Senior Backend Engineer, US Exchange
About Polymarket
Polymarket is the world's largest prediction market platform. We enable individuals to express views on real-world events by trading on outcomes across politics, economics, sports, culture, and current affairs. Built as a peer-to-peer marketplace with no centralized "house," Polymarket aggregates diverse opinions into transparent, market-based probabilities that reflect collective expectations about the future.
We're growing fast: both in volume ($21B traded in 2025) and in adoption as an alternative news source. Our ambition is to become a ubiquitous beacon of truth in global media, powered by fast, reliable, and deeply technical market infrastructure.
About the role
Polymarket is looking for a backend engineer to help build and scale the core exchange infrastructure that powers our markets. This role is focused on high-performance, low-latency backend systems that must be correct, fast, and resilient under real-world trading load.
You'll be a core individual contributor working with other senior engineers to design, implement, and optimize the systems that sit at the heart of Polymarket's exchange. This is a high-ownership role with minimal bureaucracy and a strong bias toward execution.
What you'll do
We're looking for an experienced backend engineer who enjoys working close to the metal and solving hard distributed systems problems.
Build the exchange backend: Design and implement scalable, low-latency backend services that power Polymarket's exchange, using C/C++ or other performance-oriented systems languages (Go, Rust, Java).
Optimize for performance & scale: Profile, tune, and debug systems with a focus on latency, throughput, memory usage, and correctness in production.
Design distributed systems: Build and operate robust APIs, data pipelines, and event-driven systems using messaging and streaming platforms (Kafka, Pulsar, RabbitMQ).
Own reliability & operations: Reinforce security, availability, performance, and scalability across backend systems, and participate in diagnosing and resolving production issues.
Collaborate cross-functionally: Work closely with engineers across product, infra, and data to ensure tight integration between the exchange and the broader platform.
Contribute to code quality: Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and architectural decisions to maintain a high bar for engineering excellence.
What we're looking for
4-7+ years of professional backend development experience, with strong proficiency in C/C++ (preferred) or another systems language (Go, Rust, Java).
Solid understanding of algorithms, data structures, concurrency, memory management, and experience building low-latency, high-throughput systems.
Comfortable working on complex systems end-to-end, debugging production issues on Linux, and taking responsibility for correctness and performance.
(Plus) Experience in trading systems, HFT, gaming, telecom, or other latency-sensitive domains
(Plus) Production experience with Kafka, Pulsar, or similar streaming platforms at scale
(Plus) Familiarity with gRPC, Protobuf, ZeroMQ, or similar technologies
(Plus) Experience deploying systems in cloud environments (AWS/GCP) and using containers
Benefits
Competitive salary & equity
Unlimited PTO
Full Health, Vision, & Dental coverage
401k match
Hardware setup - new MacBook Pro, big display, & accessories
About Polymarket
Polymarket is at the forefront of the decentralized information and prediction market revolution, leveraging cutting-edge blockchain technology to create a more transparent and efficient way to bet on real-world events. We're building a platform where users can trade on their beliefs about everything from politics to pop culture, fostering a global community driven by data and conviction. Our mission is to democratize access to information and enable price discovery in a trustless environment, fundamentally reshaping how people engage with and understand the world. Our team thrives on innovation, intellectual curiosity, and a deep-seated belief in the power of Web3 principles. We champion a culture of open collaboration, radical transparency, and continuous learning, encouraging every team member to contribute their unique perspective to solve complex challenges. We are a group of passionate builders, designers, and strategists united by a vision for a decentralized future, where markets are fair, accessible, and censorship-resistant. At Polymarket, your work directly impacts the evolution of decentralized finance and information. If you're eager to make a significant impact in the nascent but rapidly expanding blockchain space, Polymarket offers an unparalleled opportunity. Join us to contribute to a platform that empowers users, challenges traditional financial systems, and puts the power of prediction back into the hands of the people. We're looking for individuals who are not just skilled but are also true believers in the potential of crypto to create a more informed and equitable world. Come build the future with Polymarket.
Ready to Apply?
To submit your application for this position, please visit Polymarket's official website and follow their application process.