Full-Time

Associate Engineer

Updated on 9/3/2026

Chicago Trading Company

Chicago Trading Company

501-1,000 employees

Proprietary trading using quantitative strategies

Compensation Overview

$200k/yr

+ Annual discretionary bonus

Chicago, IL, USA + 1 more

More locations: New York, NY, USA

In Person

Relocation to Chicago or New York is required; most positions are based in Chicago, with limited positions in New York.

Bachelor's, Master's

Category
Software Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Python
Distributed Systems
Data Structures & Algorithms
Java
Risk Management
C/C++

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Requirements
  • Apply data structures, algorithms, and multi-threading concepts to real-world problems.
  • Demonstrate curiosity about options trading, pricing, and risk management; no prior finance knowledge or experience is required.
  • Effectively communicate ideas in written and verbal form while demonstrating analytical skills.
  • Pursue a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a similar technical field, with experience in Java, C++, or Python.
  • Have a strong foundation in an object-oriented programming language gained through coursework or internships.
  • Graduate between December 2026 and June 2027.
  • Demonstrate a record of success through academics, awards, or similar achievements.
  • Be willing to relocate to Chicago, Illinois, or New York, New York.
Responsibilities
  • Design, code, and test sophisticated trading tools and risk applications.
  • Build distributed real-time systems for trading infrastructure and applications.
  • Participate in a combined trading and technology curriculum, including shadowing one of the trading desks.
Chicago Trading Company

Chicago Trading Company

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CTC trades its own capital in stocks, options, and futures for institutional clients. A team of traders, quants, technologists, and operations staff uses algorithms and data analysis to identify trading opportunities and execute trades. Profits come from timely pricing, risk management, and efficient execution, financed by its own balance sheet. The firm differentiates itself with internal capital generation, a collaborative culture, and offices in Chicago, Boulder, London, and New York to access global markets, aiming for steady profits by refining quantitative methods.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

Debt Financing

Total Funding

$300M

Headquarters

Chicago, Illinois

Founded

1995

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • CTC hired Citi's Ben Miller in September 2024 to grow EMEA ETF sales.
  • Open roles in 2026 span FPGA, AI, quant research, and execution engineering.
  • The firm expanded at 425 South Financial Place, showing continued headcount and capital investment.

What critics are saying

  • A 2023 data breach exposed Social Security numbers, passports, and licenses.
  • CTC still advertises privacy contacts, suggesting lingering remediation and compliance burden.
  • ETFs, systematic trading, and market making face brutal competition from Optiver and Jane Street.

What makes Chicago Trading Company unique

  • CTC specializes in options market making, not generic multi-manager trading.
  • It operates across Chicago, London, New York, and Amsterdam.
  • Pyth network integration in 2025 signals serious on-chain market-data infrastructure.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Parental Leave

Wellness Program

Flexible Work Hours

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

6%

1 year growth

6%

2 year growth

6%
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Susquehanna International Group, IMC, and CTC have invested in SpectrAxe to transform the $300 billion/day FX options market. SpectrAxe's Series A funding will enhance its all-to-all CLOB platform, enabling direct trading among market participants and reducing market fragmentation. The investment supports SpectrAxe's global expansion and platform improvements, aiming to modernize OTC FX options trading by replacing manual methods with an exchange-style environment.

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Sep 17th, 2024
Chicago Trading Company hires Citi's Miller as head of ETF sales for EMEA

Chicago Trading Company (CTC) has hired Citi's Ben Miller as head of institutional ETF sales for EMEA.

Business Wire
Apr 10th, 2024
MEMX Expands Investor Base With Leading Options Firms

MEMX, a market operator founded by members to benefit all investors, today announced the successful completion of a strategic equity round of funding