Market Operations Director - Belfast /NI- Exciting NEW FDI!
Salary: Competitive + bonus + benefits
About the Company
Our client is a regulated, institutional-grade prediction markets platform, backed by major financial institutions and strategic investors. Operating at the intersection of capital markets, technology, and data, the business provides a real-time, 24/7 trading venue designed to deliver meaningful information discovery at scale.
The company operates as a Designated Contract Market (DCM) and Derivatives Clearing Organisation (DCO), with a strong emphasis on market integrity, operational resilience, and regulatory compliance. As part of a global follow-the-sun operating model, Belfast is being established as a critical European operations hub.
The Role
The Market Operations Director is a senior, hands‑on role responsible for maintaining a fair and orderly market while providing expert operational support to market participants and internal stakeholders.
This is a player‑coach position: you'll take part in real-time market operations while mentoring and developing a small, high‑calibre operations team. You'll act as a local subject‑matter expert across trading, clearing, and regulatory operations, and serve as a senior escalation point for complex incidents and market events.
The role is hybrid but strongly in‑office leaning, reflecting the pace, collaboration, and early‑stage nature of the Belfast build‑out.
Key Responsibilities
* Provide senior‑level technical and operational support to market participants, including clearing members, banks, and institutional trading firms
* Act as a senior escalation point for incidents related to market access, trading, clearing, and data services
* Monitor system stability and market integrity across a 24/7 trading environment
* Coordinate incident response and communications with engineering and technology teams
* Maintain listed event contracts, ensuring accurate product specifications, trading parameters, and settlement terms
* Oversee daily settlement processes, including cash movements, reconciliations, and payment instructions
* Manage the end‑to‑end clearing lifecycle: positions, margin, collateral, and delivery
* Perform and review reconciliations across trades, cash, and settlements, resolving breaks promptly
* Design and maintain automation scripts to improve operational efficiency
* Analyse logs, latency, and execution issues across trading and clearing systems
* Act as a subject matter expert for FIX Protocol connectivity and certification
* Contribute to the design and evolution of operational policies, procedures, and tooling
* Mentor and develop Market Operations Associates and Specialists
* Liaise with regulators, auditors, and senior leadership as required
Essential Criteria
* Bachelor's degree (or equivalent professional experience) in finance, economics, computer science, mathematics, or a related discipline
* 8+ years' experience in a technically focused operations or systems role within a derivatives exchange, clearing house, market maker, broker‑dealer, or trading venue
* Strong understanding of electronic trading systems, matching engines, reference data, and market connectivity
* Hands‑on experience with the trading, clearing, and settlement lifecycle, including margining and collateral management
* Working knowledge of CFTC‑regulated environments, including DCM and DCO operational requirements
* Proven ability to independently investigate and resolve complex operational issues
* Experience with reconciliation and trade management platforms (commercial or proprietary)
* Familiarity with FIX Protocol, including log analysis and member onboarding
* Basic Python scripting experience for automation and operational tooling
* Working knowledge of SQL and data analysis for large operational datasets
* Strong leadership skills, with experience mentoring and guiding junior team members
* Comfortable working flexible or event‑driven schedules, including on‑call support
Why Join
* Join a high‑impact, early‑stage team building a global trading venue from the ground up
* Work in a regulated, institutional environment with experienced leadership and long‑term backing
* Play a key role in establishing and shaping the Belfast operations function
* Genuine influence over systems, processes, and team development
* Competitive compensation, benefits, and long‑term career progression
* A culture that values professionalism, collaboration, and sustainable performance over hype
How to Apply
If you're a Market Operations Direction with an interest in building an early stage team of 4 this summer, this is the perfect opportunity. Apply via this link, or reach out directly to Phil Gamble at Ocho for an informal chat via LinkedIn or WhatsApp.
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