Jobs › Akuna Capital

Software Engineer - C++

Akuna Capital · Chicago, IL · C++

Posted Aug 18, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

Apply at Akuna Capital

Likely interview questions for this role

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

Behavioral

Tell me about a time you disagreed with a trader or another non-engineer about how a feature should work. How did that get resolved?

ability to collaborate with domain experts who aren't engineers and hold their own technically

Give me an example of a project you owned end to end, from design through delivery. Where did it almost go off the rails and how did you keep it on track?

ownership and follow-through on projects without heavy oversight

Tell me about a code review where you pushed back on someone's design, or someone pushed back on yours. What happened?

how they handle technical disagreement and whether they can take or give critical feedback constructively

Trading systems fail in ways that cost real money fast. Tell me about a time you made a mistake in production or almost did. What did you learn from it?

honesty, awareness of stakes, and whether they build safeguards after mistakes instead of just moving on

Technical

Walk me through a low-latency C++ service you built or worked on. What made latency hard, and what did you do about it?

real depth of experience with performance-sensitive systems, not just familiarity with the term

What is the difference between move semantics and copy semantics in modern C++, and where have you used move semantics to fix a real performance problem?

whether the candidate actually understands C++20/23 features rather than listing them on a resume

Tell me about a time you used template metaprogramming to solve a problem. Why was that the right tool instead of a simpler approach?

depth versus overuse of advanced C++ features and judgment about when complexity is worth it

How would you design a multi-threaded order book that many threads need to read and occasionally update, with correctness and speed both mattering?

grasp of concurrency primitives, contention tradeoffs, and whether they default to locks without thinking about alternatives

Describe a project where you used Python alongside C++. What was each language doing and why did you split it that way?

practical judgment about tool selection, not just resume-listed skills

Explain how you'd design a distributed component that needs to stay consistent across multiple machines even if one goes down.

understanding of distributed systems fundamentals beyond a single-process mindset

What's a piece of object-oriented design you're proud of, and what would you change if you rebuilt it today?

maturity in design thinking and honest self-critique rather than defensiveness about past work

Situational

You have a Linux service that's suddenly showing higher tail latency in production. Walk me through how you'd track that down.

systematic debugging skill under production pressure and familiarity with Linux performance tooling

If a market is moving fast and your system needs to react within microseconds, but the correct answer also requires a somewhat expensive calculation, how do you think about that tradeoff?

understanding of speed versus correctness tradeoffs specific to trading systems

Describe a time you had to fix a bug in a system you didn't originally write, under time pressure. How did you approach understanding the code first?

ability to ramp up quickly on unfamiliar, mission-critical code without breaking things

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Akuna Capital from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Akuna Capital.

About Akuna:  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 Software Engineer at Akuna:  Akuna is looking for motivated self-starters to join our growing engineering team and contribute to the build-out of our proprietary options market-making trading platform. You will focus on analysis, design, implementation, testing and delivery of Akuna’s trading system using the latest technologies. Successful candidates will work closely with an industry-leading team of options Traders who participate fully in the design and ongoing enhancements to our proprietary trading platform. In this role, you will:  <ul> <li>Design and build mission-critical and complex trading systems </li> <li>Plan, design, and implement efficient, flexible, and resilient Linux services using modern C++ technologies</li> <li>Build software using Agile methodologies </li> <li>Participate in design sessions and code reviews </li> <li>Work on cross-functional teams to troubleshoot and solve complex problems </li> </ul> Qualities that make great candidates:  <ul> <li>3+ years of experience developing performant, scalable applications in modern C++ (and at least 2 years with C++ 20 or 23; template metaprogramming a plus) </li> <li>Experience with Linux and Python required </li> <li>Understanding of data structures, algorithms, distributed systems, multi-threading, and asynchronous execution</li> <li>Object-oriented design and programming experience </li> <li>Ability to take on projects and drive them through to completion in a timely manner</li> <li>Familiarity with trading and trading systems is a plus </li> <li>Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, or equivalent </li> <li>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</li> </ul> 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! Please note that level/title, as well as team placement, will be determined upon the conclusion of the interview process. If you are a current student or recent graduate, please take a look at our Entry Level and Intern positions.  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. The minimum base salary herein was determined in good faith by Akuna Capital LLC.

Apply at Akuna Capital

Software Engineer - C++

Likely interview questions for this role

Practice this interview out loud.

The full job description

Related jobs

Software Engineer (Entry-Level) - C++

Junior Quantitative Researcher

Accounting Intern (Term-Time, Part-Time)

Junior Trader

Fundamental Equity Analyst

Experienced Options Trader - SOFR