At a Glance
- Tasks: Join a dynamic team to build and refine critical financial systems.
- Company: Alpaca, a leading self-clearing broker-dealer with a global presence.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, stock options, health benefits, and home-office setup.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for growth and learning.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the financial markets while working with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in software engineering, strong skills in Go, PostgreSQL, and Kubernetes.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 € per year.
Alpaca is a U.S.-headquartered self‐clearing broker-dealer and brokerage infrastructure provider for stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, fixed income, and 24/5 trading. Our recent Series D round brought total investment to over $320 million, fueling our ambitious vision.
Among our subsidiaries, Alpaca is a licensed financial services company serving hundreds of financial institutions across 40 countries with our institutional‐grade APIs, including broker‐dealers, investment advisers, wealth managers, hedge funds, and crypto exchanges, totaling over nine million brokerage accounts.
Our global team of 230+ diverse engineers, traders, and brokerage professionals spans the U.S., Canada, Japan, Hungary, Nigeria, Brazil, the U.K., and beyond. We are committed to open‐source contributions, fostering a vibrant community, and continuously enhancing our award‐winning developer-friendly API and robust infrastructure.
Your Role: As a Senior Software Engineer on the Clearing team, you will work on core clearing of U.S. equities and options and help build the infrastructure that enables new product offerings. The role focuses on highly‐critical, non‐user-facing systems that support the day‐to‐day operations of a broker‐dealer.
Things You Get To Do:
- Work in a team that values quality of thinking, excellence in execution, practical solutions, and responsibility over tenure or hierarchy.
- Own projects from ideation to deployment, cutting through ambiguity to build what is necessary.
- Design and build new systems that enable new products or unlock more revenue.
- Refine existing systems, improving them for meaningful, tangible outcomes.
- Learn about financial markets infrastructure that keeps markets healthy and functioning.
- Observe the company's growth, collaborate across teams, and influence product direction.
- Participate in on‐call rotations to keep systems in excellent shape, prioritizing issues that cause team friction.
Who You Are (Must‐Haves):
- Understand the seriousness of building systems that hold customers' money.
- Have a deep interest in how traditional financial markets operate.
- Can lead projects independently, taking ownership of all aspects from scope to delivery.
- Take responsibility for work; when issues arise, you resolve them directly.
- Recognize which design choices are critical and which can be adjusted as learning occurs.
- Seek out knowledge rather than guessing or relying on LLMs for decision-making.
- Remain open to new information and adjust ideas accordingly.
- Focus on long‐term impact and scale, staying with systems as they evolve.
- Have startup experience and understand shifting priorities in a business environment.
- Can provide constructive feedback and accept differing decisions.
- Possess strong attention to detail, and demonstrate thorough reading of job content.
- Have foundational knowledge of computers, internet, databases, distributed systems, and related tech.
- Be productive with Go, PostgreSQL, and Kubernetes.
- Have five or more years of hands‐on experience building reliable, distributed systems.
- Can design solid RESTful APIs and spot poorly designed ones.
Who You Might Be (Nice‐to‐Haves):
- Experience in securities clearing & settlement or securities finance.
- Experience with gRPC, Protobuf, Temporal, Grafana, Kafka/Redpanda, Helm, Docker.
How We Take Care of You:
- Competitive salary and stock options.
- Health benefits.
- New‐hire home‐office setup: one‐time 500 USD.
- Monthly stipend: 150 USD per month via a Brex card.
Equal Opportunity Statement: Alpaca is proud to be an equal‐opportunity workplace dedicated to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce.
Senior Software Engineer - Clearing in London employer: Alpaca
At Alpaca, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration. Our diverse global team enjoys competitive salaries, stock options, and comprehensive health benefits, alongside a supportive environment that encourages personal and professional growth. With a commitment to open-source contributions and cutting-edge technology, working at Alpaca means being part of a forward-thinking company that values your input and empowers you to make a meaningful impact in the financial services industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer - Clearing in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees at Alpaca on LinkedIn or other platforms. A friendly chat can give you insider info and might just get your foot in the door.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got a GitHub or portfolio, make sure it’s up to date. Share projects that highlight your experience with distributed systems and APIs, especially if they relate to finance.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on your knowledge of financial markets. Understand how clearing works and be ready to discuss how your skills can contribute to Alpaca's mission.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Engineer - Clearing in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Financial Markets:When you're writing your application, let us know why you're excited about the financial markets. Share any relevant experiences or projects that highlight your interest in how these systems work. We love seeing candidates who are genuinely passionate about what we do!
Be Clear and Concise:We appreciate straightforward communication. Make sure your application is easy to read and gets straight to the point. Highlight your key skills and experiences that align with the role, so we can quickly see how you fit into our team.
Tailor Your Application:Don’t just send a generic application! Take the time to tailor your CV and cover letter to the Senior Software Engineer position. Mention specific technologies and experiences that relate to the job description, showing us that you’ve done your homework.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it gives you a chance to explore more about our company culture and values!
How to prepare for a job interview at Alpaca
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of financial markets and the systems that support them. Understand how clearing works, especially in relation to U.S. equities and options. This will show that you're not just technically savvy but also aware of the industry context.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Be ready to discuss specific projects where you've taken ownership from ideation to deployment. Prepare examples that highlight your ability to cut through ambiguity and deliver practical solutions. This is key for a role that values excellence in execution.
✨Demonstrate Team Collaboration
Alpaca values teamwork, so be prepared to talk about how you've collaborated with others in past roles. Share experiences where you’ve influenced product direction or worked across teams to achieve a common goal. This will illustrate your ability to thrive in a diverse environment.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions that reflect your interest in Alpaca's mission and the Clearing team's work. Inquire about their approach to system design or how they handle on-call rotations. This shows that you're engaged and eager to contribute to their goals.
