# Sr. Software Engineer, Backend - NT Connect

**Company:** [NinjaTrader](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/ninjatrader)
**Location:** Chicago, IL
**Role:** Backend Engineering
**Salary:** $100k – $150k/yr
**Experience:** 8+ years
**Skills:** Java, Scala, Kotlin, REST APIs, Websocket, Kubernetes, GCP, Distributed Systems, OpenTelemetry, CI/CD, Security Best Practices, Reactive Programming
**Posted:** 2026-05-20

> Senior backend engineer building scalable API and WebSocket services for a fintech brokerage platform. Requires 8+ years experience with JVM languages, Kubernetes/GCP, and distributed systems in a hybrid Chicago role.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain high-quality backend services that power the NT Connect brokerage API platform, ensuring scalability, reliability, and low-latency performance
- Architect and implement RESTful and WebSocket APIs for partner integrations, including introducing brokers, fintech partners, and third-party trading platforms
- Deploy and manage backend services in a Kubernetes/GCP environment, with a focus on availability, resilience, and observability
- Implement robust monitoring, logging, and alerting solutions using industry-standard observability tooling (e.g., OpenTelemetry) to track and analyze system performance in real time
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to deliver end-to-end solutions that meet partner requirements, compliance standards, and business goals
- Uphold and elevate engineering quality through code reviews, test coverage, CI/CD pipelines, release readiness, and incident response
- Drive architectural decisions and technical roadmap planning, helping shape the evolution of the NT Connect platform
- 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

## Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)
- 8+ years of software development experience with distributed, backend systems, preferably in a high-performance or near real-time environment
- Strong proficiency in one or more JVM-based languages (Scala, Java, or Kotlin); experience with reactive, message-driven frameworks is highly valued
- Proven experience designing and building RESTful APIs and WebSocket services for external partners or B2B platforms
- Experience with Kubernetes and cloud infrastructure (preferably GCP), with a focus on scalability and high availability
- Deep understanding of modern distributed systems and ability to troubleshoot across the full stack (HTTP/HTTPS, WebSockets, TLS, TCP/IP, DNS)
- Strong understanding of security best practices for exposed APIs and backend services: authentication, authorization, data isolation, encryption, and audit logging
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to take full ownership of projects—from design through deployment, maintenance, and iteration
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; a collaborative team player who seeks feedback and drives continual improvement
- Demonstrated use of AI coding agents and tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, or equivalent) to meaningfully improve personal and team productivity

## Nice-to-Haves
- Familiarity with financial systems and trading concepts: orders, fills, margin, account lifecycle, and regulated workflows (KYC/AML, reporting)
- Experience with FIX protocol, market data feeds, or brokerage integration patterns (FCM, clearing, or embedded finance platforms)
- Background in multi-tenant SaaS platform architectures, partner onboarding, and API rate limiting strategies
- Experience working in a regulated fintech, trading, or brokerage environment
- Familiarity with Pub/Sub messaging systems (e.g., GCP Pub/Sub) and event-driven architectures
- Familiarity with Node.js, particularly for API integration or SDK-adjacent backend work

## Compensation and Benefits
- Salary range: $100,000 - $150,000 USD + 10% annual target bonus (50% individual / 50% company/team performance)
- 401k with 3.5% company match
- 18 days PTO per year + 7 paid holidays
- 1 Service Day annually
- Paid Parental Bonding Leave
- Health, Vision, Dental Coverage
- Life and Disability Insurance covered 100% by NinjaTrader

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