Our client is seeking a Head of Trading Technology to lead the core and platform engineering team responsible for building next-generation low-latency trading infrastructure. This is a hands-on technical leadership role, with responsibility for the end-to-end architecture and delivery of high-performance trading systems. The successful candidate will combine deep expertise in low-latency infrastructure from traditional high-frequency trading environments with an understanding of the unique demands of on-chain DeFi and RWA trading.
The role will involve directly managing and mentoring a team of highly skilled software engineers, DevOps professionals, and architects, while remaining actively involved in system design, development, and performance optimisation. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of building and scaling low-latency trading systems within elite trading environments and will possess a strong perspective on the design of modern trading infrastructure.
Responsibilities
- Lead the greenfield design and implementation of a high-performance, low-latency trading platform capable of supporting both off-chain and on-chain trading activities.
- Provide hands-on technical leadership by contributing to critical code development and reviews, owning architectural decisions, resolving complex latency and performance challenges, and driving the evolution of AI-native workflows, tooling, and delivery practices.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing engineering team, providing guidance and support to both junior and mid-level engineers.
- Own project delivery by establishing timelines, managing cross-functional dependencies, tracking progress, and ensuring high-quality execution across the trading technology stack.
- Maintain oversight of the broader trading infrastructure, including market data ingestion, execution systems, and risk management frameworks, while coordinating specialised engineering teams across individual components.
- Drive continuous improvement in latency, throughput, reliability, and scalability within a highly competitive trading environment.
- Collaborate closely with traders, quantitative researchers, and business stakeholders to ensure technical solutions align with trading strategies and commercial objectives.
- Establish and enforce engineering best practices across testing, CI/CD, monitoring, and operational excellence.
Requirements
- 10+ years of software engineering experience, including a minimum of 5 years in technical leadership positions such as Lead, Head of, or Director-level roles within trading firms.
- Strong background in low-latency trading systems, with demonstrated hands-on experience building or optimising high-performance infrastructure in traditional finance HFT environments (equities, futures, commodities, or similar high-frequency markets).
- Deep proficiency in high-performance programming languages such as C++, Rust, or similar technologies, with a proven track record of delivering production-grade low-latency systems.
- Demonstrated success in leading, mentoring, and scaling elite engineering teams within fast-paced trading environments.
- Comprehensive understanding of end-to-end trading infrastructure, including market data, execution, risk management, and clearing systems, with the ability to oversee engineers across specialised domains.
- Strong organisational and project management capabilities, including the ability to prioritise effectively, manage timelines, and deliver complex technical initiatives.
- Excellent communication and decision-making skills, particularly in environments characterised by technical complexity and ambiguity.
