📍 Job Overview

Job Title: HPC Storage Engineer
Company: Wolverine Trading
Location: Chicago, IL
Job Type: Full-time
Category: Server Administration, Infrastructure
Date Posted: 2025-07-21
Experience Level: Mid-Senior level (2-5 years)
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

Key Responsibilities: Design, implement, optimize, and manage high-performance storage infrastructure for quantitative research.
Key Technologies: Parallel file systems (Lustre, GPFS), Linux system administration, Python, Bash, C++, high-speed networking protocols (InfiniBand, RoCE, RDMA fabrics).
Impact: Empower quantitative researchers to develop cutting-edge trading strategies and train models on vast amounts of data.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong technical background in high-performance storage solutions and a deep understanding of Linux I/O stack to ensure optimal performance and reliability for data-intensive research workloads.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Storage Infrastructure Design & Management: Lead the design and evolution of high-performance storage solutions, ensuring they meet the throughput, capacity, and reliability demands of research workloads.
Performance Optimization: Proactively identify and resolve I/O bottlenecks across the entire storage stack, including tuning file system parameters and optimizing network connectivity for storage.
Hardware & Software Deployment: Hands-on deployment, configuration, and integration of new storage hardware and software solutions into existing HPC environments.
Capacity Planning & Data Lifecycle Management: Monitor storage usage and performance trends, conduct capacity planning, and implement strategies for efficient data lifecycle management.
Automation & Scripting: Develop automation tools and scripts for storage provisioning, configuration management, and system monitoring to enhance system efficiency and reliability.
Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis: Provide expert-level troubleshooting and root cause analysis for complex storage-related issues.
Collaboration: Work with quantitative researchers, traders, HPC engineers, and software developers to understand their data storage and access requirements and deliver optimized solutions.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related highly quantitative or technical field.

Experience: 3+ years of hands-on experience in designing, implementing, and managing high-performance storage solutions within large-scale HPC environments, preferably in a financial services domain.

Required Skills:

Deep expertise in parallel file systems (e.g., Lustre, GPFS)
Exceptional proficiency in Linux system administration
Strong programming and scripting skills in Python and Bash
In-depth knowledge of high-speed networking protocols (e.g., InfiniBand, RoCE, RDMA fabrics)
Experience with performance profiling tools for storage (e.g., fio, iperf)

Preferred Skills:

Experience with C++
Familiarity with quantitative research and trading strategies
Knowledge of financial services domain

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on high-performance storage for quantitative research, candidates with experience in financial services or a strong understanding of quantitative trading strategies may have an advantage.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Demonstrate expertise in high-performance storage solutions with relevant projects and case studies.
Showcase problem-solving skills and ability to optimize storage performance with real-world examples.
Highlight experience with parallel file systems, Linux system administration, and high-speed networking protocols.

Technical Documentation:

Provide detailed documentation of storage system design, configuration, and optimization strategies.
Include performance metrics, benchmark results, and optimization techniques used in previous projects.
Demonstrate understanding of data lifecycle management and efficient storage resource utilization.

📝 Enhancement Note: As this role involves managing critical research data, it's essential to emphasize data integrity, security, and backup strategies in the portfolio.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $150,000 - $200,000 per year (contingent on experience)

Benefits:

Highly competitive salary & bonus opportunity
Generous paid time off and flexible scheduling
100% coverage of medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits for single coverage
Generous Paid Parental Leave
Retirement Plans: 401K and Roth 401K
Profit sharing plan
Long- and short-term disability

Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week), with flexibility for deployment windows, maintenance, and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is based on industry standards for HPC storage engineers in the Chicago area, with adjustments for experience level and regional cost of living.

🎯 Team & Company Context

Company Culture: Wolverine Trading fosters a flat organizational structure that promotes teamwork and collaboration across the firm. They offer a variety of company events, activities, and giving back opportunities to build better relationships and foster creativity.

Development Methodology: Wolverine Trading uses an in-house education team to provide continuous learning opportunities and a mentorship program for new employees.

Company Website: https://www.wolve.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Wolverine Trading's focus on teamwork and continuous learning aligns well with the collaborative nature of HPC storage engineering, making it an attractive environment for candidates seeking professional growth and development.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

HPC Storage Engineer Career Level: This role is at the mid-senior level, requiring a strong technical background and proven experience in high-performance storage solutions. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of Linux I/O stack, parallel file systems, and high-speed networking protocols.

Reporting Structure: The HPC Storage Engineer will report directly to the Head of Infrastructure and work closely with quantitative researchers, traders, HPC engineers, and software developers.

