Senior Product Manager - Algorithmic Trading

Building the Future of Crypto. Our Krakenites are a world‑class team with crypto conviction, united by our desire to discover and unlock the potential of crypto and blockchain technology. What makes us different? Kraken is a mission‑focused company rooted in crypto values. As a Krakenite, you’ll join us on our mission to accelerate the global adoption of crypto, so that everyone can achieve financial freedom and inclusion.

The team is building the execution infrastructure that will power the next generation of professional and institutional crypto trading — and, increasingly, the AI agents that trade on their behalf. This role sits at the heart of that mission: owning the Algorithmic Execution & Strategy Engine, Kraken’s platform for complex order types, smart execution algorithms, and programmable strategy construction.

Your mission is to port the best of TradFi execution into crypto and build the platform that both humans and AI agents will rely on to execute with precision.

The opportunity:

• Own and drive the roadmap for Kraken’s Algorithmic Execution & Strategy Engine, defining the multi‑year vision and aligning it with Kraken’s institutional and pro‑trading growth strategy.
• Design and deliver new execution algorithms — TWAP, VWAP, Implementation Shortfall, Participation, scaled orders, and conditional order flows — drawing on deep knowledge of TradFi execution best practice.
• Build out the strategy construction interface — a programmable layer that allows professional traders and institutions to compose, test, and deploy execution strategies without writing code.
• Own the API and FIX protocol specification for programmatic access to the algo engine, working closely with engineering and client solutions to ensure low‑latency, high‑reliability access for institutional clients.
• Define transaction cost analysis (TCA) and execution quality frameworks; work with the data science team to instrument, measure, and continuously improve execution performance.
• Establish the agentic integration framework: design the interfaces and capability set that allow AI trading agents to interact safely and effectively with Kraken’s execution infrastructure.
• Partner with Quant Research and Engineering to evaluate and integrate ML/AI‑driven enhancements to the execution stack, including adaptive routing and predictive scheduling.
• Engage directly with institutional clients, prime brokerage relationships, and professional traders to surface execution needs and translate them into product requirements.

Skills You Should HODL:

• 5+ years of product management experience, with at least 2 years in an electronic trading or algorithmic trading environment (investment bank e‑trading desk, HFT firm, quant hedge fund, or equivalent).
• Deep domain knowledge of execution algorithms: TWAP, VWAP, Implementation Shortfall, Percentage of Volume (POV), and smart order routing logic.
• Strong understanding of market microstructure: order book dynamics, venue selection, lit vs. dark execution, latency arbitrage, and market impact modelling.
• Quantitative confidence: fluent in TCA methodology, slippage analysis, fill rate analysis, and execution quality benchmarking.
• Proven track record of shipping high‑quality execution or trading infrastructure products — not just roadmaps, but products that are live, used, and measured.
• Experience working with institutional or professional trader segments; able to hold credible, technically deep conversations with quant PMs, execution traders, and CTOs.
• Strong grasp of regulatory requirements governing electronic and algorithmic trading (MiFID II / RTS 6, CFTC, or equivalent).
• Exceptional communication skills: able to distil complex execution mechanics for non‑technical stakeholders and translate vague institutional client needs into precise engineering requirements.

Nice to haves:

• Crypto‑native experience: trading on crypto exchanges, familiarity with crypto market microstructure, or prior crypto product role.
• Experience building or integrating with AI/ML‑driven execution systems, adaptive algorithms, or agentic trading platforms.
• Exposure to DeFi execution mechanics: DEX aggregators, AMMs, cross‑chain routing, and on‑chain order flow.
• Experience with no‑code / low‑code strategy builders or visual workflow tools for quantitative trading.

Unless a specific application deadline is stated in the job posting, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. Kraken is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate all Krakenites for their diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions and unique perspectives. We hire strictly based on merit, meaning we seek out the candidates with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills considered the most suitable for the job. We encourage you to apply for roles where you don’t fully meet the listed requirements, especially if you’re passionate or knowledgeable about crypto!