Back to jobs

Software Engineer - Low Touch Desk

Chicago, IL

About Clear Street:

Clear Street’s mission is to give every sophisticated investor access to every asset, in every market, through a unified platform built for speed, transparency and scale.

We give our clients the technology, tools, and service once reserved for the largest institutions, rebuilt with modern infrastructure. Our single, cloud-native, end-to-end capital markets platform powers investor growth today and is transforming how they can interact with markets tomorrow.

For more information, visit https://clearstreet.io.

 

The Role:

We are seeking an Experienced Software Engineer to join our Algorithmic Execution Services team, focusing on the design, development and maintenance of high-performance trading systems and their underlying algorithms.

  • Enhance and develop: Responsible for improving existing core system components and support tools.
  • Full-stack development: Design, develop, test, and deploy system enhancements.
  • High-performance systems: Build highly available, horizontally scalable, mission-critical applications using modern technology.
  • Problem-solving and collaboration: Hone advanced engineering skills by tackling challenges and working with stakeholders to define and deliver new features.
  • Domain expertise: Develop a deep understanding of the business domain through this work.

 

The Team: 

The Algorithmic Execution Services  team builds Clear Street’s electronic trading platform, supporting best execution across asset classes and regions. We develop low-latency order routing, algorithmic strategies, smart order logic, and direct market access.

Our focus is performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency—enabling faster execution, smarter routing, and real-time risk controls. Working at the intersection of trading and engineering, AES powers Clear Street’s most advanced trading workflows and sophisticated order handling with the flexibility to service both the active trader and institutional workflows.

 

Requirements: 

  • Ideally 10+ years of experience in developing high-performance algorithmic financial applications.
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, Math, or a related STEM field.
  • Adaptability to a fast-paced, dynamic environment with evolving priorities.
  • Ability to effectively communicate technical information 
  • Strong computer programming skills using Java and Python in a Linux environment.
  • Strong understanding of financial markets.
  • Relevant experience using FIX and binary protocols communicating with counterparties.
  • Experience with low latency, multi-threaded programming and distributed application architecture.
  • Strong understanding of computer systems, including operating systems, networks, and performance optimization.
  • Experience with modern software development practices and tools.
  • Strong passion for technology and continuous learning.
  • Experience with relational databases, preferably Oracle and Postgres.

Bonus:

  • Experience with publish/subscribe multicast protocols.
  • Proficiency in optimizing critical code paths.
  • Experience in unit test development.
  • Familiarity with containerization technologies, such as Docker.

Tech Stack: Our tech stack is primarily Java, Python and C++.

 

We Offer:
The Base Salary Range is $200,000 - $250,000. These ranges are representative of the starting base salaries for this role at Clear Street. Which range a candidate fits into and where a candidate falls in the range will be based on job related factors such as relevant experience, skills, and location. These ranges represent Base Salary only, which is just one element of Clear Street's total compensation. The ranges stated do not include other factors of total compensation such as bonuses or equity.

At Clear Street, we offer competitive compensation packages, company equity, 401k matching, gender neutral parental leave, and full medical, dental and vision insurance. Our belief has always been that we are better as a business when we are all together in person. We are requiring employees to be in the office 4 days per week. In-office benefits include lunch stipends, fully stocked kitchens, happy hours, a great location, and amazing views.

Our top priority is our people. We’re continuously investing in a culture that promotes collaboration. We help each other through challenges and celebrate each other's successes. We believe that modern workplaces succeed by virtue of having high-performance workforces that are diverse — in ideas, in cultures, and in experiences. We put in the effort to make such a workplace a daily reality and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  

#LI-Hybrid

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Clear Street? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

U.S. Standard Demographic Questions

We invite all applicants to share their demographic background. If you choose to complete this survey, your responses may be used to identify areas of improvement in our hiring process. Your responses will not affect your candidacy in any way.

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Clear Street’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.