About The Position
Kraken is seeking a Senior Software Engineer with C++ expertise to join their Trading Technologies sub-team. This role is crucial for building and maintaining the core framework and key software components of the Kraken trading engine, with a specific focus on the Aeron-based messaging transport layer. The engineer will be responsible for designing and implementing low-latency, high-availability messaging solutions, optimizing the full system stack for performance, and ensuring durable message replay and stream persistence. The position involves writing reusable, testable, and efficient code, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and contributing to the product roadmap in a distributed, remote team environment. Kraken is a mission-focused company dedicated to accelerating the global adoption of crypto and blockchain technology, offering a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge financial products.
Requirements
- 5+ years experience working with modern C++.
- Prior experience in at least one of the following using Linux — distributed and/or highly-concurrent systems; low-latency and/or high-volume transaction environments.
- Deep understanding of low-latency systems fundamentals: lock-free data structures, mechanical sympathy, cache-line discipline, busy-spin vs. park/wake tradeoffs.
- Proactive mindset with the ability to both prioritize tasks and adhere to aggressive deadlines.
- BS in a technical or quantitative field.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with Aeron or comparable messaging transports (e.g. Chronicle Queue, ZeroMQ, LMAX Disruptor) highly desirable.
- Experience with UDP networking, multicast, and kernel-bypass techniques (e.g. DPDK, RDMA) a strong plus.
- Familiarity with SBE (Simple Binary Encoding) or similar zero-copy serialisation formats a plus.
- Experience profiling and optimising code (CPU, memory, network) — perf, flamegraphs, VTune, or equivalent.
- High level of proficiency in Python, Rust, and SQL strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated knowledge of order types, trading systems, and financial products is highly desirable.
- Cryptocurrency/Blockchain familiarity highly preferable.
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain core framework and key software components for the Kraken trading engine, with a focus on the Aeron-based messaging transport layer.
- Design and implement low-latency, high-availability messaging solutions across unicast, multicast, and IPC transport paths.
- Tune and profile the full system stack — CPU pinning, NUMA topology, kernel bypass, receive buffer sizing — to squeeze latency out of production infrastructure.
- Build and extend Aeron Archive integrations for durable message replay and stream persistence.
- Build and design solutions that mitigate risk, implement security, and protect both systems and data.
- Write reusable, testable, and efficient code.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams and contribute to product roadmap accomplishment.
- Work collaboratively on a distributed team, leveraging soft skills to effectively communicate and engage with stakeholders.
Benefits
- Fully remote company
- Kraken Culture page to learn more about internal culture, values, and mission
- Opportunity to work on premium crypto products
- Kraken is committed to industry-leading security, crypto education, and world-class client support
- Opportunity to accelerate global adoption of crypto
- Opportunity to achieve financial freedom and inclusion
- Krakenites in 70+ countries who speak over 50 languages
- Equal opportunity employer
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
