Location: New York, United States (Hybrid)
Hybrid | Full-time
Compensation: $200K - $300K
Our client, a high-growth fintech venture backed by leading industry accelerators, is developing a next-generation institutional trading venue for foreign exchange (FX) hedging. To drive this technical vision forward, our client is seeking a Founding Engineer with co-founder-level ownership to architect and build core financial infrastructure.
This role offers up to 5% equity and is designed for an ambitious, highly skilled engineer who thrives in an intense startup environment, works at an exceptional speed using modern AI-native development workflows, and is based in, or willing to relocate to New York City.
Key Responsibilities:
- Architect, build, and optimize high-performance, low-latency core trading and clearing infrastructure using Rust.
- Take end-to-end ownership of the technical roadmap, working closely with the executive leadership team to shape system architecture and execution strategy.
- Leverage AI-native development practices and agentic orchestration (running parallel AI agents) to maximize engineering velocity and output.
- Design and implement risk management, margin, netting, or settlement engines suitable for institutional-grade financial instruments.
- Maintain rigorous standards for protocol security, system reliability, and low-level code performance.
Expert Rust Fluency: Deep, hands-on experience in Rust is strictly required.- Core Financial / Trading Infrastructure Background: Demonstrated experience building derivatives, margin/netting systems, high-frequency trading (HFT) venues, clearing engines, or protocol security architectures.
- Entrepreneurial Ownership: Prior experience as a founder, CTO, or founding engineer (or fewer than 5 years of professional experience with exceptional output).
- AI-Native Workflow: Proficiency in high-velocity shipping using agentic AI orchestration (managing parallel AI agents to accelerate development).
- Domain Expertise: Highly valuable exposure to one or more of the following:
- DeFi protocols
- High-Frequency Trading (HFT) systems
- Kernel development
- Compilers
- Operating systems
- Physics engines
- Work Ethic & Location: Ability and willingness to work full-time on-site in New York City (or relocate immediately) and thrive in a 6+ day/week startup culture.