Investment Management CPT Jobs in Illinois
Investment management F-1 CPT sponsorship jobs in Illinois are concentrated in Chicago, where firms like Morningstar, Northern Trust, and Baird operate large research and portfolio teams. International students at University of Chicago, Northwestern, and University of Illinois Chicago frequently pursue CPT roles in asset management, quantitative research, and fund operations across the city's dense financial district.
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Get Access To All JobsAbout Akuna
Akuna Capital is an innovative trading firm with a strong focus on collaboration, cutting-edge technology, data-driven solutions, and automation. We specialize in providing liquidity on a variety of exchanges across various asset classes, primarily as an options market maker. To do this successfully, we build and maintain our own low-latency technologies, including application frameworks, trading strategies, and mathematical models. Our Founding Partners first conceptualized Akuna in their hometown of Sydney, Australia. They opened the firm's first office in 2011 in the heart of the derivatives industry and the options capital of the world – Chicago. Today, Akuna is proud to operate from additional offices around the world: Sydney, Shanghai, Singapore, and London.
What you'll do as a C++ Software Engineer Intern at Akuna:
C++ software engineer interns at Akuna have the opportunity to work on a variety of high-performance systems that power the firm's core business operations. Our interns are embedded on small-to-medium-sized teams that frequently interface with Quant and Trading, allowing them to focus on a specific domain area while still experiencing the day-to-day life of an Akuna software engineer. Akuna's C++ systems are heavily multithreaded, asynchronous, and distributed by nature, which comes with a slew of challenges; our engineers are tasked with ensuring these systems are reliable, efficient, scalable, and flexible enough for even the most niche use cases. Over their 10-week Akunacademy experience, software engineer interns will work on one or more valuable projects, progressing from ideation and design all the way to delivery and maintenance. These projects range from adding functionality onto existing systems to implementing brand new componentry to experimenting with new technologies and patterns to better understand the solution space. Akuna is looking for software engineer interns who are motivated, can solve complex problems, and are willing to reach for creative solutions when faced with novel problems. We value innovation, hard work, and knowledge, and we want our engineer interns to make a direct impact on the firm. Whether you are interested in algorithms and data structures, concurrency, networking and protocols, performance tuning, data capture and analysis, mathematical modeling, hardware, or something else, there's engaging work to be done.
Requirements for This Role
- Pursuing a bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. in a technical field (computer science/engineering, math, physics, or equivalent)
- Graduating by August 2028
- Legal authorization to work in the U.S. as of the first day of employment, including F-1 students using OPT or STEM
Previous experience in finance or trading is not required. Many of our engineers joined Akuna with little-to-no prior knowledge of the markets, and we pride ourselves on our ability to onboard those new to the industry. Training and continuous education are provided for all engineers to ensure they can build the requisite technical and non-technical skillset for success.
Qualities That Make a Great C++ Software Engineer Candidate
- Experience programming in modern C++ (C++20 or later; C++23 preferred)
- Experience with several of the following
- Distributed systems
- Parallel processing
- Asynchronous architectures
- Networking or protocol encoding/decoding
- Lock-free data structures and algorithms
- Performance profiling (e.g. perf, gprof, vtune)
- Scripting, such as in Python or shell
- Familiarity with standard debugging tools (e.g. GDB, Valgrind, address sanitizer)
- The ability to effectively communicate with non-technical stakeholders in Quant and Trading to obtain requirements, workshop solutions, and implement agreed-upon roadmaps
- The ability to react quickly and effectively to rapidly changing market conditions, including the ability to quickly and accurately respond and/or solve math and coding problems, is an essential function of the role
- A passion for building complex systems from the ground up
- The ability to collaborate with other developers of different backgrounds, specialties, and knowledge levels to collectively deliver cohesive solutions to non-trivial problems
- An intrinsically motivated attitude and the ability to work independently
- A strong sense of ownership, including a drive to fix bugs when they inevitably arise
In addition to the above technical skills, Akuna values diversity of experience and perspective. We believe that engineers with varied backgrounds and interests allow us to approach problems from unique angles and to uncover innovative, optimal solutions. We want everyone to feel empowered to apply; we welcome your application, and we strongly encourage you to take the first steps in joining us in the future!
