Front Office Software Engineer

CMC Markets; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

CMC Markets is seeking a Senior Low Latency Java Developer for the Quantitative Strategies team in London. You will design and build ultra‑low latency pricing and risk systems that power our market‑making stack, collaborating with Quants, Front Office and Business Operations.

This onsite role requires 5 days on site at our London office near Liverpool Street. You will lead performance tuning, concurrency optimization and JVM internals work, while mentoring engineers and contributing to

Qualifications

• Strong hands-on Java development experience within low latency financial systems.
• Deep understanding of performance optimisation, concurrency and JVM internals.
• Experience working on pricing, risk or electronic trading platforms.
• Knowledge of FIX protocol, order routing and broker connectivity is beneficial.
• Strong mathematical and problem-solving mindset.
• Experience across FX, Equities, Commodities or Derivatives is preferred.
• Ability to operate calmly in a fast-paced front-office trading environment.
• Experience mentoring engineers and influencing technical direction.
• Minimum 2:1 degree in a numerate discipline.

Responsibilities

• Develop ultra-low latency Java systems for pricing, risk and trading.
• Design scalable, resilient and maintainable systems for a high-performance stack.
• Collaborate with Quants, Front Office and Business Operations on live trading.
• Provide mentorship and drive engineering best practices.

Skills

Java development (low latency)

Performance optimisation

Concurrency

JVM internals

Pricing/Trading platforms

FIX protocol

Problem solving

Mentoring engineers

Front-office trading environment

Education

2:1 degree in Computer Science/Mathematics/Physics or numerate discipline

Job description

CMC Markets is seeking a Senior Low Latency Java Developer to join our Quantitative Strategies team within Pricing & Risk, working on our high-performance, high-frequency trading platform. This is a hands‑on role at the core of our market‑making technology stack, where nanoseconds matter and engineering excellence is critical. You’ll design and build ultra‑low latency pricing and risk systems that directly power our global trading operations. If you thrive in performance‑critical environments and want your work to have real market impact, we’d love to hear from you. Please note that this is an onsite role that will require you to work within our London office (near Liverpool street) 5 days on site per week.

The Role

Ultra‑Low Latency Engineering Develop and optimise high‑performance Java (21+) systems for pricing, risk and trading. Build and enhance components within a low latency, high‑throughput trading architecture. Apply advanced concurrency, memory management and performance tuning techniques.

System Design & Ownership Take responsibility for designing scalable, resilient and maintainable systems. Contribute to architectural decisions across the trading and risk platform. Build tooling to improve monitoring, maintenance and performance diagnostics.

Trading‑Focused Collaboration Work closely with Quants, Financial Engineering, Front Office and Business Operations. Support live trading systems, troubleshooting time‑critical production issues. Contribute to the continuous evolution of our electronic trading infrastructure.

Mentorship & Technical Leadership Provide guidance and mentorship to junior developers. Champion engineering best practices, clean code principles and robust design patterns.

What You’ll Bring

• Strong hands‑on Java development experience within low latency financial systems.
• Deep understanding of performance optimisation, concurrency and JVM internals.
• Experience working on pricing, risk or electronic trading platforms.
• Knowledge of FIX protocol, order routing and broker connectivity highly beneficial.
• Strong mathematical and problem‑solving mindset.
• Experience across asset classes such as FX, Equities, Commodities or Derivatives preferred.
• Ability to operate calmly in a fast‑paced, front‑office trading environment.
• Experience mentoring engineers and influencing technical direction.
• Minimum 2:1 degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics or another numerate discipline.

Why Join CMC Markets?

• Direct impact on global trading and risk systems.
• Close proximity to the trading floor and real‑time market operations.
• High‑visibility role within a performance‑driven engineering culture.
• Strong focus on continuous learning and technical excellence.
• Clear progression opportunities into senior technical and leadership roles.

CMC Markets is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age.

CMC Markets is one of the world’s first ever fin‑tech companies and was launched in 1989 to break down the barriers of financial trading and make trading accessible to everyone. Our mission is to use our award‑winning, Next Generation trading platform and unparalleled client service to empower millions of people to have the best trading experience out there. Our clients can trade on thousands of instruments using the best technology, supported by sophisticated charting, competitive pricing and automated execution. We're trusted by investors globally, but also by banks, brokers, funds and trading desks through our top‑tier liquidity institutional offering, enabling these businesses to expand into new markets and increase revenue potential. We were recently listed on the FTSE250, and our business continues to go from strength to strength as we continue to invest in our technology and our people.