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Founding Data Engineer Jobs in Elmhurst, IL (NOW HIRING)

Akuna Capital

Performance Engineer

Chicago, IL

$145K/yr

... data driven solutions, and automation. We specialize in providing liquidity as an options market ... Our Founding Partners first conceptualized Akuna in their hometown of Sydney. They opened the firm ...

Rockstar

Software Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$150K - $225K/yr

The Founding Team Isaac Chambers * 3x founder * Started his career at Deloitte Consulting, focusing ... While at Pave (where he joined as the 10th engineer), he founded, grew, and led the data ...

Coinflow

Frontend Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$150 - $180/hr

You'll work directly with the CTO and founding engineers, moving from rough product idea to shipped ... Bonus: experience in fintech, crypto, or other data-dense, trust-sensitive product categories.

Akuna Capital

Security Engineer II

Chicago, IL

... data driven solutions, and automation. We specialize in providing liquidity as an options market ... Our Founding Partners first conceptualized Akuna in their hometown of Sydney. They opened the firm ...

Akuna Capital

Security Engineer II

Chicago, IL · On-site

... data driven solutions, and automation. We specialize in providing liquidity as an options market ... Our Founding Partners first conceptualized Akuna in their hometown of Sydney. They opened the firm ...

Coinflow

Frontend Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$150K - $180K/yr

You'll work directly with the CTO and founding engineers, moving from rough product idea to shipped ... Bonus: experience in fintech, crypto, or other data-dense, trust-sensitive product categories.

Davies Molding

Quality Engineer

Carol Stream, IL · On-site

$100K - $112K/yr

Partner with internal customers to drive data-based improvement initiatives. * Review internal ... Since its founding over 40 years ago The Heico Companies has grown from a single business to over ...

Cyclotron, Inc.

AI-Native Product Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site +1

$120K - $149K/yr

This person should operate less like a ticket-based contractor and more like a founding engineer ... Make thoughtful architecture decisions across data models, APIs, frontend architecture, backend ...

Cyclotron, Inc.

AI-Native Product Engineer

Chicago, IL · Remote

$120K - $149K/yr

This person should operate less like a ticket-based contractor and more like a founding engineer ... Make thoughtful architecture decisions across data models, APIs, frontend architecture, backend ...

Sedron Technologies

Senior Process Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$130 - $160/hr

Since its founding in 2014, Sedron has pioneered innovative solutions, including the patented ... Engage with vendors and external partners to obtain technical data and evaluate equipment ...

Quanta Services

Design Engineer

Oak Brook, IL · On-site

Since our founding in 1998, we have earned a reputation for delivering outstanding, accurate ... Analyze information from supplementary data sources including topographical survey, utility atlas ...

Quanta Services, Inc.

Design Engineer

Oak Brook, IL · On-site

$90 - $130/hr

Since our founding in 1998, we have earned a reputation for delivering outstanding, accurate ... Analyze information from supplementary data sources including topographical survey, utility atlas ...

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Showing results 41-60

All JobsFounding Data Engineer JobsFounding Data Engineer Jobs in Elmhurst, IL

Founding Data Engineer information

See Elmhurst, IL salary details

$44.3K

$129.2K

$176.8K

How much do founding data engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding data engineer in Elmhurst, IL is $129,195.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $114,000.00 and $136,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a founding data engineer?

Founding Data Engineers are among the first technical hires at a startup, responsible for designing, building, and scaling the company's data infrastructure from the ground up. They work closely with founders and early team members to define data architecture, set up data pipelines, and ensure data quality and accessibility for product development and business insights. This role often requires a blend of software engineering, data modeling, and strategic decision-making skills, as well as the flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing priorities in a startup environment.

What are the unique challenges and opportunities of being a founding data engineer at an early-stage startup?

As a Founding Data Engineer, you'll face the challenge of building data infrastructure from scratch, often with limited resources and evolving requirements. You’ll work closely with founders and cross-functional teams to define data strategies, implement pipelines, and ensure data quality. This role offers significant influence over technical decisions and architecture, and you'll likely wear multiple hats, contributing to both backend engineering and data analytics. The fast-paced environment fosters rapid skill development and provides substantial opportunities for career growth as the company scales.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a founding data engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Founding Data Engineer, you need strong expertise in data architecture, database design, and software engineering, often backed by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with cloud platforms (like AWS or GCP), ETL frameworks, programming languages (such as Python or Scala), and data warehousing tools is typically required. Exceptional problem-solving, adaptability, and collaboration skills set standout candidates apart in this role. These abilities are crucial for building scalable data systems and shaping the technical foundation of an early-stage company.

