Head of Trading Tech | Low-Latency Systems Leader

Tokka Labs; Singapore; On-site; SGD 320,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Tokka Labs is seeking a Head of Trading Technology to lead the core and platform engineering team responsible for building our next-generation low-latency trading infrastructure in Singapore. This hands-on technical leadership role will own the end-to-end architecture and delivery of high-performance trading systems, combining traditional HFT experience with on-chain DeFi and RWA trading.

You will directly manage and mentor engineers while remaining actively involved in design, coding, and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 5 years in technical leadership roles (Lead, Head of, or Director level) within trading firms.
• Strong low-latency trading background: proven hands-on experience building or optimizing high-performance trading systems in traditional finance HFT or other high-frequency markets.
• Deep proficiency as a hands-on programmer in high-performance languages (C++, Rust, or similar) with a track record of delivering production low-latency systems.
• Demonstrated success managing and mentoring elite engineering teams in fast-paced trading environments.
• Solid end-to-end understanding of trading infrastructure (market data, execution, risk, clearing, etc.) and the ability to manage engineers across specialized components.
• Strong ability to set priorities, manage timelines, and drive complex technical projects to completion.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to make sound technical decisions under ambiguity.

Responsibilities

• Own End-to-End Architecture: Lead the green-field design and implementation of a high-performance, low-latency trading platform, ensuring it meets the rigorous demands of off-chain and on-chain trading.
• Hands-on technical leadership: lead by example—write and review critical code, make and own architectural decisions, personally resolve complex performance and latency issues, and build a high-performing team that redesigns workflows, tooling, and delivery to be AI-native.
• Team Management & Mentoring: Lead, grow, and inspire a team of elite engineers. Provide hands-on guidance and mentorship, especially to junior and mid-level talent.
• Delivery Ownership: Set clear timelines, manage dependencies across components, track progress, and ensure high-quality delivery of the full trading stack.
• Infrastructure Oversight: Maintain a strong understanding of the entire trading infrastructure and effectively manage engineers working on individual layers.
• Performance Driven: Drive continuous optimization for latency, throughput, reliability, and scalability in a competitive trading environment.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Collaborate with traders, quants, and business stakeholders to ensure technical solutions support trading strategies.
• Quality & Risk Management: Establish and enforce engineering best practices, including testing, CI/CD, monitoring, and operational excellence.

Skills

Low-latency

Technical Leadership

C++

Rust

Team Mentoring

Tools

CI/CD tooling

Performance profiling

Job description

Tokka Labs is seeking a Head of Trading Technology to lead the core and platform engineering team responsible for building our next-generation low-latency trading infrastructure in Singapore. This hands-on technical leadership role will own the end-to-end architecture and delivery of high-performance trading systems, combining traditional HFT experience with on-chain DeFi and RWA trading.

You will directly manage and mentor engineers while remaining actively involved in design, coding, and