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Software Engineering Internship (C++ or Python) – Summer 2027

Hudson River Trading · Chicago, IL · Campus

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 program you wrote just because you wanted to, not for a class. What made you keep going?

What they are checking: Whether they genuinely love to code, which matters for a team that wants people who build on their own.

Tell me about a time you were stuck for a long time on a bug or a hard problem. How did you finally get unstuck?

What they are checking: How they handle frustration and whether they know when to ask for help instead of spinning alone.

What do you know about how an electronic trading firm makes money, and which part of that would you most want to learn about this summer?

What they are checking: Real curiosity about markets and the business, not just interest in a prestigious name on a resume.

What would you do

Your code gives the right answer on small inputs but is wrong on a big one, and you can't see why. What do you do first?

What they are checking: Whether they debug methodically by shrinking the failing case rather than guessing and changing things at random.

In your first week you're handed a project in a codebase you've never seen. How do you get productive fast?

What they are checking: Whether they can ramp up quickly and ask good questions, since projects start within the first week.

If your mentor suggests a design you think is slower than yours, how do you handle that conversation?

What they are checking: Whether they can disagree with evidence and stay open, which fits a bottom-up engineering culture.

About the work

Given a stream of stock trades with a symbol, price and size, how would you keep the volume-weighted average price for each symbol updated as new trades arrive?

What they are checking: Whether they can choose simple data structures and update state in constant time instead of recomputing everything.

Walk me through what happens in memory when you push to a vector in C++ or append to a list in Python and it runs out of room.

What they are checking: Whether they understand what their language does under the hood, which shapes performance in trading code.

How would you find the top ten most traded symbols in a file that is too big to fit in memory?

What they are checking: Whether they can reason about memory limits and pick an approach like hashing plus a heap without being led.

Explain the difference between a process and a thread, and when you would pick one over the other.

What they are checking: Basic systems knowledge that interns need to work on infrastructure that runs many jobs at once.

Write a function that checks whether a string of brackets is balanced, then tell me how it behaves on a very long input.

What they are checking: Clean coding under light pressure plus the habit of thinking about complexity without being asked.

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 seeking highly motivated full-time students to join our Software Engineering Summer Internship Program. HRT brings together the sharpest minds across quantitative disciplines—math, computer science, physics, engineering, and more— within our world-class computing environment to rapidly scale solutions to the toughest problems in tech and trading. Our software engineers create and maintain technology and infrastructure that is integral to the success of our trading. Ideal candidates are smart programmers who love to code, are eager to learn, and can thrive in an entrepreneurial environment. What to Expect • A hands-on introduction to all technical facets of software engineering in the algorithmic trading industry • Independent programming projects in Python, C, or C++, depending on the needs of the projectStructured and hands-on trainings, with quick transition into real projects within the first week • Opportunities to learn all about HRT's research and trading infrastructure, even in areas you may not be working in directly • Technical project work and mentorship, with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of global financial markets • Plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow interns, participate in team events, and explore the unique culture, food, and experiences that make each HRT office location and cities special. Qualifications • You are a full-time undergraduate student studying computer science or a related field • Programming experience in Python, C or C++ is required • A passion for technology and writing code that is elegant, readable, and efficient • Exceptional problem solving skills • Strong communication skills • Knowledge of trading and/or financial markets is not required for this position We offer a weekly base salary offer in addition to a competitive signing bonus, company-paid housing, meals, and other perks. New York: Weekly base salary of 5,800 USD Singapore: Weekly base salary of 7,650 SGD London: Weekly base salary of 4,350 GBP We do not allow multiple applications. Please apply to the ONE role you are most interested in and we will consider you for all open positions when reviewing your application. 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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