Java Development Lead - Front Office Electronic Trading

McGregor Recruitment; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work in London

Job summary

McGregor Boyall in London is seeking a senior Java engineer to lead the transformation of a strategic Front Office FX Options pricing platform. You will design high-performance services and drive an event-driven architecture.

The role is hands-on with no people management, working closely with Traders, Quants and senior engineers to deliver business-critical technology in a hybrid London setting.

Qualifications

• Experience building complex, distributed systems in Java.
• Proficiency with Java ecosystem and modern engineering practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead the engineering transformation of a strategic Front Office pricing platform.
• Design and build high-performance Java services supporting global electronic trading.
• Replace a long-established platform with a modern, scalable, event-driven architecture.
• Work closely with Traders, Quants and senior engineers to deliver business-critical technology.
• Drive engineering best practices, system design and AI-assisted software development.
• Improve platform performance, resilience and developer productivity.

Skills

Core Java

Spring Framework

Event-driven architecture

Distributed systems

Domain-Driven Design

SOLID principles

Cloud-native development

CI/CD

AI-assisted software development

Tools

Kafka

Solace

WebSockets

Job description

Build the Next Generation of a Global Trading Platform

An exceptional opportunity has arisen for a senior Java engineer to play a leading role in the transformation of a strategic Front Office FX Options pricing platform.

The existing platform has successfully supported the business for over a decade and is now being rebuilt using modern architecture and engineering practices. This is a rare opportunity to help shape the design and delivery of a next-generation electronic trading platform.

This is a genuinely hands‑on technical leadership role for someone who enjoys solving complex engineering challenges, influencing architecture and writing high-quality code. There are no line management responsibilities-technical leadership is delivered through engineering excellence.

The Role

• Lead the engineering transformation of a strategic Front Office pricing platform.
• Design and build high-performance Java services supporting global electronic trading.
• Replace a long-established platform with a modern, scalable, event-driven architecture.
• Work closely with Traders, Quants and senior engineers to deliver business-critical technology.
• Drive engineering best practices, system design and AI-assisted software development.
• Improve platform performance, resilience and developer productivity.

About You

We're looking for exceptional backend software engineers with experience building complex, distributed systems.

You'll ideally have experience with:

• Core Java
• Spring Framework
• Event-driven architecture (Kafka, Solace, WebSockets or similar)
• Distributed systems
• Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
• SOLID principles and design patterns
• Cloud-native development
• CI/CD and modern engineering practices
• AI-assisted software development

Experience within electronic trading or financial markets is advantageous, but not essential.

We're also keen to speak with engineers from:

• Big Tech
• High-performance distributed systems
• Cloud platforms
• Real-time data platforms
• Infrastructure engineering
• FinTech

If you're an exceptional software engineer looking to work on large-scale, business-critical systems, this is an opportunity to have a genuine impact on the future of a globally significant trading platform.

Why Apply?

• Transform a strategic platform that has been in production for over 10 years.
• Shape the architecture of a next-generation electronic trading platform.
• Hands-on technical leadership with no people management responsibilities.
• Work with modern event-driven architecture and AI-assisted engineering practices.
• Collaborate directly with Traders, Quants and senior engineering leaders.
• Hybrid working in London with excellent long-term career progression.

For a confidential discussion and further information, please apply or get in touch directly.

McGregor Boyall is an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on any grounds.