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Software Engineer - Python

Hudson River Trading · Chicago, IL · Research & Development Platform

Posted Oct 1, 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 tool you built that made other engineers or researchers faster. How did you know it worked?

What they are checking: Whether they think about developer experience and measure impact by how people actually use the tool.

Describe the hardest bug you've tracked down. How did you narrow it down?

What they are checking: Sharp debugging ability, which the posting names as a core demand of the role.

Tell me about a time you explained a technical tradeoff to someone who wasn't an engineer.

What they are checking: Clear communication, since engineers here work closely with researchers and traders.

What would you do

A research job that runs across many machines takes four hours and researchers want it faster. Where do you start looking?

What they are checking: Whether they measure scheduling, data movement and compute before guessing, which speeds up research iteration.

If you were asked to use an LLM to speed up operational support work, how would you decide what to automate and how to keep it safe?

What they are checking: Good judgment about where LLMs help and where a wrong answer in a trading environment would be costly.

A researcher wants a feature in a Jupyter extension that you think adds clutter for everyone else. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can understand the real need behind a request and find a solution that serves many users.

About the work

How does the GIL affect Python code, and what do you do when it becomes the bottleneck?

What they are checking: Real depth in Python internals and knowing when to use processes, native extensions or other tools.

How would you profile a Python service where you suspect time is going to system calls rather than Python code?

What they are checking: Whether they can profile at every level, from Python frames down to the operating system.

How would you design a service that watches risk limits for many strategies and alerts when one gets close to a limit?

What they are checking: Whether they can design something reliable and timely where a missed alert has real money behind it.

What makes Python code maintainable when many people work on it over years?

What they are checking: Their standards around typing, testing, structure and review for a shared codebase.

Explain how you would write a Python extension in C or Rust, and when that's worth the extra complexity.

What they are checking: Whether they know how to escape Python's limits and can weigh speed against maintenance cost.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Hudson River Trading 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 Hudson River Trading.