Technical Impact: This role has a significant impact on the performance and reliability of quantitative research workloads, enabling researchers to develop cutting-edge trading strategies and train models on vast amounts of data.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in high-performance storage solutions, emerging technologies, and quantitative research.
Technical Leadership: Develop skills in mentoring junior team members, leading projects, and making critical architecture decisions.
Career Transition: Explore opportunities in related fields such as cloud infrastructure, data engineering, or quantitative research.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given Wolverine Trading's focus on quantitative research and trading, there may be opportunities for the HPC Storage Engineer to transition into a more research-focused role or explore other technical leadership paths within the organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Wolverine Trading's office is located in Chicago, IL, with an open and collaborative workspace designed to facilitate teamwork and communication among employees.

Office Location(s): 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1212, Chicago, IL 60654

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Workspace: The office features an open floor plan with dedicated spaces for team meetings and brainstorming sessions.
State-of-the-art Equipment: Employees have access to high-performance workstations, multiple monitors, and testing devices to ensure optimal productivity.
On-site Amenities: Wolverine Trading offers an on-site gym with a subsidized membership, free breakfast and lunch from an in-house kitchen, and frequent company outings.

Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week), with flexibility for deployment windows, maintenance, and project deadlines. Wolverine Trading also offers generous paid time off and flexible scheduling.

📝 Enhancement Note: Wolverine Trading's collaborative work environment and on-site amenities contribute to a positive work-life balance for employees, fostering productivity and job satisfaction.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Online Assessment: Complete an online assessment to evaluate technical skills and problem-solving abilities.
Phone Screen: A brief phone call to discuss the role, company culture, and answer any initial questions.
On-site Interview: A full-day on-site interview consisting of:
- Technical Deep Dive: A detailed discussion of the candidate's experience with high-performance storage solutions, Linux system administration, and high-speed networking protocols.
- System Design Challenge: A hands-on exercise involving the design and optimization of a high-performance storage system for a hypothetical quantitative research workload.
- Behavioral & Cultural Fit: An assessment of the candidate's communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit with Wolverine Trading's values and work environment.
Final Decision: A final decision will be made based on the candidate's overall performance throughout the interview process.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight relevant projects and case studies demonstrating expertise in high-performance storage solutions.
Emphasize problem-solving skills and ability to optimize storage performance with real-world examples.
Include detailed documentation of storage system design, configuration, and optimization strategies.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Brush up on Linux system administration, parallel file systems, and high-speed networking protocols.
Familiarize yourself with performance profiling tools for storage (e.g., fio, iperf) and their application in optimizing storage performance.
Prepare for system design challenges by studying real-world high-performance storage architectures and their trade-offs.

ATS Keywords: See the comprehensive list of relevant keywords for HPC storage engineers, organized by category, at the end of this document.

📝 Enhancement Note: Wolverine Trading's interview process is designed to assess the candidate's technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit, ensuring a strong match for both the candidate and the organization.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Storage Technologies:

Parallel file systems (Lustre, GPFS)
Linux file systems (ext4, XFS, Btrfs)
High-speed networking protocols (InfiniBand, RoCE, RDMA fabrics)

Server Technologies:

Linux system administration (Ubuntu, CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux)
Virtualization (KVM, Docker, Kubernetes)
Cloud infrastructure (AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure)

Performance Profiling Tools:

fio (Flexible I/O Tester)
iperf (Network bandwidth measurement tool)
perf (Performance analysis tool for Linux)

📝 Enhancement Note: Wolverine Trading's technology stack is designed to support high-performance storage solutions for quantitative research, with a focus on optimizing throughput, capacity, and reliability.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Wolverine Trading Values:

Innovation: Encourage continuous learning and exploration of new technologies to maintain a competitive edge in the market.
Achievement: Foster a culture of high performance and excellence, setting ambitious goals and celebrating success.
Integrity: Uphold ethical standards and maintain a transparent, honest, and respectful work environment.
Collaboration: Promote teamwork and open communication, leveraging diverse perspectives to drive better outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional Integration: Encourage collaboration between quantitative researchers, traders, HPC engineers, and software developers to ensure storage solutions meet the needs of research workloads.
Code Review Culture: Foster a culture of peer review and continuous improvement in storage system design and optimization.
Knowledge Sharing: Encourage mentorship and knowledge sharing among team members to enhance overall technical expertise and skill development.

