Internship Kernel Developer 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 while contributing meaningfully to our operations. You will work closely with experienced engineers in a mentorship-rich environment, learning cutting-edge low-latency systems design, trading infrastructure, and modern C++ development practices. This internship is designed to accelerate your growth as a software engineer while you help develop tools and strategies that directly impact our trading operations. If you thrive on learning, enjoy solving complex technical problems, and want to understand how financial technology works at scale, this is the role for you.

Key Responsibilities & Learning Objectives 

• Develop and Optimize Components: Under mentor guidance, design and implement features for automated trading systems, with emphasis on understanding the 'why' behind architectural decisions in high-performance environments.
• Collaborative Development: Contribute to core trading platform enhancements alongside senior engineers, learning best practices for low-latency, distributed systems.
• Code Quality & Design: Learn and apply SOLID principles, modern C++ patterns, and system design concepts through hands-on code reviews and pair programming sessions.
• Performance Analysis: Participate in profiling and optimizing trading system components; understand tuning techniques for real-time operations.
• Documentation & Knowledge Sharing: Document code, design decisions, and lessons learned to build your technical communication skills.
• Problem-Solving: Work on well-scoped technical challenges that build your analytical and debugging skills in a production environment.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Strong Foundation in C++: Solid grasp of C++ fundamentals (STL, memory management, move semantics, templates). Production experience not required; demonstrated projects or coursework show readiness.
• Core CS Fundamentals: Comfortable with data structures, algorithms, and basic systems concepts (threading, process synchronization).
• Quick Learner: Able to rapidly pick up new tools, libraries, and frameworks with minimal guidance.
• Linux Familiarity: Comfortable working in Linux environments; shell scripting and command-line tools are a plus.
• Collaborative Mindset: Excellent communication skills; eager to learn from mentors and ask clarifying questions.

Preferred Skills

• Multi-threading Experience: Practical familiarity with concurrent programming, thread safety, and synchronization primitives.
• Network Programming: Exposure to socket programming, TCP/IP, or distributed system basics.
• Additional Languages: Proficiency in Python, C#, or other systems languages broadens your perspective.
• Financial Markets Interest: Curiosity about trading, equities, options, or how financial markets work—we teach the rest.
• Database Exposure: Familiarity with SQL or understanding of how databases store and retrieve data at scale.
• Version Control & Tooling: Experience with Git, debugging tools (gdb, valgrind), or profilers (perf, flamegraph).

Personal Attributes

• Intellectual Curiosity: Genuine interest in understanding how systems work, from code 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 minimal oversight.
• Adaptability: Comfortable with ambiguity and rapid changes; thriving in a fast-paced, high-performance environment.
• Collaborative Problem-Solving: Strong analytical skills with a preference for brainstorming and learning from teammates.
• Passion for Technology: Excitement about staying current with modern C++ and high-performance systems.

What You'll Gain

• Hands-On Production Experience: Work in a real, production trading environment—not a sandbox. Your code runs strategies that generate revenue.
• Mentorship from Experts: Learn directly from senior engineers with deep expertise in low-latency systems, C++, and financial technology.
• Comprehensive Technical Knowledge: Understand high-performance systems design, from kernel tuning to network stack optimization.
• Career Acceleration: Build a portfolio of impactful 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.