Director - Lead Software Engineer (Java, Equities)

Huxley Associates; Greater London; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A global investment bank is seeking a Director-level Lead Software Engineer to join their Equities Technology team in London. This hands-on role involves designing and building high-performance systems for equities trading. Candidates should possess expert-level Java skills, a strong understanding of equities trading workflows, and experience in an investment banking environment. The position offers a competitive compensation package and the chance to work on mission-critical systems.

Benefits

Competitive Director-level compensation package

Opportunity to work on mission-critical systems

Collaborative, high-performance culture

Qualifications

• Expert-level Java development skills with experience in multi-threading and performance tuning.
• Proven experience building front-office systems in an investment banking environment.
• Solid knowledge of distributed systems and real-time processing.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of Java-based trading and risk platforms.
• Deliver low-latency, high-throughput systems for order management.
• Mentor junior engineers while remaining hands-on in coding.

Skills

Expert-level Java development skills

Strong understanding of equities trading workflows

Proven experience building front-office systems

Solid knowledge of distributed systems

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Kafka

Kubernetes

Docker

Job description

Director - Lead Software Engineer (Java, Equities)

Location: London | Division: Investment Banking | Type: Full-time

About the Role

We are seeking a Director-level Lead Software Engineer to join our Equities Technology team within the Front Office. This is a hands‑on, independent contributor role where you will design and build high-performance systems that support our equities trading business. You will work closely with traders, quants, and other technologists to deliver innovative solutions in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of Java-based trading and risk platforms for equities.
• Deliver low-latency, high-throughput systems for order management and execution.
• Collaborate with front‑office stakeholders to understand business requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Ensure best practices in software architecture, performance optimization, and scalability.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical strategy while remaining hands‑on in coding.

Requirements

• Expert‑level Java development skills with experience in multi‑threading, concurrency, and performance tuning.
• Strong understanding of equities trading workflows, market data, and order execution.
• Proven experience building front‑office systems in an investment banking environment.
• Solid knowledge of distributed systems, messaging (e.g., Kafka), and real‑time processing.
• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.

Nice to Have

• Exposure to low‑latency trading systems and algorithmic execution.
• Familiarity with Python for scripting and data analysis.
• Knowledge of cloud technologies and containerisation (Kubernetes, Docker).

What We Offer

• Competitive Director-level compensation package.
• Opportunity to work on mission‑critical systems in a global investment bank.
• Collaborative, high-performance culture with direct impact on trading outcomes.