Hudson River Trading (HRT) is a quantitative trading firm at the forefront of technological innovation. We build and deploy cutting-edge systems within one of the world’s most advanced computing environments to power our global trading operations. Our bottom-up approach to projects and collaborative coding environment empower talented engineers to make significant contributions and see their impact daily. At HRT, you'll be challenged to solve the most complex problems in trading alongside many of the brightest minds in the field. We are always seeking highly motivated and skilled Software Engineers across many different teams at HRT. These roles demand exceptional programming fundamentals, sharp debugging abilities, and strong critical thinking and communication skills. Engineers at HRT work on a wide variety of platform and trading-adjacent projects. Examples include: • Improving scheduling efficiency of distributed computations, speeding up research iteration. • Enhancing developer experience through language tooling, jupyter extensions, and AI tools. • Leveraging LLMs to make operational support tasks faster and more efficient. • Profiling computer usage at all levels, from system calls to large scale distributed computations. • Building systems to interact with trading venues and monitor risk. Responsibilities • Design, develop, and maintain robust, efficient, and scalable software systems. • Debug complex issues across distributed systems in a time-sensitive environment. • Contribute to all phases of the software development lifecycle, from ideation to deployment and support. • Deliver exceptional experiences for internal users; your success will be directly tied to your ability to understand the needs of the people around you and apply your technical skills to efficiently meet them. Qualifications • Completed a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field. If you are currently pursuing your Bachelor's degree, please apply to our Campus/New Grad opportunities. • Previous experience at a top-tier finance or technology company with an excellent track record of rapid advancement and superlative reviews. • Experience with applications of cutting-edge technology is preferred; being a core contributor to said technology is even better. • Candidates should be prepared for technical interviews in Python. While there is no hard language requirement for these roles, proficiency in this language will be assessed during the interview process. • Kindness and empathy is a real requirement. No “smart jerks” at HRT.&nbsp; • Strong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and design principles. • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. • HRT ships every day. The ability to thoughtfully, methodically, and reliably deploy new software and features is a critical skill.&nbsp; • If you have management experience, that’s always a bonus – but even so, expect to code! The estimated base salary range for this position is 200,000 to 300,000 USD per year (or local equivalent). The base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This role will also be eligible for discretionary performance-based bonuses and a competitive benefits package. For more info about interviewing at HRT, see this&nbsp; <a class="c-link" style="color: rgb(35, 111, 161);" href="https://www.hudsonrivertrading.com/hrtbeat/engineering-and-interviewing-at-hrt/" target="_blank" data-stringify-link="https://www.hudsonrivertrading.com/hrtbeat/engineering-and-interviewing-at-hrt/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">blog ! Culture <span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Hudson River Trading (HRT) brings a scientific approach to trading financial products. We have built one of the world's most sophisticated computing environments for research and development. Our researchers are at the forefront of innovation in the world of algorithmic trading. \n\nAt HRT we come from a variety of disciplines: mathematics and computer science, physics, and engineering, media and tech. We’re a community of self-starters who are motivated by the excitement of being at the cutting edge of automation in every part of our organization - from trading, to business operations, to recruiting and beyond. Our culture celebrates great ideas whether they come from HRT veterans or new hires. At HRT we’re friends and colleagues – whether we are sharing a meal, playing the latest board game, or writing elegant code. We embrace a culture of togetherness that extends far beyond the walls of our office.\n\nFeel like you belong at HRT? Our goal is to find the best people and bring them together to do great work in a place where everyone is valued. HRT is proud of our diverse staff; we have offices all over the globe and benefit from our varied and unique perspectives. HRT is an equal opportunity employer; so whoever you are we’d love to get to know you."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":13185,"3":{"1":0},"10":1,"11":4,"12":0,"15":"IBM Plex Sans","16":11}" data-sheets-textstyleruns="{"1":0}{"1":328,"2":{"2":{"1":2,"2":16711935}}}{"1":402}{"1":917,"2":{"2":{"1":2,"2":16711935}}}{"1":945}">Hudson River Trading (HRT) brings a scientific approach to trading financial products. We have built one of the world's most sophisticated computing environments for research and development. Our researchers are at the forefront of innovation in the world of algorithmic trading. At HRT we welcome a variety of expertise: mathematics and computer science, physics and engineering, media and tech. We’re a community of self-starters who are motivated by the excitement of being at the cutting edge of automation in every part of our organization—from trading, to business operations, to recruiting and beyond. We value openness and transparency, and celebrate great ideas from HRT veterans and new hires alike. At HRT we’re friends and colleagues – whether we are sharing a meal, playing the latest board game, or writing elegant code. We embrace a culture of togetherness that extends far beyond the walls of our office. Feel like you belong at HRT? Our goal is to find the best people and bring them together to do great work in a place where everyone is valued. HRT is proud of our diverse staff; we have offices all over the globe and benefit from our varied and unique perspectives. HRT is an equal opportunity employer; so whoever you are we’d love to get to know you. Please be advised: Use of AI tools by an applicant during interviews or assessments is strictly prohibited, unless otherwise instructed or agreed upon. We employ various methods to evaluate the authenticity of candidate responses. If we determine that AI assistance was used by an applicant during an interview or an assessment, we reserve the right to immediately end the interview or assessment, disqualify the applicant’s candidacy and/or rescind any job offers extended. <span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Hudson River Trading (HRT) brings a scientific approach to trading financial products. We have built one of the world's most sophisticated computing environments for research and development. Our researchers are at the forefront of innovation in the world of algorithmic trading. \n\nAt HRT we come from a variety of disciplines: mathematics and computer science, physics, and engineering, media and tech. We’re a community of self-starters who are motivated by the excitement of being at the cutting edge of automation in every part of our organization - from trading, to business operations, to recruiting and beyond. Our culture celebrates great ideas whether they come from HRT veterans or new hires. At HRT we’re friends and colleagues – whether we are sharing a meal, playing the latest board game, or writing elegant code. We embrace a culture of togetherness that extends far beyond the walls of our office.\n\nFeel like you belong at HRT? Our goal is to find the best people and bring them together to do great work in a place where everyone is valued. HRT is proud of our diverse staff; we have offices all over the globe and benefit from our varied and unique perspectives. HRT is an equal opportunity employer; so whoever you are we’d love to get to know you."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":13185,"3":{"1":0},"10":1,"11":4,"12":0,"15":"IBM Plex Sans","16":11}" data-sheets-textstyleruns="{"1":0}{"1":328,"2":{"2":{"1":2,"2":16711935}}}{"1":402}{"1":917,"2":{"2":{"1":2,"2":16711935}}}{"1":945}">You can review our Global Applicant Privacy Notice , which explains how we process applicant information. &nbsp;

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