Jobs › Options Clearing Corporation

Associate Principal, Software Engineering

Options Clearing Corporation · Chicago, IL · $111,300–$153,200 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 17, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you coached other engineers on platform best practices. What changed afterward?

What they are checking: Whether they actually raise the team's skill level, which the role explicitly expects from this level.

Tell me about a time you had to push back on a stakeholder's request because it would hurt the platform.

What they are checking: Whether they protect long-term platform health while keeping the relationship intact.

What would you do

Teams across the company want custom fields and workflows in Jira. How do you keep the instance from turning into a mess?

What they are checking: Whether they can govern a shared platform and say no with reasons, not just grant every request.

An integration between Jira and another enterprise system breaks overnight and delivery teams are blocked. Walk me through your first hour.

What they are checking: Whether they triage calmly, communicate early and restore service before chasing root cause.

About the work

Walk me through the Confluence, Jira, ScriptRunner and SpiraTest environment you've supported. What did the integration picture look like?

What they are checking: Whether their hands-on depth matches the specific SDLC platforms this team owns and maintains.

Tell me about an Atlassian plugin you implemented. How did you evaluate it before putting it into production?

What they are checking: Whether they weigh security, upgrade compatibility and support risk before adding plugins to a regulated environment.

What have you automated with ScriptRunner, and how did you keep those scripts maintainable?

What they are checking: Whether their automation is versioned, tested and documented rather than a pile of one-off Groovy scripts.

How do you plan a major version upgrade of Jira or Confluence with minimal disruption?

What they are checking: Whether they think through staging, plugin compatibility, rollback and communication before touching production.

How does SpiraTest or a similar test management tool connect to Jira in your experience, and what traceability did it give you?

What they are checking: Whether they understand requirement-to-test traceability, which auditors at a regulated firm will ask about.

What's your experience with SaaS versus self-managed Atlassian, and how would you think about moving to cloud here?

What they are checking: Whether they can weigh data residency, compliance and plugin limits against operational savings.

How do you handle access control and audit logging on SDLC tools in a firm overseen by the SEC and CFTC?

What they are checking: Whether they know developer tools are in audit scope and manage permissions accordingly.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Options Clearing Corporation.

To be considered for this position, applications and resumes are accepted only through our careers site by directly applying to the posted job. We do not accept unsolicited resumes or sales solicitations from staffing agencies. Any OCC employee wishing to submit a referral must do so through their Workday account. Any resume submitted outside of an active job posting will not be considered for employment. What You'll Do: The Software Engineer will be a leading contributor on the team to plan, execute, and operate the Enterprise technology platforms we maintain. The team is looking for someone who can contribute through all phases of the Technology Delivery process. The Software Engineer will coach others through education of platform development best practice. The Software Engineer must have a background in SaaS/Low-Code implementation, system administration and can help others to contribute to platform improvements. Primary Duties and Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. • Provide technical leadership for planning, designing, installing, testing, and implementing solutions. • Provide subject matter expertise on the SDLC platforms we maintain (Confluence, Jira, Scriptrunner, SpiraTest). • Implementing Atlassian plugins and supporting integration with other enterprise software. • Ensure best practice adherence for core system development, security, tuning and performance. • Supports Knowledge Management (KM) program strategy, transformation, and technical implementation. • Creates knowledge documentation related to requirements and solution design. • Facilitates knowledge transfer sessions for administration and self-service. Develop a train the trainer model for support and administration. • Overall ownership of solution implementation and working with the team to ensure quality solutions that provide delightful experiences. • Ensure systems and process compliance to regulatory and organizational requirements. • Ability to stay on top of industry trends and best practices and propose process and tool changes to take advantage of new developments in the industry. Qualifications: The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary functions. • [Required] 5+ years of working experience in IT. • [Required] 3+ years of experience in implementing Atlassian products. • [Required] Experience with RESTful APIs, JSON, Scriptrunner, and XML. • [Required] Experience with Agile/Scrum or DevOps methodologies. • [Preferred] Experience working in Financial Services or otherwise regulated environment. • [Preferred] Experience working with SharePoint. • [Preferred] Experience with SQL, Python, PowerShell, or other scripting languages • [Preferred] Experience with System and Data Architecture • [Preferred] Experience or knowledge of SDLC pipeline tools such as Git, Jenkins, SonarQube or similar tools Technical Skills • Problem-solving skills and solution-oriented attitude. • Requires a complete understanding of the system development life cycle. • Highly motivated to learn new things and motivated by challenges. • Using analysis and critical thinking skills to determine and assess the needs of the user and then create software to meet the requirements. • Proactive attitude in automating processes as much as possible. • Ability to understand the strategic goals of the platforms we support and evaluate customer requests in that context. • Providing clear instructions to the project team, clearly explaining how the software works to the customer and being available to answer any questions that may arise using exceptional communication skills. • Working well with others on the team using effective interpersonal skills. • Being able to efficiently identify and resolve issues that arise during the design, testing and maintenance processes using problem-solving skills. Certifications • Certifications in Atlassian products are preferred. • Low code/COTS implementation certifications are desired. Education and Background • Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field preferred, 4 years of additional related work experience may be substituted for degree. • 3-5 years of experience of SaaS platform implementation and/or system administration. • 3+ years of hands-on experience developing and maintaining cloud platform technologies. About Us The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) is the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization. Founded in 1973, OCC is dedicated to promoting stability and market integrity by delivering clearing and settlement services for options, futures and securities lending transactions. As a Systemically Important Financial Market Utility (SIFMU), OCC operates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. OCC has more than 100 clearing members and provides central counterparty (CCP) clearing and settlement services to 19 exchanges and trading platforms. More information about OCC is available at www.theocc.com. Benefits A highly collaborative and supportive environment developed to encourage work-life balance and employee wellness. Some of these components include: • A hybrid work environment, up to 2 days per week of remote work • Tuition Reimbursement to support your continued education • Student Loan Repayment Assistance • Technology Stipend allowing you to use the device of your choice to connect to our network while working remotely • Generous PTO and Parental leave • 401k Employer Match • Competitive health benefits including medical, dental and vision Visit https://www.theocc.com/careers/thriving-together for more information. Compensation • The salary range listed for any given position is exclusive of fringe benefits and potential bonuses. If hired at OCC, your final base salary compensation will be determined by factors such as skills, experience and/or education. • In addition, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer. • We typically do not hire at the maximum of the range in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer a substantial benefits package as noted on www.theocc.com/careers • All employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus. Discretionary bonuses are based on various factors, including, but not limited to, company and individual performance and are not guaranteed. Salary Range $111,300.00 - $153,200.00 Incentive Range 8% to 15% This position is eligible for an annual discretionary incentive compensation award, for which the target range is listed above (see Incentive Range ). The amount of such award, if any, will be based on various factors, including without limitation, both individual and company performance. Step 1 When you find a position you're interested in, click the 'Apply' button. Please complete the application and attach your resume. Step 2 You will receive an email notification to confirm that we've received your application. Step 3 If you are called in for an interview, a representative from OCC will contact you to set up a date, time, and location. For more information about OCC , please click here . OCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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