At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of Nickel Trader, enhancing execution quality and team collaboration.
- Company: Join a leading fintech firm revolutionising digital asset management in Europe.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, performance bonuses, stock options, and generous leave.
- Why this job: Make a direct impact on trading technology and shape the future of finance.
- Qualifications: 8-12 years in trading tech with strong EMS/OMS experience; leadership skills required.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for mentorship and professional growth.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 ÂŁ per year.
Nickel Digital Asset Management is one of Europe’s premier investment firms. We specialise in digital assets and alternative strategies, combining institutional-grade infrastructure with the agility and vision of a cutting-edge fintech firm. Backed by a team of world-class financial professionals, we are shaping the future of multi-strategy fund management with our Diversified Alpha Fund - a pioneering multi-manager vehicle investing across a range of strategies within the global digital asset space.
The Platform
Our in‑house EMS, Nickel Trader, is the one‑stop access point for market data, backtesting, multi‑venue execution and analytics — from post‑trade TCA and P&L to real‑time risk. It is tightly integrated with our risk and portfolio management systems. Execution edge is a core differentiator for our managers.
Role Overview
We are hiring a business‑centred technology leader to own the product and architecture of Nickel Trader and drive execution outcomes at scale. You will partner with trading, risk and operations, lead a small engineering team and set the roadmap, standards and venue strategy. You will be hands‑on enough to dive deep, but success is measured in slippage, capacity, reliability and onboarding speed — not lines of code.
What you will own:
- Roadmap & prioritisation: Set and communicate a focused roadmap that improves execution quality, capacity and onboarding speed; align sequencing with traders and risk.
- Execution algorithms & trader experience: Ensure TWAP, VWAP and related schedule/participation algorithms are robust, predictable and easy to use; provide clear parameters, safe defaults and per‑venue tuning where beneficial.
- Venue & liquidity management: Maintain and improve a venue performance scorecard (fills, rejects, response times, costs) and direct order flow accordingly; review distribution regularly.
- Risk & controls: Maintain practical pre‑trade checks, throttles, kill‑switches and circuit breakers; ensure operation is clear and fast during market stress.
- Reliability & incident management: Keep the execution path stable under load and during venue issues; maintain runbooks, disciplined change control and post‑incident follow‑up that drives measurable improvements.
- Access & client libraries: Oversee REST/WebSocket APIs and language SDKs; ensure documentation and examples enable new teams to place their first live order quickly and safely.
- Team leadership & delivery: Lead development team; set engineering standards, review key designs and make build‑versus‑buy and budget decisions that reduce operational risk and shorten time‑to‑market.
Indicative KPIs
- Ease of use and breadth of algorithms.
- Implementation shortfall relative to arrival/benchmark prices (by strategy bucket).
- Fill quality: fill rate; reject/timeout rates; cancel‑to‑fill ratio.
- Production stability: incident count and mean time to recovery during peak markets.
- Venue mix effectiveness: improvement in scorecard metrics and flow allocation over time.
- Capacity headroom: sustained throughput before degradation and orderly behaviour under stress.
What you will bring:
- 8–12 years in trading technology with deep EMS/OMS and market microstructure experience; at least 3 years owning roadmaps and teams.
- Credible hands‑on depth in one of Java (preferred), C++ or Python; comfortable reading code and leading design reviews (coding day‑to‑day is optional).
- Proven track record of implementing execution algorithms, improving implementation shortfall, fill quality and reliability in multi‑venue environments (FIX/REST/WebSocket).
- Experience partnering with traders and risk; clear, concise communication; disciplined incident and governance habits.
- Crypto execution exposure is ideal, but systematic FX, equities or derivatives experience is highly relevant.
Our offer:
- Competitive salary + performance bonus, aligned to execution outcomes.
- Meaningful stock options.
- 25 days’ annual leave + UK bank holidays; private health insurance.
- Mentoring and training budget.
- Direct impact: architect and own a mission‑critical system used by trading teams today.
Nickel Digital Asset Management is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates.
Head of Execution Technology in England employer: Nickel Digital Asset Management
Contact Detail:
Nickel Digital Asset Management Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Execution Technology in England
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, especially those at Nickel Digital Asset Management. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Prepare a portfolio or case studies that highlight your experience with execution algorithms and trading technology. This will give you an edge in discussions.
✨Tip Number 3
Be ready for technical chats! Brush up on your knowledge of Java, C++, or Python, and be prepared to discuss how you've tackled challenges in multi-venue environments.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in being part of our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Execution Technology in England
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Head of Execution Technology. Highlight your experience in trading technology and any relevant algorithms you've implemented. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about digital assets and how your leadership can drive execution outcomes at Nickel Trader. Let us know what excites you about this opportunity!
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t shy away from detailing your technical expertise, especially in Java, C++, or Python. We love candidates who can dive deep into code and lead design reviews, so make sure to mention any hands-on experience you have!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Nickel Digital Asset Management
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially Java, C++, or Python. Brush up on your knowledge of execution algorithms and market microstructure, as you'll need to demonstrate a solid understanding of how these elements contribute to execution quality.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading teams and setting roadmaps. Be ready to discuss how you've successfully aligned technology with trading and risk management, and how you’ve driven improvements in execution outcomes in previous roles.
✨Understand the Business Context
Familiarise yourself with Nickel Digital Asset Management’s approach to digital assets and alternative strategies. Being able to articulate how your technical expertise can enhance their execution technology will show that you’re not just a techie but also a business-minded leader.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills under pressure. Think about past incidents where you had to manage execution path stability or improve fill quality during peak market conditions, and be ready to discuss your thought process and actions taken.