Java eTrading Strategist - Rates VP Front Office London

McGregor Boyall; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Front-office exposure

Hybrid working

Career progression

Competitive compensation

Job summary

A leading global investment bank is seeking a talented Java Developer / eTrading Strategist to join its Rates Electronic Trading team in London. This front-office role blends trading, quantitative research and technology to design low-latency pricing and execution platforms that support a global Rates franchise.

You will work with traders, quants and tech teams to deliver high-performance Java applications enabling electronic market-making, pricing and execution across multiple Rates products.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Extensive experience developing mission-critical Java applications in electronic trading or latency-sensitive environments.
• Strong expertise in Core Java, multithreading, memory management, and performance optimisation.
• Deep understanding of low-latency system design and distributed application architecture.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop low-latency, high-throughput Java applications supporting real-time pricing and electronic execution.
• Partner with quantitative researchers and traders to implement pricing models and execution algorithms.
• Enhance market-making, auto-quoting, smart order routing, and execution framework components.
• Drive performance improvements across latency-sensitive systems, including profiling, memory optimisation, concurrency tuning, and GC analysis.
• Develop real-time monitoring, observability, and diagnostic tooling for production trading environments.
• Contribute to the architecture and evolution of the firm's electronic trading platform.
• Collaborate across global technology and business teams to continually improve execution quality and trading performance.
• Support the delivery of resilient, scalable trading infrastructure in a fast-paced front-office environment.

Skills

Core Java

Multithreading

Low-latency systems

Trading desk collaboration

Performance tuning

Education

Degree in Computer Science or related quantitative discipline

Tools

Aeron

Chronicle Queue

FIX connectivity

Job description

A leading global investment bank is seeking a talented Java Developer / eTrading Strategist to join its high-performing Rates Electronic Trading team in London.

This is a front-office role at the intersection of trading, quantitative research, and technology, offering the opportunity to work on business-critical pricing and execution platforms that support a global Rates franchise. You will partner directly with traders, quants, and technology teams to design and deliver low-latency, high-throughput Java applications that drive electronic market-making, pricing, and execution across multiple Rates products.

This position is ideal for an experienced Java engineer with a passion for electronic trading, market microstructure, and building high-performance systems in a revenue-generating environment.

The Opportunity

As part of a globally distributed eTrading team, you will play a key role in the design, development, and optimisation of next-generation execution and pricing infrastructure. You will help transform quantitative models and trading strategies into scalable, production-grade systems capable of operating in highly competitive electronic markets.

The successful candidate will gain direct exposure to front-office decision-making, electronic market-making strategies, and the ongoing evolution of algorithmic trading technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop low-latency, high-throughput Java applications supporting real-time pricing and electronic execution.
• Partner closely with quantitative researchers and traders to implement pricing models and execution algorithms.
• Enhance and optimise market-making, auto-quoting, smart order routing, and execution framework components.
• Drive performance improvements across latency-sensitive systems, including profiling, memory optimisation, concurrency tuning, and garbage collection analysis.
• Develop real-time monitoring, observability, and diagnostic tooling to support production trading environments.
• Contribute to the architecture and evolution of the firm's electronic trading platform.
• Collaborate across global technology and business teams to continually improve execution quality and trading performance.
• Support the delivery of resilient, scalable, and maintainable trading infrastructure within a fast-paced front-office environment.

Required Experience

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Extensive experience developing mission-critical Java applications within electronic trading or other latency-sensitive environments.
• Strong expertise in Core Java, multithreading, concurrency, memory management, and performance optimisation.
• Deep understanding of low-latency system design and distributed application architecture.
• Experience building and supporting production-grade trading or execution platforms.
• Strong understanding of market microstructure, order lifecycle management, and electronic trading workflows.
• Experience working directly with trading desks, quantitative teams, or front-office stakeholders.

Preferred Experience

• Electronic trading experience within Rates, Fixed Income, Futures, Credit, FX, or Equities markets.
• Knowledge of market-making systems, smart order routers, and execution algorithms.
• Experience with FIX connectivity and exchange gateways.
• Exposure to ultra-low latency messaging technologies such as Aeron, Chronicle Queue, or similar frameworks.
• Familiarity with modern software engineering practices including DevOps, CI/CD, and cloud-native technologies.

What's on Offer

• Front-office role with direct business impact and visibility.
• Close collaboration with traders and quantitative researchers.
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge low-latency pricing and execution technology.
• Exposure to some of the most sophisticated electronic trading platforms in the market.
• Flexible hybrid working model with approximately two days per month in the London office.
• Competitive base salary, bonus, and comprehensive benefits package.
• Excellent career progression within a leading global investment bank.

If you are passionate about low-latency Java development, algorithmic trading, and building world-class electronic trading systems, we would be delighted 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.