📝 Enhancement Note: Wolverine Trading's values and collaboration style contribute to a positive work environment that supports the growth and development of HPC storage engineers.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Performance Optimization: Identify and resolve I/O bottlenecks across the entire storage stack, requiring a deep understanding of Linux I/O stack, parallel file systems, and high-speed networking protocols.
Capacity Planning: Monitor storage usage and performance trends, conduct capacity planning, and implement strategies for efficient data lifecycle management to ensure optimal resource utilization.
Emerging Technologies: Stay up-to-date with emerging storage technologies and evaluate their potential application in Wolverine Trading's HPC environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Skill Development: Deepen expertise in high-performance storage solutions, emerging technologies, and quantitative research through continuous learning opportunities, workshops, and online courses.
Career Mentorship: Leverage Wolverine Trading's mentorship program to develop skills in technical leadership, project management, and architecture decision-making.
Conference Attendance & Networking: Attend industry conferences, workshops, and webinars to stay current on best practices, emerging trends, and network with other HPC storage professionals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Wolverine Trading's technical challenges and learning opportunities provide HPC storage engineers with ample opportunities for professional growth and development within the organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Linux System Administration: Describe your experience with Linux system administration, focusing on high-performance storage solutions and optimization techniques.
Parallel File Systems: Explain your expertise in parallel file systems (e.g., Lustre, GPFS) and their application in HPC environments.
High-Speed Networking Protocols: Discuss your experience with high-speed networking protocols (e.g., InfiniBand, RoCE, RDMA fabrics) and their impact on storage performance.
Performance Profiling Tools: Demonstrate your proficiency in using performance profiling tools for storage (e.g., fio, iperf) to optimize storage performance and resolve I/O bottlenecks.

Company & Culture Questions:

Company Culture: Explain what aspects of Wolverine Trading's culture appeal to you and how you would contribute to the team's success.
Quantitative Research: Describe your understanding of quantitative research and trading strategies, and how your expertise in high-performance storage can support Wolverine Trading's research efforts.
Teamwork & Collaboration: Provide examples of your experience working in a collaborative environment, emphasizing your ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Storytelling: Structure your portfolio presentation as a narrative, highlighting your problem-solving skills, technical expertise, and the impact of your work on real-world projects.
Visual Aids: Use diagrams, charts, and other visual aids to illustrate complex storage architectures, performance metrics, and optimization techniques.
Interactive Demonstrations: Incorporate live demos and interactive elements to engage the interview panel and showcase your technical skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: Wolverine Trading's interview preparation tips focus on demonstrating technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit, ensuring a strong match for both the candidate and the organization.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for the HPC Storage Engineer position at Wolverine Trading:

Submit your application through the application link provided in the job listing.
Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight relevant projects and case studies demonstrating expertise in high-performance storage solutions, Linux system administration, and high-speed networking protocols.
Resume Optimization: Optimize your resume for HPC storage engineering roles, emphasizing project highlights, technical skills, and relevant keywords.
Technical Interview Preparation: Brush up on technical concepts, practice system design challenges, and prepare for behavioral and cultural fit assessments.
Company Research: Conduct thorough research on Wolverine Trading's company culture, values, and quantitative research focus to ensure a strong fit and informed interview preparation.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with Wolverine Trading before making application decisions.

🔑 ATS Keywords

Programming Languages:

Python
Bash
C++ (preferred)

Web Frameworks & Libraries:

N/A (not applicable for this role)

Server Technologies:

Linux (Ubuntu, CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux)
Virtualization (KVM, Docker, Kubernetes)
Cloud infrastructure (AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure)

Databases:

N/A (not applicable for this role)

Tools:

Performance profiling tools for storage (e.g., fio, iperf)
System monitoring and management tools (e.g., Nagios, Prometheus, Grafana)
Configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, Puppet, Chef)
Version control systems (e.g., Git, SVN)

Methodologies:

Agile/Scrum methodologies
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles
DevOps best practices

Soft Skills:

Problem-solving skills
Analytical and debugging skills
Communication and interpersonal skills
Collaboration and teamwork skills
Adaptability and continuous learning

Industry Terms:

High-performance computing (HPC)
Parallel file systems (Lustre, GPFS)
High-speed networking protocols (InfiniBand, RoCE, RDMA fabrics)
Storage performance optimization
Data lifecycle management
Quantitative research and trading strategies

Regional Salary Research: The provided salary range of $150,000 - $200,000 per year is based on industry standards for HPC storage engineers in the Chicago area, with adjustments for experience level and regional cost of living.

HPC Storage Engineer