Resumes must be submitted in PDF format. By applying to this role, you are indicating this is your top preference and acknowledge you will not be considered for other Quant and/or Tech roles at Akuna this recruiting season. This acknowledgement does not limit applications to Trading roles - in addition to this role, you may apply to any Trader roles of interest. We are an AI-friendly company and encourage employees to leverage AI in their daily work. However, AI assistance is not permitted during interviews or assessments. Our interview process is designed to evaluate your individual skills and judgment, and the use of AI tools will result in disqualification from the hiring process.
In accordance with the Illinois Equal Pay Act, the minimum base salary starts at $145,000. Exact compensation offered may vary based on many factors including, but not limited to, the candidate's experience, qualifications, and skill set. This role is also eligible for a discretionary performance bonus as part of the total compensation package and includes a comprehensive benefits package that may encompass employer-paid medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, paid time off, and other benefits. The minimum base salary herein was determined in good faith by Akuna Capital LLC.
About Akuna
Akuna Capital is an innovative trading firm with a strong focus on collaboration, cutting-edge technology, data-driven solutions, and automation. We specialize in providing liquidity on a variety of exchanges across various asset classes, primarily as an options market maker. To do this successfully, we build and maintain our own low-latency technologies, including application frameworks, trading strategies, and mathematical models. Our Founding Partners first conceptualized Akuna in their hometown of Sydney, Australia. They opened the firm's first office in 2011 in the heart of the derivatives industry and the options capital of the world – Chicago. Today, Akuna is proud to operate from additional offices around the world: Sydney, Shanghai, Singapore, and London.
What you'll do as a C++ Software Engineer Intern at Akuna:
C++ software engineer interns at Akuna have the opportunity to work on a variety of high-performance systems that power the firm's core business operations. Our interns are embedded on small-to-medium-sized teams that frequently interface with Quant and Trading, allowing them to focus on a specific domain area while still experiencing the day-to-day life of an Akuna software engineer. Akuna's C++ systems are heavily multithreaded, asynchronous, and distributed by nature, which comes with a slew of challenges; our engineers are tasked with ensuring these systems are reliable, efficient, scalable, and flexible enough for even the most niche use cases. Over their 10-week Akunacademy experience, software engineer interns will work on one or more valuable projects, progressing from ideation and design all the way to delivery and maintenance. These projects range from adding functionality onto existing systems to implementing brand new componentry to experimenting with new technologies and patterns to better understand the solution space. Akuna is looking for software engineer interns who are motivated, can solve complex problems, and are willing to reach for creative solutions when faced with novel problems. We value innovation, hard work, and knowledge, and we want our engineer interns to make a direct impact on the firm. Whether you are interested in algorithms and data structures, concurrency, networking and protocols, performance tuning, data capture and analysis, mathematical modeling, hardware, or something else, there's engaging work to be done.
Requirements for This Role
- Pursuing a bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. in a technical field (computer science/engineering, math, physics, or equivalent)
- Graduating by August 2028
- Legal authorization to work in the U.S. as of the first day of employment, including F-1 students using OPT or STEM
Previous experience in finance or trading is not required. Many of our engineers joined Akuna with little-to-no prior knowledge of the markets, and we pride ourselves on our ability to onboard those new to the industry. Training and continuous education are provided for all engineers to ensure they can build the requisite technical and non-technical skillset for success.
