Jobs / United States / Akuna Capital LLC
Junior Trader
Akuna Capital LLC · 🇺🇸 Chicago
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 33 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 20 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Akuna Capital LLC paid sponsored hires in similar roles9 certified filings for “Junior Trader” (Financial Quantitative Analysts) in IL: $165k–$165k, median $165k. Most were filed at wage level I (89%) — 1 lottery entry, ≈15% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. The pay stated here ($145,000) is below what this employer usually pays sponsored hires for this role. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
A verdict summarises public evidence; it is not legal advice and never a guarantee — the employer and the immigration authority decide. Sign in to factor in where you can already work.
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Sponsor Radar — Akuna Capital LLC
The US Department of Labor certified 33 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 20 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Akuna Capital LLC →
About the role
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, London and Singapore. What you’ll do as a Junior Trader at Akuna: We are seeking bright, math-savvy, competitive, and ambitious Junior Traders with a strong desire to learn how to make markets in a rapidly growing trading firm. Akuna gives new Traders the opportunity to learn from the most successful members of our Trading team and apply their knowledge quickly. The ideal candidate will be a motivated individual with a desire to compete in the marketplace and make an immediate impact at a growing firm. As a Junior Trader, we’ll teach you how to leverage our proprietary technology while implementing a variety of trading strategies and ideas, so you can get on the trading screens and make an impact on the bottom line of the firm. The ideal candidate displays strong mental math and excellent communications skills and is interested in being a part of a fast-paced and collaborative team environment. After training, candidates will start with one of the following teams: • Options Market Making (and all the various desks) • Delta One • Vol Arb • Crypto • Quantitative Strategy Group Qualities that make great candidates: • BS/MS/PhD degree in Engineering, Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Actuarial Science or a related/equivalent field must be completed upon employment • Strong math aptitude, numerical and quantitative analysis skills • The ability to communicate effectively and efficiently while fostering external professional relationships • The ability to react quickly and accurately to rapidly changing market conditions, including the ability to quickly and accurately respond and/or solve math and coding problems are essential functions of the role • Entrepreneurial self-starter ready to work in a fast paced and competitive team environment • Desire to learn about financial markets and economic theories • Programming experience preferred • Major GPA of 3.5 or above • Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required on the first day of employment including F-1 students using OPT or STEM In addition to technical skillsets, Akuna values the unique perspectives people can bring to the table to collaboratively solve complex problems and drive Akuna forward. We want everyone to feel empowered to apply. We welcome your application and encourage you to take the first steps toward your future with us! *This role is not for immediate hire - the next available start date is August 2027* Please note: By submitting an application for this role, you are indicating this is your top preference and acknowledge you will not be considered for other full-time Trading roles at Akuna this recruiting season. This acknowledgement does not limit applications to other Tech and/or Quant roles - in addition to this role, you may apply to any Tech and/or Quant roles of interest. In accordance with Illinois Equal Pay Act, the minimum base salary starts at $145,000. Exact compensation offered may vary based on many factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, qualificatio