Java Software Engineer

Company Description

Theta Data is a pioneering data company specializing in low-latency APIs for delivering high-speed options and stocks data. Our mission is to empower users with real-time, actionable information to make well-informed decisions in dynamic financial markets. With a focus on speed and broad data coverage, Theta Data stands at the forefront of the options data industry by providing essential tools and insights. We are dedicated to equipping professionals with the resources needed to excel in a competitive landscape.

We’re a small, nimble team growing quickly. Our platform handles billions of database requests daily, and we’re just getting started. The complexity of our data problems is real: tick-level options data is among the most intricate financial data to store, index, and serve at scale. We take engineering seriously.

Role Description

We’re hiring backend-focused Software Engineers to help build and scale the services that power Theta Data. This is a hands-on coding role. You’ll be writing production code from day one. We are looking for self-starting engineers who think deeply about system scale, creatively solve problems, and can move forward in high ambiguity.

You’ll join a lean engineering team where your work has a direct, visible impact on the platform and the customers who use it. We have new services to architect, bottlenecks to eliminate, and workflows to redesign from scratch.

Additionally, you’ll support live systems, investigate and resolve bugs, and help keep a platform that customers depend on running smoothly.

What you will work on

• Design, build, and scale backend services handling billions of requests daily
• Architect new systems and contribute to technical direction
• Improve and automate customer onboarding workflows
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks across the stack
• Collaborate directly with the team and senior technical leadership

Our Technical Stack

• Java - core backend services, business logic, API, thick client
• Python - scripting, tooling
• Apache Tomcat - servlet container
• Java Servlets - HTTP request handling
• PostgreSQL + Hibernate
• gRPC
• AI coding tools (Claude, Gemini, Copilot) - we use them, you should too

What we are looking for

We hire for fundamentals, ownership, and a love of building. Depending on your experience level, here’s what we care about:

Required

• Deep proficiency in Java with a strong command of the language and ecosystem
• Proven experience optimizing application performance through JVM heap tuning, garbage collection analysis, and memory allocation strategies
• Strong computer science fundamentals, including data structures, algorithms, and systems-level thinking
• Demonstrated experience designing, building, and maintaining REST APIs and backend services
• Working knowledge of HTTP, authentication protocols, and modern web architecture

Nice to Have

• Experience working in data-intensive, low-latency environments where performance matters
• Hands-on experience with PostgreSQL, including schema design and query optimization
• Python development experience for tooling, scripting, or service work
• Familiarity with Apache Tomcat in production or staging environments
• Frontend exposure with TypeScript and a modern UI library or framework (Vue, React, or similar)
• Experience designing or maintaining CI/CD pipelines for automated build, test, and deployment

Why Theta Data

• Rapid growth: the platform and team are both scaling fast
• Real engineering challenges: data at scale, low-latency systems, complex financial data
• High ownership: a small team means your decisions matter and ship quickly
• Greenfield opportunities: new systems to design, not just legacy to maintain
• Remote-first: work from anywhere
• Direct impact: your work reaches thousands of quants and researchers daily