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 and London.

What you’ll do as a Software Engineer Intern on the C++ Team at Akuna:

We are seeking Software Engineer Interns to join our innovative and growing technology team for our 10-week Akunacademy summer internship program. In this role you will work alongside our trading and software teams to design and implement elegant solutions to complex and interesting problems. 

Software Engineer Interns at Akuna have the opportunity to use cutting-edge technology while working on high performance/low latency systems.  We offer a team-based approach to trading and technology, believing that productive integration of the two groups is vital for success in this industry. Akuna loves Software Engineer Interns who are self-starters and have the ability to problem solve and think outside of the box. We value innovation and hard work, and want you to make an impact in the firm. Whether you are interested in trading infrastructure, algorithms, models, exchange gateways, performance engineering, hardware, data capture and analysis or front-end user interfaces, there’s work to be done. If you are excited to jump in and make a difference, Akuna could be the place for you. 

The C++ teams work on applications where C++ is used for computational heavy-lifting and for applications that have timing-critical, low-latency processes such as trading strategies. C++ provides the flexibility and low-level control that our Software Engineers need to get maximum performance out of multi-core, super-scalar processors. No previous experience in finance or trading is required. Training and continuous education is provided for all Engineers to ensure they have the skills and knowledge needed to be successful.     

Qualities that make great candidates:

• Pursuing a BS/MS/ PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, Physics or related field
• Experience programming in C++
• Experience with several of the following -- distributed systems, networking, data structures & algorithms, and operating systems
• Exposure to scripting and rudimentary data mining and regression analysis, ideally in Python with Pandas and Numpy
• Strong analytic and problem-solving skills
• Ability to communicate with the trading team, obtain requirements, find solutions and implement them in a clean and concise way
• Passion for innovation and building systems from the ground up
• Ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment
• Self-starter attitude with the ability to work independently
• Strong sense of ownership
• Must be graduating by August 2026 or prior
• GPA of 3.5 or above
• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required on the first day of employment including F-1 students using CPT, OPT, or STEM

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 all women and underrepresented groups to feel empowered to apply, even if you don’t meet every qualification. We welcome your application and encourage you to take the first steps toward your future with us! 

Please note: By submitting an application to this role, you are indicating this is your top preference and acknowledge you will not be considered for other Quant and/or Tech roles at Akuna this recruiting season. This acknowledgement does not limit applications to Trading roles - in addition to this role, you may apply to any Trader roles of interest. 

**Resumes must be submitted in PDF format.