Java eTrading Strategist - Rates Front Office London

McGregor Boyall; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global investment bank in London seeks a Java Developer / eTrading Strategist to join its Rates eTrading team. This front-office role involves designing low-latency Java components for pricing and execution, collaborating with quants and traders. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in Java development for trading systems, deep knowledge of market microstructure, and have worked in front-office environments. This position offers competitive compensation, career progression, and a hybrid work model.

Benefits

Competitive compensation

Career progression opportunities

Cutting-edge engineering challenges

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience in Java development for low-latency trading systems.
• Deep expertise in Java concurrency, GC tuning, and memory management.
• Strong grasp of market microstructure and order handling.
• Proven record of delivering production-grade Java trading platforms.

Responsibilities

• Engineer low-latency, multithreaded Java applications.
• Partner with quants for pricing models and execution algorithms.
• Develop smart order routers and auto-quoting components.
• Profile and optimise Java systems for throughput and latency.

Skills

Java development for low-latency trading systems

Market microstructure understanding

Concurrency and memory management

Expertise in FIX protocols

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics

Tools

Java 11+

Kafka

Aeron

Chronicle Queue

Job description

A leading global investment bank is seeking a Java Developer / eTrading Strategist to join its London Rates eTrading team. This front-office role sits at the intersection of quantitative research, trading, and technology, focused on delivering high-performance Java systems for pricing and electronic execution across the bank's global Rates business.

The Role

You will design, build, and optimise low-latency Java components supporting real-time pricing, algorithmic execution, and market connectivity. Working closely with quants and traders, you'll transform quantitative models and execution logic into robust, production-grade trading applications. The role requires deep technical expertise and an interest in market microstructure and electronic execution dynamics.

Key Responsibilities

• Engineer low-latency, multithreaded Java applications powering Rates pricing and execution.
• Partner with quants to integrate and enhance pricing models and execution algorithms.
• Develop and tune smart order routers, auto-quoting, and market-making components.
• Profile and optimise Java systems for throughput, GC efficiency, and predictable latency.
• Implement real-time monitoring, logging, and performance diagnostics.
• Collaborate across technology and trading teams to continuously refine execution performance and market response.

Candidate Profile

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field.
• 10+ years' experience in Java development for low-latency or electronic trading systems.
• Deep expertise in Java concurrency, GC tuning, memory management, and NIO.
• Strong grasp of market microstructure, FIX protocols, and order handling.
• Proven record of delivering production-grade Java trading platforms in front-office environments.
• Experience in Rates eTrading (cash or derivatives) strongly preferred although open to other asset classes such as Equities and FX.

Preferred Technical Skills

• Core Java 11+, multithreading, lock-free programming.
• Low-latency messaging (Aeron, Chronicle Queue, Kafka).
• Market-making and execution algo frameworks.
• Familiarity with distributed architectures and cloud-native Java.

What's on Offer

• Direct front-office impact on the Rates eTrading desk.
• Close collaboration with quants and traders on model integration and execution logic.
• Work on cutting-edge low-latency and algo engineering challenges.
• Hybrid setup - around 2 days per month in the London office.
• Competitive compensation and clear progression opportunities.
• If you are passionate about Java, pricing, execution, and low-latency trading, we'd love to hear from you.

Desired Skills and Experience

Computer Science Degree Java Rates algo Front Office Quant Trading

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