Principal / Senior Java Engineer – Ultra Low Latency Trading Systems
Location: London (Hybrid)
The Opportunity
A leading global quantitative trading firm is seeking an exceptional Java Engineer to join one of the highest-performing engineering teams in systematic trading.
This firm operates at the forefront of low-latency technology, where software performance directly drives trading outcomes. The successful candidate will work on highly optimised, mission-critical trading infrastructure alongside elite engineers, researchers, and traders.
This is a highly selective environment focused on technical excellence, ownership, and measurable impact.
The Role
You will design and build ultra-low latency, high-throughput trading systems responsible for processing market data and executing strategies across global markets.
The role involves solving complex distributed systems challenges, optimising performance at the JVM and hardware level, and partnering closely with quantitative researchers to deliver production-grade trading platforms.
Key Responsibilities
* Design and develop high-performance Java trading infrastructure
* Build systems processing millions of events per second with deterministic latency requirements
* Optimise JVM behaviour, memory management, and concurrency models
* Identify and eliminate performance bottlenecks across CPU, network, and storage layers
* Collaborate directly with traders and researchers to implement and scale trading strategies
* Influence architectural decisions across critical trading platforms
* Maintain exceptional engineering standards across reliability, scalability, and code quality
Required Experience
Technical Expertise
* Outstanding Java development experience in performance-critical environments
* Deep understanding of:
* JVM internals
* Multithreading and lock-free concurrency
* Garbage collection and memory optimisation
* Low-latency messaging and network programming
* Strong computer science fundamentals (algorithms, data structures, system design)
* Proven experience building high-throughput distributed systems
* Strong performance profiling and optimisation experience
* Solid understanding of Linux-based production environments
Highly Desirable
* Experience within systematic trading, HFT, or market-making environments
* Background in other performance-sensitive industries (real-time gaming, telecoms, high-scale infrastructure, etc.)
* Experience with C++ or other systems programming languages
* Familiarity with CPU architecture and hardware-aware optimisation
* Contributions to open-source or performance-focused projects
* Strong academic background in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or related disciplines
The Environment
* Small, highly collaborative engineering teams
* Strong focus on technical autonomy and ownership
* Direct visibility of engineering impact on trading performance
* Low-bureaucracy, high-performance culture
* Access to cutting-edge trading infrastructure and research collaboration
Compensation
* Market-leading base salary
* Significant performance-based bonus potential
* Strong long-term earning opportunity
* Comprehensive benefits package