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' experiencein 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 teambuilding a global trading venue from the ground up * Work in a regulated, institutional environmentwith 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. Skills: Director derivatives