Senior Data Center Engineer (East Coast)

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 as an options market-maker – meaning we are committed to providing competitive quotes that we are willing to both buy and sell. To do this successfully, we design and implement our own low latency technologies, trading strategies, and mathematical models. 

Our Founding Partners first conceptualized Akuna in their hometown of Sydney. 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 in Sydney, Shanghai, and London. 

What you’ll do as a Senior Data Center Engineer at Akuna: 

We are looking for a Senior Data Center Engineer, based on the East Coast, to join our IT Infrastructure team at Akuna. This is a highly impactful role where you will contribute to supporting and evolving a high-performance &sophisticated multi-data center environment, in addition to driving projects that aid in the expansion to new markets & asset classes. In this role, you will: 

• Be responsible for building, organizing, and maintaining our data center infrastructure at colocation facilities in Secaucus, Carteret, Mahwah, and other East Coast US locations. 
• In collaboration with our IT Infrastructure team, take ownership of scheduling daily East Coast data center operations activities in support of our trading systems at multiple exchange colocation facilities. 
• Install, replace, upgrade, and move cables &equipment, including switches, servers, and hardware components. Advanced knowledge of cabling standards, including fiber breakout cables, is essential. 
• Work with our IT Infrastructure and Development teams to plan and execute data center moves and re-organization, ensuring those plans are completed accurately and in a timely manner. 
• Work with our Asset Manager for tracking and reporting, including warranties, service contracts, hardware, and software. 
• Maintain a local inventory of cables and equipment. 
• Use monitoring tools to detect and respond to critical issues. As a senior level engineer, understand and own the escalation of problems with facility operators. 
• Troubleshoot technical issues and respond in a timely manner to hardware failures. 
• Coordinate with third-party vendors for support and remote hands. 
• Develop and maintain documentation of data center procedures and deployments. 
• Work with the IT Infrastructure team to ensure our data centers have the necessary space, power, and cooling, and that we have appropriate monitoring of the same. 
• Lead by example by demonstrating sound DCO principals and practice. 

Qualities that make great candidates: 

• 5+ years of data center experience, with a progression towards a senior level engineer. 
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field preferred, but not required. 
• Knowledge of data center procedures (hardware racking, network cabling, etc.) and experience working in a modern, large-scale data center. 
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to executing plans accurately and on time. 
• Understanding of network hardware (switches, SFP’s), servers (memory, hard drives), and cabling (fiber optic cabling standards/types). 
• Ability to diagnose a problem quickly and identify solutions that ensure the uptime of the system. 
• Highly motivated and organized self-starter, with strong sense of ownership.  
• Familiarity with basic Linux systems operation (PXE, Hardware & Software Raid, User Management, boot processes). 
• Exposure to multiple infrastructure areas, hardware support, cable management, and low latency networking a plus. 
• Understanding of data center cabinet power distribution/power management. 
• Ability to clearly communicate detailed instructions both verbally and written. 
• Understanding the importance of teamwork, and the ability to work and contribute as part of a high-performance IT Infrastructure Team.  

Additional requirements: 

• Out-of-state travel and the ability to occasionally work outside of core business hours and on weekends. 
• Ability to commute to critical data centers in the New York metro area – must have own transportation and valid driver’s license. Ability to travel and provide support to other regions occasionally as needed. 
• Several exchange colocation facilities will require passing a background check for security clearance.  
• Ability to lift equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.