Qualities That Make a Great C++ Software Engineer Candidate
- Experience programming in modern C++ (C++20 or later; C++23 preferred)
- Experience with several of the following
- Distributed systems
- Parallel processing
- Asynchronous architectures
- Networking or protocol encoding/decoding
- Lock-free data structures and algorithms
- Performance profiling (e.g. perf, gprof, vtune)
- Scripting, such as in Python or shell
- Familiarity with standard debugging tools (e.g. GDB, Valgrind, address sanitizer)
- The ability to effectively communicate with non-technical stakeholders in Quant and Trading to obtain requirements, workshop solutions, and implement agreed-upon roadmaps
- The ability to react quickly and effectively to rapidly changing market conditions, including the ability to quickly and accurately respond and/or solve math and coding problems, is an essential function of the role
- A passion for building complex systems from the ground up
- The ability to collaborate with other developers of different backgrounds, specialties, and knowledge levels to collectively deliver cohesive solutions to non-trivial problems
- An intrinsically motivated attitude and the ability to work independently
- A strong sense of ownership, including a drive to fix bugs when they inevitably arise
In addition to the above technical skills, Akuna values diversity of experience and perspective. We believe that engineers with varied backgrounds and interests allow us to approach problems from unique angles and to uncover innovative, optimal solutions. We want everyone to feel empowered to apply; we welcome your application, and we strongly encourage you to take the first steps in joining us in the future!
Resumes must be submitted in PDF format. By applying to this role, you are indicating this is your top preference and acknowledge you will not be considered for other Quant and/or Tech roles at Akuna this recruiting season. This acknowledgement does not limit applications to Trading roles - in addition to this role, you may apply to any Trader roles of interest. We are an AI-friendly company and encourage employees to leverage AI in their daily work. However, AI assistance is not permitted during interviews or assessments. Our interview process is designed to evaluate your individual skills and judgment, and the use of AI tools will result in disqualification from the hiring process.
In accordance with the Illinois Equal Pay Act, the minimum base salary starts at $145,000. Exact compensation offered may vary based on many factors including, but not limited to, the candidate's experience, qualifications, and skill set. This role is also eligible for a discretionary performance bonus as part of the total compensation package and includes a comprehensive benefits package that may encompass employer-paid medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, paid time off, and other benefits. The minimum base salary herein was determined in good faith by Akuna Capital LLC.
CPT Investment Management Job Roles in Illinois
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Search Investment Management Jobs in IllinoisInvestment Management CPT Sponsorship Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
Which investment management companies sponsor F-1 CPT visas in Illinois?
Chicago-based firms with established histories of hiring international students for CPT roles include Morningstar, Northern Trust, William Blair, Nuveen, and Citadel's asset management divisions. Larger custodian banks and fund administrators also regularly bring on CPT students in operations, compliance, and analytical roles. Sponsorship patterns vary by team and headcount, so confirming CPT eligibility directly with the employer's HR or recruiting team is essential before applying.
Which cities in Illinois have the most investment management F-1 CPT sponsorship jobs?
Chicago accounts for the overwhelming majority of investment management CPT opportunities in Illinois. The Loop and Fulton Market neighborhoods host a high concentration of asset managers, hedge funds, and financial services firms. Suburban areas such as Naperville and Downers Grove have a smaller number of roles at regional wealth management and insurance-linked investment firms, but Chicago remains by far the primary hub for international students seeking CPT placements in the industry.
What types of investment management roles typically qualify for F-1 CPT sponsorship?
Roles that commonly qualify include investment research analyst, portfolio analytics associate, risk management intern, fund accounting analyst, quantitative research intern, and ESG research associate. These positions align well with CPT because they directly apply coursework in finance, economics, statistics, or data science. Roles must be directly tied to your degree program and pre-approved by your Designated School Official before you begin working. Purely administrative or unrelated support roles generally do not qualify.
How do I find investment management F-1 CPT sponsorship jobs in Illinois?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students and filters job listings by visa type, including F-1 CPT, and by industry and state. Searching for investment management roles in Illinois on Migrate Mate surfaces employers who have indicated sponsorship willingness, saving significant time compared to manually screening postings. It is still important to confirm CPT authorization with your DSO and verify sponsorship details directly with each employer before accepting any offer.
Are there any Illinois-specific or investment management-specific considerations for F-1 CPT sponsorship?
Illinois does not impose state-level restrictions on CPT beyond federal DSO requirements, but Chicago's investment management sector does have some industry-specific patterns worth knowing. Many firms in this market recruit on a fixed academic-year timeline aligned with University of Chicago Booth, Kellogg, and other local programs, so applications outside those windows may be less competitive. Some quantitative and research-focused firms also require demonstrated technical skills in Python, R, or Bloomberg terminals as a baseline for CPT candidate consideration.