Backend Engineer for Automated Futures Trading Infrastructure

Backend Engineer for Automated Futures Trading Infrastructure (Python, APIs, Risk Systems)

Overview

We are building a multi-account automated futures trading infrastructure designed to scale across prop firm accounts (Apex, Tradovate, Rithmic, etc.) with strict risk controls and minimal human intervention.

This is NOT a simple trading bot project.

We are building a modular, production-grade system that:

• Executes trades across 20–100+ accounts
• Enforces prop firm risk/compliance rules BEFORE execution
• Logs all trades and market conditions in real time
• Uses a structured “decision engine” (multi-step approval logic)
• Is designed for long-term scalability into a SaaS product

We are currently in the foundational build phase and need a strong backend engineer to help architect and implement the core system.

Primary Objective (Phase 1)

Build the core infrastructure layer:

• Central database (PostgreSQL)
• Trade logging + market condition tracking
• Risk control engine (pre-trade enforcement)
• Basic decision engine (rule-based, not AI)
• Execution control integration (NinjaTrader / APIs)

Core Responsibilities

Backend System Development

• Design and implement PostgreSQL database schema
• Build backend services using Python (preferably FastAPI)
• Create modular services for:
• trade logging
• market condition ingestion
• account state tracking

Decision Engine (Rule-Based)

Implement structured decision flow:
• trade signal → validation → approval → execution
• Build scoring logic (trade quality filter)
• Ensure no trade executes without full validation chain

Risk & Compliance Engine (CRITICAL)

Enforce:
• daily loss limits
• max position sizing
• drawdown protection
• Implement pre-trade blocking logic
• Build account-level safety controls (disable/pause logic)

Trading Integration

Integrate with:
• NinjaTrader (primary)
• Tradovate / Rithmic APIs (future-ready)

Handle:
• order placement
• confirmation
• failure handling

Logging & Monitoring

Log ALL system activity:
• trades
• decisions
• failures
• Build structured logs for analysis
• Enable future analytics + AI layer

Required Skills & Experience

MUST HAVE:

• Strong Python backend experience (3+ years)
• Experience building APIs (FastAPI or Flask)
• PostgreSQL (schema design, performance)
• Experience with real-time or event-driven systems
• Strong system design thinking (modular architecture)

HIGHLY PREFERRED:

• Experience with trading systems or financial data
• API integrations (REST/WebSocket)
• Experience with automation pipelines
• Familiarity with Docker or containerized environments

NOT REQUIRED (but helpful):

• AI/ML experience (this comes later)
• Frontend/UI development

Project Scope & Phases

Phase 1 (Current – 4 to 8 weeks)

• Database + logging system
• Risk engine (v1)
• Basic decision engine
• Initial execution integration

Phase 2 (Expansion)

• Multi-account orchestration
• Enhanced decision logic
• Monitoring dashboard

Phase 3 (Future)

• AI-assisted analysis layer
• SaaS productization

Engagement Details

• Type: Freelance / Contract
• Hours: Part-time to start (10–25 hrs/week)
• Budget: Open (hourly or milestone-based)
• Long-term opportunity for continued work

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone who:

• Thinks like a systems engineer, not just a coder
• Can build reliable, production-ready infrastructure
• Understands the importance of risk control and fail-safes
• Communicates clearly and works asynchronously

Screening Questions (REQUIRED)

Please answer the following:

How would you design a system that prevents trades from executing if risk rules are violated?
How would you structure a backend system to handle multiple accounts executing the same trade simultaneously?
What is your experience (if any) with trading systems, financial data, or real-time pipelines?
How would you design a logging system that allows analysis of every trade and decision?

Nice to Have (Optional)

• Experience with NinjaTrader or trading platforms
• Experience working with VPS/cloud environments
• Experience building scalable backend systems

Final Notes

This is a serious, long-term project with potential to evolve into a full product.

We are NOT looking for:

• quick scripts
• low-quality shortcuts
• overhyped “AI bot builders”

We ARE building:
a reliable, scalable trading infrastructure