Staff Engineer - Trading, Order Management

Are you an engineering leader who thrives on architecting game-changing software from the ground up? Do you enjoy empowering teams to push technical boundaries and deliver high-impact solutions in a collaborative, fast-paced environment? Are you excited to leverage your deep trading systems experience to shape the future of financial technology? If so, we invite you to be a part of our innovative team.

As a Staff Engineer on the Trading team at Ridgeline, you will provide hands-on technical leadership and design expertise to create and scale our Trade Order Management solution. You’ll guide cross-functional teams to deliver complex, high-performance applications using modern cloud-native architectures. With access to cutting-edge technologies—including AI tools like Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and ChatGPT—you’ll help define and deliver an industry-defining platform that transforms how investment management firms operate. Your vision, mentorship, and ability to connect the dots across systems will make a meaningful impact on our team and customers alike.

At Ridgeline, how we work matters as much as what we build. Ridgeliners act like owners, choose growth over comfort, and communicate with transparency. We assume positive intent, bias toward action, and bring solutions—not just problems. We celebrate wins, learn from setbacks, and thrive in a resilient, collaborative, high-performing culture. If this excites you, we’d love to meet you.

You must be work authorized in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship.

The impact you will have:

• Design scalable, cloud-native applications using AWS and modern backend services to power mission-critical trading workflows

• Architect systems that are secure, performant, and maintainable while aligning with Ridgeline’s long-term product vision

• Lead by example in engineering best practices, including design reviews, testing strategy, and CI/CD adoption

• Guide and mentor teams of engineers across disciplines, fostering a culture of ownership, continuous learning, and technical excellence

• Partner closely with product, design, and QA to deliver features that delight customers and meet real-world trading needs

• Contribute to a collaborative environment rooted in transparency, feedback, and shared responsibility

• Leverage AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT to streamline development, improve code quality, and boost team productivity

• Actively participate in strategic technical decisions, roadmap planning, and evolving the team’s architecture and tooling

What we look for:

• 7+ years of software engineering experience, including leading large-scale system design and implementation

• Strong programming experience in Java or Kotlin (preferred), with an emphasis on backend systems

• Deep understanding of object-oriented design principles, design patterns, and test-driven development

• Experience with cloud platforms, ideally AWS, and modern development practices like infrastructure as code and CI/CD pipelines

• Familiarity with modern front-end technologies (e.g., React, TypeScript) and willingness to contribute to full-stack solutions

• Ability to think strategically, own complex problems, and balance short-term goals with long-term architecture

• Strong communication skills and the ability to influence technical direction across teams

• Serious interest in having fun at work

Bonus:

• Experience building or scaling buy-side order management systems

• Familiarity with FIX and/or SWIFT protocols

• Background in financial instruments or mathematics

• Exposure to performance-sensitive or real-time distributed systems

About Ridgeline

Ridgeline is the first front-to-back system of record for investment managers. Founded by visionary entrepreneur Dave Duffield (co-founder of both PeopleSoft and Workday), the company was created to modernize an industry held back by outdated, disconnected technology. Powered by a single, real-time data set and embedded AI, Ridgeline helps firms automate complexity, accelerate collaboration, and deliver tailored client experiences at scale, without added headcount or risk. Ridgeline is headquartered in Lake Tahoe, with offices in New York, Reno, and the Bay Area, and is recognized by Fast Company as a “Best Workplace for Innovators,” by Frost & Sullivan as a “Technology Innovation Leader,” and by The Software Report as a “Top 100 Software Company.”

Ridgeline is proud to be a community-minded, discrimination-free equal opportunity workplace.

Ridgeline processes the information you submit in connection with your application in accordance with the Ridgeline Applicant Privacy Statement. Please review the Ridgeline Applicant Privacy Statement in full to understand our privacy practices and contact us with any questions.

Compensation and Benefits 

The typical starting salary range for new hires in this role is listed below.  In select locations (including, the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, and the New York City Metro Area), an alternate range may apply as specified below. 

The typical starting salary range for this role is: $174,500-$205,000. 

The typical starting salary range for this role in the select locations listed above is: $185,000-$220,000.

Final compensation amounts are determined by multiple factors, including candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the amount listed above. 

As an employee at Ridgeline, you’ll have many opportunities for advancement in your career and can make a true impact on the product. 

In addition to the base salary, 100% of Ridgeline employees can participate in our Company Stock Plan subject to the applicable Stock Option Agreement. We also offer rich benefits that reflect the kind of organization we want to be: one in which our employees feel valued and are inspired to bring their best selves to work. These include unlimited vacation, educational and wellness reimbursements, and $0 cost employee insurance plans. Please check out our Careers page for a more comprehensive overview of our perks and benefits.

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