Database Engineer Intern Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

We are seeking a driven and intellectually curious C# Software Developer Intern to join our dynamic trading firm. This is an exceptional opportunity to gain hands-on experience building high-performance trading systems and commercializing financial technology products while contributing meaningfully to our operations. You will work closely with experienced engineers in a mentorship-rich environment, learning modern C# development practices, full-stack application design, and how to translate trading concepts into efficient technical solutions. This internship is designed to accelerate your growth as a software engineer while you help develop platforms and tools that directly power our trading operations. If you thrive on learning, enjoy solving complex technical problems, and want to understand how modern financial technology works at scale, this is the role for you.

• Develop Trading Components: Under mentor guidance, implement features for automated trading systems and client-facing applications, learning how to design algorithms and APIs that solve real trader problems.
• Product Development: Contribute to transforming existing trading platforms into market-ready commercial products, understanding the full lifecycle from internal tool to polished external offering.
• Full-Stack Development: Gain experience across the development spectrum—from backend algorithm implementation to API design to front-end application interfaces—in both Windows and Linux environments.
• Code Quality & Architecture: Learn and apply SOLID principles and modern C# patterns through hands-on code reviews, pair programming, and collaborative design discussions.
• Performance Optimization: Participate in profiling and optimizing system components; understand techniques for building responsive, efficient applications.
• Collaborative Problem-Solving: Work alongside traders and analysts to translate complex trading needs into technical solutions, developing your communication and domain knowledge.
• Documentation & Knowledge Sharing: Document code, design decisions, and lessons learned to build your technical communication skills and support the team.

• Strong Foundation in C#: Solid grasp of C# fundamentals, including object-oriented programming, async/await patterns, and the .NET ecosystem. Production experience not required; demonstrated projects or coursework show readiness.
• Core CS Fundamentals: Comfortable with data structures, algorithms, and basic systems concepts (threading, synchronization, network basics).
• Quick Learner: Able to rapidly pick up new tools, libraries, frameworks, and platforms with minimal guidance.
• Linux & Windows Familiarity: Comfortable working in both operating environments; understanding how C# and .NET behave across platforms is valuable.
• Collaborative Mindset: Excellent communication skills; eager to learn from mentors, ask clarifying questions, and work effectively in a team.

• Multi-threaded & Async Programming: Practical experience with concurrent programming, thread safety, async/await patterns, or synchronization primitives.
• Web API Development: Exposure to building REST APIs, HTTP protocols, or API design patterns.
• Front-End Development: Experience with UI frameworks (Windows Forms, WPF, or web frameworks) or interest in full-stack development.
• Additional Languages: Proficiency in C++, Python, JavaScript, or other languages broadens your perspective on systems design.
• Financial Markets Interest: Curiosity about trading, equities, options, or how financial markets work—we teach the rest.
• Database Experience: Familiarity with SQL or NoSQL databases; understanding of data modeling and query optimization.
• DevOps & CI/CD Basics: Exposure to Git, CI/CD pipelines, Docker, or deployment processes.
• Version Control & Tooling: Experience with Git, debugging tools, or profilers.

• Intellectual Curiosity: Genuine interest in understanding how systems work, from code architecture to infrastructure to business outcomes.
• Growth Mindset: Embrace challenges and feedback as opportunities to learn. We expect you to grow significantly over the internship.
• Ownership & Initiative: Proactive in seeking learning opportunities and taking on well-scoped responsibilities with decreasing oversight.
• Adaptability: Comfortable with ambiguity and rapid changes; thriving in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Collaborative Problem-Solving: Strong analytical skills with a preference for brainstorming, code reviews, and learning from teammates.
• Passion for Technology: Excitement about modern C# features, software design patterns, and building tools that solve real problems.

What you'll gain

• Hands-On Production Experience: Work with real, production trading systems and commercial products—not toy projects or tutorials. Your code is used by traders and clients.
• Mentorship from Experts: Learn directly from senior engineers with deep expertise in C#, full-stack development, trading systems, and financial technology.
• Full-Stack Understanding: Gain experience across the entire development lifecycle—from API design to front-end interfaces to performance optimization and deployment.
• Domain Knowledge: Build genuine understanding of financial trading, equities, options, and how traders actually use the tools you build.
• Career Acceleration: Build a portfolio of impactful, real-world projects and establish relationships with leaders in fintech.
• Potential for Conversion: Strong performers are considered for full-time roles upon graduation or at the conclusion of the internship.

Compensation: This internship is paid at $7,000 per month for the program.