Distributed Systems Engineer

Location: New York, United States (Office)

On-Site | Full-time

Compensation: $225K - $300K

Our client is a high-growth fintech startup on a mission to re-imagine financial exchange infrastructure from first principles, delivering fair, robust, and transparent order execution. Founded by customer-obsessed engineers and researchers, the organization tackles complex technical challenges in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

The engineering team is focused on building a high-throughput, low-latency financial exchange. Depending on core technical strengths and interests, the successful candidate will contribute directly to the architecture and execution of critical systems, including matching engine development, trading APIs, or real-time market data feeds.

Key Responsibilities

• Core Exchange Development: Design, build, and maintain mission-critical exchange infrastructure components, including matching engines, low-latency trading APIs, and high-throughput market data distribution systems.
• Architecture & Scalability: Architect resilient, multi-tenant distributed systems capable of handling high transaction volumes with sub-millisecond execution requirements.
• Rapid Prototyping & Execution: Develop working demos and proofs of concept to rapidly evaluate, iterate, and deploy scalable solutions.
• Production Excellence: Drive rigorous standards for code quality, system performance, and reliability, delivering robust, production-ready systems.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with engineering teammates to solve complex domain problems, maintain high system throughput, and refine exchange protocols.

Minimum Qualifications

• In-Person Requirement: Ability to work full-time in person at our client's Flatiron office in New York City (or willingness to relocate; relocation assistance is provided).
• Systems Programming: Strong technical proficiency in modern systems programming languages such as Go, C, C , or Rust.
• T-Shaped Engineering Profile: Deep technical proficiency combined with broad domain knowledge to champion diverse solutions.
• Performance Focus: Strong commitment to code performance, system predictability, and robust production engineering beyond unit testing.
• Action-Oriented Mindset: Proven bias toward rapid iteration, building working proofs of concept, and shipping functional software.
• Communication & Teamwork: Exceptional communication skills with a track record of effective technical collaboration in small, fast-moving teams.

Preferred Qualifications (Bonus Points)

• Hands-on experience with Go (our client's primary systems language).
• Direct experience building or optimizing electronic matching engines or exchange mechanics.
• Experience with consensus protocols and distributed state machines (e.g., Raft, Paxos, Viewstamped Replication).
• Track record of building and scaling multi-tenant, large-scale distributed systems.
• Active open-source contributions or published technical research.

Our client offers a highly competitive total compensation and benefits package designed to empower top engineering talent:

• Target Compensation: $225,000 – $300,000 Total Compensation (TC), with final compensation tailored to technical depth and domain experience. Candidates are provided flexibility to determine their preferred allocation split between base salary and equity upon offer extended.
• Office & Meal Perks: Daily catered lunches in the Flatiron office, alongside full coverage of local commuter expenses.
• Relocation Support: Comprehensive financial assistance provided for candidates relocating to the New York City area.
• Paid Time Off: Unlimited PTO policy with a mandatory minimum of 4 weeks taken annually, plus flexible leave for sick, family, and mental health needs.
• Healthcare & Wellness: Comprehensive healthcare coverage, including premium medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.

Interview Process

Due to the high volume of applications we anticipate, we regret that we are unable to provide individual feedback to all candidates. If you do not hear back from us within 4 weeks of your application, please assume that you have not been successful on this occasion. We genuinely appreciate your interest and wish you the best in your job search.

Commitment to Equality and Accessibility:

At MLabs, we are committed to offer equal opportunities to all candidates. We ensure no discrimination, accessible job adverts, and providing information in accessible formats. Our goal is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace with equal opportunities for all. If you need any reasonable adjustments during any part of the hiring process or you would like to see the job-advert in an accessible format please let us know at the earliest opportunity by emailing human-resources@mlabs.city.

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Salary : $225,000 - $300,000