About the Company
Our client is a well-capitalized, regulated financial market infrastructure firm, preparing for the launch of an institutional-grade digital asset trading and clearing venue. With a focus on supporting high-frequency trading strategies and a zero-tolerance approach to latency and downtime, the firm is building a next-generation exchange platform engineered for speed, scale, and security.
We are seeking a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to drive the technical vision and execution of this critical infrastructure. This role offers a rare opportunity to build from the ground up — in a regulated environment — while applying cutting-edge engineering principles to meet the demands of some of the world’s most sophisticated trading participants.
Key Responsibilities
* Build and scale a high-performance engineering team across infrastructure, software, DevOps, and cybersecurity.
* Architect for determinism: tight latency budgets, real-time observability, and synchronized timekeeping (e.g., PTP).
* Oversee development of client connectivity layers including native protocols and FIX gateways optimized for sub-microsecond response.
* Ensure robust pre-trade and post-trade risk controls are embedded without compromising latency or throughput.
* Drive integration with third-party clearing services and custodians, enabling real-time netting, margining, and settlement.
* Ensure compliance with regulatory standards while retaining HFT-ready performance (e.g., MiFID II, RTS 6/25).
* Champion secure-by-design principles across all layers — application, infrastructure, and data.
* Serve as a key technical spokesperson to investors, regulators, and strategic partners.
Ideal Candidate Profile
* 15+ years of engineering leadership experience, including CTO/Head of Engineering roles in trading, exchange, or HFT environments.
* Deep technical understanding of trading system designs — from C++ matching engines to kernel bypass networking, PTP, NUMA, DPDK, etc.
* Proven experience architecting and scaling trading systems capable of handling millions of messages per second with nanosecond/microsecond response times.
* Exposure to digital assets, derivatives, or clearinghouse integrations is a plus — but not required.
* Experience operating in regulated markets (FCA, SEC, CFTC, etc.) with a focus on compliance-driven engineering.
* Hands-on leadership style — able to move between strategy and technical depth.
* Strong communication skills with the ability to represent technology at board and regulatory level.