Software Engineer Intern

About Akuna: 

Akuna Capital is an innovative trading firm with a strong focus on collaboration, cutting-edge technology, data driven solutions, and automation. We specialize in providing liquidity as an options market maker, meaning we are committed to providing competitive quotes that we are willing to both buy and sell. To do this successfully, we design and implement our own low latency technologies, trading strategies, and mathematical models.

Our Founding Partnersfirst conceptualized Akuna in their hometown of Sydney. They opened the firm’s first office in 2011 in the heart of the derivatives industry and the options capital of the world – Chicago. Today, Akuna is proud to operate from additional offices in Sydney, Shanghai, Singapore, and London.

What you’ll do as a C# .NET Desktop Software Engineer Intern on the User Interface team at Akuna:

Akuna is seeking a Software Engineer Intern to join the UI team for our 10-week Akunacademy summer internship program. You will work directly with Traders, Quants, and other Software Engineers to design, build, test, and maintain real-time trading applications. Each intern takes full ownership of their project, and at the end of the program, has the opportunity to present their work and accomplishments. 

Our applications are the primary way Akuna’s market-makers interact with the financial markets, and their performance allows us to confidently provide liquidity in times of volatility. In this role you will:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and develop Windows desktop applications written in C# .NET and WinForms/WPF

• Implement sound and robust unit and integration tests to ensure the quality of our software

• Continuously discover, evaluate, and implement technologies to maximize both user experience and development efficiency

• Participate in Agile/Scrum development and shadow application support process

Requirements for this role:

• Pursuing a Bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. in a technical field – Computer Science/Engineering or equivalent

• Graduating by August 2028

• Major GPA of 3.5 or above

• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required on the first day of employment including F-1 students using OPT or STEM

Previous experience in finance or trading is not required. Many of our engineers joined Akuna with little-to-no prior knowledge of the markets, and we pride ourselves on our ability to onboard those new to the industry. Training and continuous education are provided for all engineers to ensure they can build the requisite technical and non-technical skillset for success.

Qualities that make great candidates:

• Understanding of .NET Framework and C# programming language

• Familiarity with WinForm or WPF applications is a plus

• Familiarity in object-oriented programming and design patterns

• Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git)

• Understanding of unit testing concepts and frameworks (e.g. NUnit)

• Solid problem-solving and analytical skills

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a team environment

In addition to the above technical skills, Akuna values diversity of experience and perspective. We believe that engineers with varied backgrounds and interests allow us to approach problems from unique angles and to uncover innovative, optimal solutions. We want everyone to feel empowered to apply; we welcome your application, and we strongly encourage you to take the first steps in joining us in the future!

**Resumes must be submitted in PDF format. 

By applying to this role, you are indicating this is your top preference and acknowledge you will not be considered for other Quant and/or Tech roles at Akuna this recruiting season. This acknowledgement does not limit applications to Trading roles - in addition to this role, you may apply to any Trader roles of interest. 

We are an AI-friendly company and encourage employees to leverage AI in their daily work. However, AI assistance is not permitted during interviews or assessments. Our interview process is designed to evaluate your individual skills and judgment, and the use of AI tools will result in disqualification from the hiring process.

In accordance with the Illinois Equal Pay Act, the minimum annualized base salary starts at $145,000. Exact compensation offered may vary based on many factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and skill set. The minimum base salary herein was determined in good faith by Akuna Capital LLC.