with data platforms and technologies such as Delta Lake, Spark, Kubernetes, Kafka, Click House, and/or Presto/Trino
• Experience building large-scale batch and streaming pipelines with strict SLA and data quality requirements
• Must possess excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated experience working with diverse data sets and frameworks across multiple domains – financial data experience not required, but a strong plus
• Recent hands‑on experience with AWS Cloud development, deployment and monitoring necessary
• Demonstrated experience working on an Agile team employing software engineering best practices, such as Git Ops and CI/CD, to deliver complex software projects
• 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

In accordance with Illinois Equal Pay Act, the minimum base salary starts at $145,000. 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.