At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team in developing cutting-edge trading technology and software solutions.
- Company: Join Caxton Associates, a global leader in trading and investment since 1983.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career growth, and the chance to shape trading technology.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities across London and Bangalore.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on trading systems and work with top-tier professionals.
- Qualifications: 12+ years in software development, strong C#/.NET skills, and leadership experience.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
About Caxton Associates
Caxton Associates, founded in 1983, is a global trading and investment firm with offices in London, New York, Singapore, Monaco, Dubai and Bengaluru.
Caxton Associates' primary business is to manage client and proprietary capital through a suite of products designed to fit the specific needs of investors.
Employing a multi-portfolio manager framework, Caxton excels in discretionary global macro investing, leveraging its diversified expertise across asset classes and markets.
About the role
We are seeking an experienced engineering leader to head our Trading Technology and Software Engineering Team.
Based in London and reporting to the CTO, you will lead engineers across London and Bangalore, with accountability for delivery, engineering quality and team development.
The team develops and supports our in-house order management system and manages FIX connectivity to all trading venues and platforms.
It also builds and maintains wider applications and services supporting trading, compliance and operations.
This is a rare opportunity to take end-to-end ownership of our trading technology, working directly with business stakeholders and the execution desk.
You'll set the technical direction and engineering standards for the team, and see the impact of your decisions directly in how the business trades.
- Lead and develop the Tradeflow and Software Engineering Team across London and Bangalore, including recruitment, performance management, mentoring and career development.
- Own the technical direction and delivery of OMX, Caxton's in-house order management system, including real-time order entry services and applications for front-office users.
- Oversee the development and support of FIX connectivity to trading platforms and venues, including Tradeweb, Trading Screen, Bid FX and Bloomberg AIM.
Work with the execution desk and middle-office teams on integration and troubleshooting.
- Lead the design and delivery of scalable, maintainable C#/.
NET services and applications supporting trading, compliance and operations.
Contribute directly to architecture, code reviews and implementation.
- Manage priorities with business stakeholders, allocate engineers across projects, and communicate delivery plans and risks
- Establish best practices for software design, automated testing, CI/CD, release management and technical documentation.
- Own application support and incident escalation for the team's systems.
Plan support coverage alongside development commitments and ensure production problems lead to permanent improvements.
- Act as the team's senior technical and delivery contact, working with business users and Technology teams across London, Bangalore, and New York.
- Required Experience
- At least twelve years of active software development experience using C# and the . NET stack, with a track record of delivering reliable production systems.
- Proven experience managing and developing software engineers, with responsibility for delivery, engineering quality and competing business priorities.
- Detailed knowledge of the order-to-trade lifecycle, order types, execution workflows, and pre-trade and post-trade validation.
- Experience developing and supporting FIX connectivity, together with an understanding of production reliability in trading systems.
- Knowledge of real-time market data feeds and Bloomberg APIs such as SAPI, B-PIPE and Desktop API.
- Strong hands-on technical judgement and the ability to guide architecture while maintaining credibility through design reviews, code reviews and practical problem solving.
- Deep knowledge of C# including concurrency, performance and design.
- Experience designing distributed systems using event-driven, layered or client-server architectures, and building reusable components, services and libraries.
- Experience building real-time services and user interfaces using technologies such as WPF, Win Forms or Blazor, and messaging technologies such as Rabbit MQ, Kafka, or equivalent.
- Strong SQL and relational database skills, including schema design, query optimisation and stored procedures, using Microsoft SQL Server or an equivalent platform.
- Practical experience with test-driven development, unit and integration testing, refactoring, CI/CD pipelines and modern development workflows.
- Clear communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders, and experience working with engineers and business users across regions.
Desired experience
- Experience with Docker and AWS services such as EC2 and RDS.
- Experience with Python and its ecosystem.
- A degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics or a related field.
Head of Trading Systems and Software Engineering employer: Caxton Associates
Caxton Associates is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of London where innovation and collaboration thrive. Employees benefit from extensive cross-departmental exposure, professional growth opportunities, and the chance to work alongside a best-in-class team in the fast-paced hedge fund industry. With a strong emphasis on ethics and integrity, Caxton fosters a supportive culture that values creativity and proactive contributions, making it an ideal place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Trading Systems and Software Engineering
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Caxton Associates or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Caxton Associates.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Caxton Associates.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Caxton Associates that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Trading Systems and Software Engineering
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Caxton Associates.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Caxton Associates and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Caxton Associates
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Caxton Associates uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
