Principal Software Engineer / Architect

Kforce has a client in Jersey City, NJ that is seeking a Principal Software Engineer/Architect to play a key role in the design and development of a next-generation global electronic trading platform. This is a highly visible hands-on role for someone who thrives in low-latency environments and is passionate about building scalable, high-performance systems that support algorithmic trading, smart order routing (SOR), and real-time market data processing. Summary: The Principal Software Engineer/Architect will play a critical role in defining the architecture and technical direction of a modern algorithmic trading platform, translating complex business requirements into robust, production-grade services, and partnering closely with trading, product, and infrastructure teams to deliver resilient, low-latency solutions. Key Responsibilities:

• Architect, design and develop a high-throughput, enterprise-grade algorithmic trading platform.
• Define the architecture and core components of an Algo Platform, including strategy orchestration, order lifecycle management, market connectivity, and execution analytics
• Design and implement execution algorithms (e.g., TWAP, VWAP, and other participation or liquidity-seeking strategies) with a focus on performance, determinism, and extensibility
• Development of distributed, event-driven systems using Java and high-performance messaging technologies
• Design and optimize Smart Order Routing (SOR) logic across multiple trading venues
• Leverage cloud technologies (AWS) to build scalable, secure, and fault-tolerant platform components where appropriate
• Establish and promote engineering best practices for performance optimization, reliability, observability, and code quality
• Provide technical mentorship across engineering teams
• 10+ years of software engineering experience with a strong focus on low-latency or high-performance systems
• Proven expertise building electronic trading or algorithmic execution platforms
• Deep proficiency in Java and concurrent programming, with strong API and distributed systems design experience
• Knowledge of execution algorithms, including TWAP, VWAP, or similar strategies
• Knowledge of Smart Order Routing (SOR), market structure, and order execution workflows
• Experience with microservices architecture and cloud-based deployments (AWS preferred)