Senior Software Engineer - C++ - Trading Technologies

Kraken is a mission-focused company rooted in crypto values, aiming to accelerate the global adoption of crypto for financial freedom and inclusion. The Exchange team builds trading backend services including matching engine, market data gateways, APIs, and margin systems. The Trading Technologies sub-team owns the messaging and transport layer of the trading infrastructure, built on Aeron for ultra-low-latency, reliable UDP messaging.

• 5+ years experience working with modern C++
• Prior experience using Linux in distributed and/or highly-concurrent systems or low-latency and/or high-volume transaction environments
• Deep understanding of low-latency systems fundamentals including lock-free data structures, mechanical sympathy, cache-line discipline, and busy-spin vs. park/wake tradeoffs
• Experience with Aeron or comparable messaging transports (e.g. Chronicle Queue, ZeroMQ, LMAX Disruptor) highly desirable
• Experience with UDP networking, multicast, and kernel-bypass techniques (e.g. DPDK, RDMA) is a strong plus
• Familiarity with SBE (Simple Binary Encoding) or similar zero-copy serialization formats is a plus
• Experience profiling and optimizing code (CPU, memory, network) using tools like perf, flamegraphs, VTune, or equivalent
• High proficiency in Python, Rust, and SQL strongly preferred
• Demonstrated knowledge of order types, trading systems, and financial products is highly desirable
• Cryptocurrency/Blockchain familiarity highly preferable
• Proactive mindset with ability to prioritize tasks and meet aggressive deadlines
• BS in a technical or quantitative field

• Develop and maintain core framework and key software components for the Kraken trading engine, focusing on the Aeron-based messaging transport layer
• Design and implement low-latency, high-availability messaging solutions across unicast, multicast, and IPC transport paths
• Tune and profile the full system stack including CPU pinning, NUMA topology, kernel bypass, and receive buffer sizing to reduce latency
• Build and extend Aeron Archive integrations for durable message replay and stream persistence
• Build and design solutions to mitigate risk, implement security, and protect systems and data
• Write reusable, testable, and efficient code
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and contribute to product roadmap accomplishment
• Work collaboratively on a distributed team, effectively communicating and engaging with stakeholders

Applicants may redact or remove information identifying age, date of birth, or educational attendance/graduation dates on their resumes. Qualified applicants with criminal histories are considered in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. Kraken is an equal opportunity employer and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on protected characteristics as outlined by law.