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Trading Engineer - Execution

IMC Trading · Chicago, IL · Systems & Infrastructure

Posted Sep 30, 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 an incident you handled where communication mattered as much as the fix.

What they are checking: Clear communication under pressure, which the posting says this highly visible role needs.

Tell me about a system you improved because you understood how it behaved under real pressure.

What they are checking: Whether they learn from production to improve systems, which the posting describes as the core idea.

What would you do

An exchange session drops during trading and orders stop flowing. Walk me through your first five minutes.

What they are checking: Calm, ordered incident response on systems in the critical path of live trading.

How do you decide what to automate after an incident so it doesn't happen again?

What they are checking: Whether they turn support work into engineering that means fewer incidents and faster recovery.

How do you split your time when a big project is due and production keeps interrupting?

What they are checking: Whether they can balance operational support and project engineering, which the role does on purpose.

A trader insists on restarting a component during the trading day, but you think it's risky. What do you do?

What they are checking: Judgment on production risk and the ability to give clear advice to traders under pressure.

About the work

How would you tell whether a latency increase is coming from the network, the host or the application?

What they are checking: Troubleshooting across hardware, network and application layers, which the role owns.

What do you know about exchange order entry protocols like FIX or native binary protocols?

What they are checking: Familiarity with exchange interactions that execution systems depend on.

What monitoring would you add to catch problems in an execution system before traders notice?

What they are checking: Their approach to proactive monitoring, a stated goal of the role.

What Linux and networking tools do you use to debug a live trading host without disturbing it?

What they are checking: Practical skill debugging production safely when every microsecond and order matters.

How would you script a health check for exchange connectivity before the market opens?

What they are checking: Automation skills that reduce manual checks and catch problems early.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by IMC Trading.

We are looking for a multi-talented and passionate Trading Systems Engineer to join our execution development team. In this role, you will take ownership of systems that sit directly in the critical path of live trading, handling everything from hardware and network connectivity to application performance and exchange interactions. This is not a pure support role — and it’s not purely project-based engineering either. It’s intentionally both. You will split your time between: • Operational support of live trading systems , ensuring stability and rapid resolution of production issues.  This portion of the role is fast-paced, highly visible and requires strong troubleshooting instincts, clear communication, and the ability to remain calm under pressure.  If you enjoy solving real-time problems and seeing immediate impact from your work, this is for you. • Project-based engineering work , improving the reliability, performance, and automation of those same systems.  The goal is simple: fewer incidents, faster recovery, more proactive monitoring, and stronger systems over time. We believe production ownership and engineering improvement go hand in hand — the best way to improve a system is to deeply understand how it behaves under real-world pressure. Our execution systems are fundamental to our success and require dedicated ownership to ensure continuity throughout the trading day. You will play a key role in both optimizing today’s trading and building a continuously better platform for tomorrow. Your Core Responsibilities: • Participate in structured support rotations to provide real-time coverage for critical execution systems • Ensure continuity of trading operations, prioritizing and resolving system issues with urgency and composure • Diagnose novel production incidents, often coordinating across trading, development, infrastructure, and external exchanges • Monitor system performance and proactively identify risks before they impact trading • Build automation tools for system orchestration and operational efficiency • Eliminate recurring issues through root cause analysis and durable fixes • Partner with technology and trading teams to refine and deploy system architecture • Enhance monitoring, observability, and resiliency • Support and optimize core market connectivity Your Skills and Experience: • Passion for problem solving and new technologies. • 2-5+ years of experience in Site Reliability Engineering, Systems Integration, Production Engineering, or a related role in a heavily on-prem environment • 2-5+ years of hands-on experience with Linux operating systems, network configuration, and server management • Strong understanding of network fundamentals, including routing protocols, TCP/UDP, multicast, network offload, and kernel bypass technology • Proficiency in Python and Bash • Demonstrated curiosity and hands-on experimentation with technology—whether through personal projects, home labs, open source contributions, or deep-dive exploration of operating systems and networking • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related engineering discipline (or equivalent practical experience) The Base Salary range for the role is included below. Base salary is only one component of total compensation; all full-time, permanent positions are eligible for a discretionary bonus and benefits, including paid leave and insurance. Please visit Benefits - US | IMC Trading for more comprehensive information. Salary Range $175,000 — $225,000 USD About Us IMC is a research-driven trading firm where quantitative modeling, machine learning, and engineering shape how modern markets are traded. A stabilizing force in markets since 1989, we provide liquidity across trading venues, delivering the best outcome in value and risk management to investors. Using our own technology and capital, we build proprietary systems and algorithms that operate across global markets. Our researchers, traders, and engineers work as a collective, combining rapid experimentation, advanced infrastructure, and real-time feedback to turn insight into execution and execution into advantage.  

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