Senior Java Low-Latency Developer

Vallum Associates; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Vallum Associates is seeking a Senior Java Low-Latency Developer to design, develop and deliver high-performance trading and market connectivity platforms in a London-based setting.

You will work with Product Management, global Engineering, QA and Production Support to translate requirements into robust technical solutions aligned with the technology roadmap.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of technology experience, with 8+ years in financial services.
• Strong hands-on Core Java development experience, preferably with JDK 17 or later.
• Proven track record building low-latency, high-throughput trading or market-connectivity platforms.
• Deep knowledge of multithreading, memory management and JVM tuning.
• Experience with microservices, asynchronous processing and event-driven patterns.
• Experience with automated testing methodologies and performance testing.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and support high-performance trade execution and DMA platforms.
• Build resilient solutions using Core Java, microservices, and distributed systems.
• Apply low-latency design patterns and performance optimisation techniques.
• Collaborate with global teams to deliver strategic technology initiatives.
• Develop automated testing frameworks and delivery environments for releases.
• Diagnose performance bottlenecks using profiling and observability tools.
• Provide technical leadership and mentor engineers on best practices.

Skills

Java

Low-latency design

Multithreading

Concurrency

Performance profiling

Event-driven architectures

Microservices

CI/CD

Agile engineering

Distributed systems

JVM tuning

Fault-tolerant design

Observability

AI-assisted engineering tools

FIX Protocol

Market connectivity

Cloud-native technologies

GitHub Copilot

Tools

GitHub Copilot

JDK 17+

Job description

As a Senior Java Low-Latency Developer, you will design, develop and deliver high-performance trading, exchange connectivity and Direct Market Access platforms. You will build resilient, scalable, and latency-sensitive solutions using modern Java technologies while supporting the evolution of next-generation market connectivity capabilities. Working closely with Product Management, global Engineering, QA and Production Support teams, you will translate business requirements into robust technical solutions aligned with the organisation’s strategic technology roadmap.

Your responsibilities:

• Design, develop and support high-performance, low-latency trade execution, exchange connectivity and DMA platforms.
• Build resilient solutions using Core Java, JDK 17+, microservices, distributed systems, and event-driven architecture.
• Apply low-latency design patterns, mechanical sympathy, concurrency techniques, and systematic performance optimisation.
• Partner with Product Management and business stakeholders to improve platform capability, scalability, resiliency, and latency.
• Collaborate with regional and global engineering teams to deliver strategic technology initiatives and business outcomes.
• Develop automated testing frameworks, engineering tools and delivery environments that enable reliable software releases.
• Define comprehensive test strategies for trading workflows, exchange integration and platform functionality.
• Diagnose performance bottlenecks and production issues using profiling, monitoring, observability and root-cause analysis.
• Champion Agile engineering, CI/CD, secure development practices and appropriate use of AI-assisted engineering tools.
• Provide technical leadership, contribute to architectural governance and mentor engineers on standards and best practices.
• 10+ years of overall technology experience, including at least 8 years within financial services.
• Strong hands-on Core Java development experience, preferably using JDK 17 or later.
• Proven experience building and supporting low-latency, high-throughput trading, order management or market connectivity platforms.
• Deep understanding of multithreading, concurrency, memory management, garbage collection, JVM tuning and mechanical sympathy.
• Strong knowledge of low-latency system design, performance profiling, throughput optimisation and scalable distributed architecture.
• Hands-on experience with microservices, asynchronous processing, messaging and event-driven integration patterns.
• Strong understanding of automated testing methodologies, test automation frameworks and performance testing practices.
• Experience working in Agile engineering environments using CI/CD and modern software delivery practices.
• Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, communication and collaboration skills across globally distributed teams.
• Experience with FIX Protocol and binary exchange protocols used for market connectivity, order routing and trade execution.
• Knowledge of DMA platforms, electronic trading systems, exchange connectivity and capital markets technology.
• Experience with high-performance messaging, caching, non-blocking processing and latency measurement techniques.
• Exposure to cloud-native technologies, container platforms, observability tooling and modern DevOps practices.
• Experience with GitHub Copilot or similar AI-assisted software engineering tools.
• Experience contributing to technical architecture, engineering standards and governance within a global development organisation.