Engineering Lead (Rust)

Engineering Lead (Rust) - Keyrock

Keyrock, founded in 2017, is a leading change‑maker in the digital asset space. We operate over 80 exchanges and manage market‑making, options, high‑frequency trading and DeFi desks. We are pioneers in Rust algorithmic trading and run an accelerator for Web3 startups.

Mission Statement

The Tech Lead bridges business objectives with technical execution, combining engineering, architecture, and team enablement.

Job Description

Act as the technical point of accountability for the Service Market Making Business Unit. Balance strategic thinking with pragmatic delivery. Champion collaboration across product, design, QA, and engineering. Inspire and develop engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive delivery with the Head of Engineering, ensuring alignment with strategy.
• Contribute directly through coding, architecture design, peer reviews, and cross‑functional communication.
• Mentor engineers and provide structured feedback.
• Guide system design, scalability, resilience, and performance.
• Maintain engineering best practices, coding guidelines, and automation.
• Manage technical debt, refactoring, and maintainability.
• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and QA to define scope and plan delivery.
• Anticipate technical risks and propose mitigations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline.
• 5+ years in a technical leadership role guiding teams and delivering complex projects.
• Expertise in architecting high‑concurrency, low‑latency trading systems.
• Advanced proficiency in Rust; knowledge of Node.js and Python is an advantage.
• Experience with data‑intensive architectures and real‑time pipelines.
• Proven track record deploying and operating AWS for ultra‑low‑latency workloads.
• Hands‑on experience with containers and Kubernetes.
• Familiarity with GitOps workflows.
• Solid command of software engineering best practices, Agile, DevOps, CI/CD.
• Knowledge of DevSecFinOps principles.
• Leadership with a commitment to collaboration, mentorship, and growth.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Strong analytical mindset.
• Deep domain knowledge of finance/trading, especially crypto.
• Experience in fast‑paced financial or fintech environments.

Soft Skills & Competencies

• Ownership & reliability.
• Initiative & problem‑solving.
• Operational diligence.
• Curiosity & growth mindset.
• Excellent communication.

Location & Work Arrangement

Successful candidate based in the UK or Europe. Remote and flexible work options available.

Our Recruitment Philosophy

We value self‑awareness and look for people who understand themselves and their career goals.

Our Offer

• Competitive salary package and benefits.
• Autonomy with flexible hours and remote work.
• Opportunity to create an entrepreneurial experience.

Equal Opportunity Statement

As an employer we are committed to building an inclusive, diverse and non‑discriminating work environment. We welcome employees of all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, creed and sexual orientation. We hire, reward and promote based on merit and performance.

Background Checks

Due to the nature of our business, we perform background checks on all potential employees; passing them is a prerequisite to join Keyrock.