Lead Engineer, Risk Technology

CoinDesk; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

CoinDesk is seeking an experienced Java backend engineer to join the Risk Engineering team in Greater London. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of Java experience, strong ownership skills, and the ability to thrive in dynamic environments. You will design scalable JVM services and collaborate with cross-functional teams, ensuring excellence in code quality and performance.

Ideal candidates will possess an in-depth knowledge of financial products and risk models, and familiarity with tools such as Docker and Kubernetes.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience as a Java backend engineer.
• Expert proficiency in Java, with experience in low-latency, high-performance systems.
• Comprehensive understanding of financial products and risk models.

Responsibilities

• Design and build scalable and performant low-/zero-GC JVM services and APIs.
• Optimize and refactor existing codebase for performance and maintainability.
• Champion code quality, best practices, and a performance mindset.

Skills

Java backend engineering

Agile methodology

TDD (Test-Driven Development)

Microservices architecture

Docker

Kubernetes

GCP (Google Cloud Platform)

Education

Degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Git

Job description

About the Company

CoinDesk is a leading media, events, and data company for the global crypto economy. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group.

Reports To: Director, Engineering

Engineering Organization & Culture

At Bullish, we are engineering the institutional standard for the digital asset industry, building a platform rooted in security and compliance. We value engineers who treat development as a craft and own the outcome from concept to deployment. We seek problem solvers who thrive on high‑impact technical challenges.

The Team: Risk Engineering

The Risk Engineering team builds the high‑performance computational backbone that safeguards our exchange operations. We optimize mission‑critical risk calculations that evaluate margin requirements, stress scenarios, and portfolio exposures in real‑time.

What You’ll Do

• High‑Performance JVM Engineering: Design and build scalable and performant low‑/zero‑GC JVM services and APIs.
• Technical Translation & Risk Modeling: Understand risk models and translate complex business requirements into well‑tested implementations.
• Strategic Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Work directly with quantitative analysts and product teams to build robust solutions for financial products and risk models.
• Continuous Codebase Optimization: Optimize and refactor the existing codebase to improve testing, performance, and maintainability.
• Engineering Excellence: Champion code quality, best practices, and a performance mindset.

What You’ll Bring

• 10+ years of experience as a Java backend engineer.
• Strong sense of ownership and ability to thrive in a dynamic environment.
• Expert proficiency in Java, including experience architecting low‑latency, high‑performance systems.
• In‑depth knowledge of testing methodologies, including TDD, back testing, and stress testing.
• Well versed in Agile, DRY, Clean Code, API design, and micro‑services.
• Experience with tools such as Git, Docker, Kubernetes, and GCP.
• Comprehensive understanding of financial products, risk models (SPAN, VaR, etc.).
• Exceptional mathematical and analytical skills.
• Degree in Computer Science or a related field.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with event‑sourced architectures, columnar storage/databases, cloud technologies, Chronicle Queue, and Kotlin.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers through pairing, collaboration, and code reviews.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

CoinDesk is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a nondiscriminatory workplace. We consider the application of employment factors, including recruitment, selection, training, and access to benefits, on a basis that does not discriminate on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other attribute protected by law.

ACCOMMODATION

If you need reasonable accommodations because of a disability for any part of the application process, please contact [e-mail].