What is the difference between Founding Data Engineer vs Data Engineer?

AspectFounding Data EngineerData Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or higher in CS, experience in startup environmentsBachelor's or higher in CS, relevant data tools experience
Work EnvironmentEarly-stage startups, high flexibility, broad responsibilitiesEstablished companies, specialized roles, structured teams
Employer & Industry UsageFounding teams, startups, tech companiesTech firms, finance, healthcare, large organizations
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding startup data roles, early-stage responsibilitiesStandard data engineering roles, career progression

The main difference between a Founding Data Engineer and a Data Engineer lies in their work environment and responsibilities. Founding Data Engineers typically work in startups, handling broad tasks and building data infrastructure from scratch, while Data Engineers in established companies focus on specific data pipelines within structured teams. Both roles require similar technical skills and educational backgrounds, but their scope and context differ significantly.

What are popular job titles related to Founding Data Engineer jobs in Elmhurst, IL?

For Founding Data Engineer jobs in Elmhurst, IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Founding Data Engineer jobs in Elmhurst, IL look for?

The top searched job categories for Founding Data Engineer jobs in Elmhurst, IL are:

Founding Data Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founding Data Engineer job openings in Elmhurst, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 14% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 84% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 12% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $129,195 per year, or $62.1 per hour.

Performance Engineer

Akuna Capital

Chicago, IL

$145K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 18 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Contribute to the design and implementation of the trading engine by increasing its performance through benchmarking, latency, and throughput analysis.

  • Develop tools and applications for benchmarking devices and software, and assist with performance troubleshooting.

  • Collaborate with Trading, Quant, and Technology teams to analyze system performance, identify bottlenecks, and improve technology stack.

Job description

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 Partners first 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, London and Singapore.

What you'll do as a Performance Engineer at Akuna:

We are seeking to grow our Performance Engineering Team, which is focused on a rigorous and holistic approach to improving software, hardware, and strategy performance. This team is responsible for maintaining and increasing our competitiveness at the various exchanges Akuna does business with around the globe. As a member of this multidisciplinary team, you will be responsible for investigating new opportunities for optimizations and bringing these ideas to fruition. This can be achieved through software optimizations, analysis of hardware, orchestration of physical installations, analysis of exchange specific protocols, or building tools for gauging Akuna's performance. In this role, you will:

  • Contribute to the design and implementation of our trading engine by increasing its performance with projects such as benchmarking systems, evaluating new devices, latency, and throughput analysis
  • Develop tools and applications for benchmarking new devices and software
  • Assist with performance troubleshooting and identify key opportunities for improvement
  • Use a data driven approach to collaborate with relevant Trading, Quant, and Technology teams to expand and improve our systems, footprint, and latency across different strategies and exchanges
  • Review and analyze how we leverage our proprietary systems, identifying potential bottlenecks and considering how we can improve our technology stack to better our trading success

Qualities that make great candidates:

  • BS/MS/PhD in technical field - Computer Science, Math, Physics, Engineering
  • Strong C++ or Python programming background with demonstrated experience developing performant, scalable applications
  • Experience analyzing and tuning operating systems, compilers, networking, IO subsystems, or accelerators
  • Exposure to statistical and experimental methods and tools for testing performance
  • Highly collaborative in nature - excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to work on cross-functional teams including Trading, Development, IT, and Quant
  • The ability to react quickly and accurately to rapidly changing market conditions, including the ability to quickly and accurately respond and/or solve math and coding problems are essential functions of the role

In addition to technical skillsets, Akuna values the unique perspectives people can bring to the table to collaboratively solve complex problems and drive Akuna forward. We want everyone to feel empowered to apply. We welcome your application and encourage you to take the first steps toward your future with us!

In accordance with Illinois Equal Pay Act, the minimum 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. This role is also eligible for a discretionary performance bonus as part of the total compensation package and includes a comprehensive benefits package that may encompass employer-paid medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, paid time off, and other benefits. The minimum base salary herein was determined in good faith by Akuna Capital LLC.

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