Software Engineer: Early Career

Aquatic was founded with a shared passion for tackling some of the most complex challenges in one of the world’s most competitive arenas—global financial markets. From the very beginning, we have been driven by a deep commitment to applying cutting-edge scientific research and technological innovation to deliver unparalleled performance. Our journey is one of continuous growth and exploration, marked by a spirit of curiosity and relentless drive for excellence.

At Aquatic, we believe in pushing the boundaries of possibility. Our vision is to create the world’s leading quantitative trading firm, built on a foundation of applied science and a culture of relentless innovation. By harnessing the power of data, we aim to unlock insights and transform them into strategies that succeed in even the most competitive global markets.

Our goal is simple: to build the world’s best prediction machine. To achieve this, we are constantly exploring new opportunities and expanding our reach across global markets. We are committed to attracting and nurturing top-tier talent—researchers and engineers who share our curiosity and drive. Together, we aim to foster a culture of lifelong learning and collaboration, where every challenge is seen as an opportunity for growth and innovation.

At Aquatic, we are actively recruiting for software engineers in our Chicago or New York offices. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with some of the best and most experienced researchers and technologists in the financial services industry to build systems that are critical to the success of our company. 

Aquatic is a place where individual contributions have significant impact. As an Early Career engineer, you will rotate through 2 or 3 different technology teams, where your day-to-day will be focused on building systems that directly contribute to the profitability of the firm. As your skills and experience grow, you‚Äôll have opportunities to dive deeper into the research technologies at the core of Aquatic‚Äôs business. 

Responsibilities:

• Work 1-on-1 with senior engineers who will mentor and guide you in each tech rotation
• Apply hands-on software development using Python or C++
• Learn software design and testing techniques, such as Refactoring and Test Driven Development

Required Experience: 

• A bachelor‚Äôs degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent 
• A history of building software solutions in Python or C++. Stronger candidates will have knowledge of:some text
  • Event-driven architectures
  • Distributed systems
• Strong quantitative skills preferred
• No more than 3 years of professional (post-education) experience

Desired Qualities: 

• Strong bias for action
• Enthusiasm for detail
• Eager to learn through direct mentoring
• Prefers working in a team towards common objectives
• Comfortable providing and receiving actionable feedback
• Motivated by an ambitious environment and driven colleagues

The base salary for this role is anticipated to be between $150,000 and $200,000, which is based on information at the time of posting. This position may also be eligible for additional forms of compensation, such as a discretionary bonus, and benefits. Discretionary bonus can be a significant portion of total compensation. Actual compensation for successful candidates will be carefully determined based on a number of factors, including their unique skills, qualifications and relevant experience.

Benefits:

• Benefits: Fully paid medical, dental, and vision for employees and dependents, competitive 401k plan, employer-paid life & disability insurance
• Perks: Wellness programs, casual dress, snacks, lunch, game room, team and company events
• Development: Open environment to maximize learning and knowledge sharing
• Time: Generous PTO, paid holidays, competitive paid caregiver leaves

Aquatic Capital 

This role represents a unique opportunity to join a quantitative investment manager at the foundational level of building a world class operation from scratch. The firm‚Äôs culture will be shaped by collaboration, meritocracy, ambition, and calm determination. 

Aquatic is a proud equal opportunity workplace. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or any other applicable legally protected characteristics.