Hardware Design Engineer – 2025 Grads - job 1 of 2

As a Hardware Design Engineer at Hudson River Trading, you will be crafting advanced digital logic solutions, working with FPGA and ASIC technologies to support HRT's trading infrastructure. Your role includes performing on-the-fly transformations of market data, implementing mathematical models, and collaborating with a highly skilled team to ensure efficient hardware design. You'll have the chance to tackle complex problems with innovative approaches, contributing to one of the world’s leading algorithmic trading firms.

To qualify for the Hardware Design Engineer position at Hudson River Trading, you should be a full-time undergraduate student in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field, set to graduate in 2025. Proficiency in SystemVerilog, familiarity with FPGA and/or ASIC design flows, and excellent digital logic design skills are essential. Additionally, experience with C++ or Python, as well as a basic understanding of network communication protocols, will set you apart in the hiring process.

At Hudson River Trading, Hardware Design Engineers can expect an annual base salary ranging from $175,000 to $250,000, depending on skills and experience. Along with your base salary, you will receive a sign-on bonus, discretionary performance bonuses, and comprehensive company-paid medical benefits. HRT believes in rewarding hard work and creating a supportive environment for overall personal and professional well-being.

Hudson River Trading fosters a collaborative culture by encouraging team dynamics that promote openness and transparency. Hardware Design Engineers work closely with peers and mentors, sharing insights and challenging each other to improve continuously. The company also organizes social gatherings and team-building activities, ensuring that strong relationships are built beyond just professional collaboration.

As a Hardware Design Engineer at Hudson River Trading, you will engage in various projects, primarily focusing on designing and optimizing hardware to handle high-speed digital logic operations. You'll work on projects involving data transformation processes, algorithm implementations, and performance enhancements within the trading system, allowing you to explore innovative solutions critical to HRT's trading operations.

In your response, emphasize that FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a type of hardware that can be programmed after manufacturing while ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) is custom-built for a specific application. Discuss advantages such as flexibility and reusability in FPGAs against the efficiency and speed of ASICs.

Explain your systematic approach to debugging. Start with replicating the issue, checking your designs against specifications, and using simulation tools to analyze the performance. Highlight the importance of patience, thoroughness, and collaboration with your team.

List key tools like SystemVerilog, Quartus, ModelSim, and Xilinx ISE. Discuss your experience with each and provide examples of how you utilized them in your prior projects.

Share specific projects where you created and implemented digital logic systems, focusing on your problem-solving approach and effectiveness in applying concepts to achieve successful outcomes.

Highlight your passion for innovation, problem-solving, and creating efficient solutions in hardware design. Provide examples of personal projects or experiences that fuel your enthusiasm for the field.

Talk about your strategies for optimizing designs, such as using simulation for testing, iterating on prototype designs, and balancing speed with resource usage. Mention any methodologies you've applied to evaluate performance.

Provide a specific example where teamwork played a critical role. Focus on your communication skills and how they contributed to the project's success. Highlight any challenges faced and how you collectively overcame them.

Discuss any relevant coursework, internships, or projects where you used C++ and Python. Highlight how these languages were beneficial for interfacing with hardware, automating design processes, and other practical applications.

Explain your methods for keeping up to date, including reading relevant journals, attending workshops, participating in online forums, and engaging with the engineering community.

Articulate your admiration for HRT’s innovative approach to trading and their emphasis on technology. Discuss how their collaborative culture aligns with your personal values and goals as a Hardware Design Engineer.