Fintech Programmer Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

What you'll do:

NinjaTrader is building NT Connect - our API-based brokerage integration layer that powers connections with introducing brokers, fintech partners, and third-party platforms. We're looking for a Sr. Fullstack Engineer to join the NT Connect team and help us design and build the services, APIs, and developer experience that make our platform a joy to integrate with. If you're passionate about crafting high-quality full-stack systems in a fintech environment where your work directly shapes partner outcomes and trading experiences, this is your opportunity. You'll work across the entire stack - backend services, API architecture, web tooling, and partner integration workflows - to create a scalable, secure, high-throughput platform. As a senior engineer on the NT Connect team, your contributions will significantly impact the developer experience, product roadmap, and overall business outcomes.

In this role you will:

• Contribute to the development, optimization, and operational health of NT Connect's web-based platform, building new features and maintaining existing ones across the full stack
• Design and implement scalable, efficient backend services and APIs using Node.js and TypeScript, deployed on cloud-based infrastructure (e.g., Google Cloud Platform)
• Collaborate closely with UX/UI designers to translate design prototypes into high-quality, scalable frontend code that adheres to NinjaTrader's design system and branding guidelines
• Ensure seamless integration of frontend components with backend systems, including account management tools, partner onboarding flows, and real-time market data feeds
• Develop and maintain real-time performance monitoring and logging solutions to ensure the platform remains responsive, observable, and production-ready
• Collaborate with other engineering teams, QA, and Product Managers to deliver end-to-end partner solutions that meet reliability, compliance, and usability standards
• Leverage AI coding agents (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code) and modern developer tooling to accelerate delivery, improve code quality, and raise the team's engineering velocity

What you'll need:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 8+ years of professional software development experience, with strong depth across both frontend and backend systems
• Strong backend engineering skills with Node.js and TypeScript, including building production-grade APIs, authentication flows, and API versioning strategies
• Proven experience designing RESTful and WebSocket APIs for external partners or B2B platforms
• Strong frontend engineering skills with a modern framework (React preferred); ability to deliver complex, data-driven UIs with high attention to design fidelity
• Hands-on experience with cloud-native environments: Docker, Kubernetes, and GCP
• Strong SQL and database knowledge, including schema design, query optimization, and migrations
• Experience with performance optimization, caching strategies, and event-driven architectures
• Demonstrated use of AI coding agents (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code) to meaningfully improve personal and team productivity - treating AI-assisted development as a standard part of the modern engineering workflow
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable working with partner-facing and cross-functional teams, with the ability to take full ownership of projects from design through deployment, maintenance, and iteration

Bonus points for:

• Familiarity with OAuth2, JWT, API key systems, or signed request authentication patterns
• Experience with financial, brokerage, or trading systems
• Experience with message queues or streaming platforms (e.g., Pub/Sub, Kafka)
• Experience building SDKs or developer toolchains for external integrators
• Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform
• Experience working in a regulated fintech, trading, or brokerage environment

Compensation:

The salary range for this role will be $140,000.00 - $190,000.00 USD. In addition, this position will also receive an annual target bonus of 12%. Bonus pay at NinjaTrader is based on individual performance (50%) as well as company/team performance (50%). Salary and bonus earnings are only two components of the total compensation package offered by NinjaTrader. NinjaTrader offers a 401K plan through ADP under which the company will match up to 3.5% of employee contributions. Annual paid time off allowance accrues at a rate of 18 days per year (some positions may qualify for more) plus seven paid holidays.

Location:

This role is based in Chicago, IL. We are not open to remote candidates for this role

Hybrid:

For Chicago-based employees, we follow a hybrid work schedule: In-office Tuesday through Thursday, with remote work on Mondays and Fridays. In addition to these weekly remote days, we offer:

• 20 additional flex remote days annually
• 5 Company Wide Office-Optional weeks tied to major holidays