Head of Trade Operations in London

Head of Trade Operations in London

London Full-Time 100000 - 130000 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
OpenFX

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead and scale Trade Operations, ensuring seamless cross-border payment processes.
  • Company: Join OpenFX, a fintech innovator transforming global money movement.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, equity, and a collaborative work culture focused on growth.
  • Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace committed to personal and professional development.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on the future of financial infrastructure in a fast-paced startup.
  • Qualifications: 15+ years in trade operations with strong leadership and risk management skills.

The predicted salary is between 100000 - 130000 £ per year.

About Us

OpenFX is on a mission to move money as freely as data, unrestricted by time zones, banking hours, or legacy systems. We are building the infrastructure that will power the next generation of cross-border payment systems for institutions. The team's execution has been exceptional, and we're scaling at a remarkable pace. Our stellar early team comes with experience in companies like J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, FalconX, PayPal, Affirm, Polygon, Kraken, Nium and others. We're backed by Accel, Lightspeed, NfX and other top-tier investors.

Role Overview

We're hiring a Head of Trade Operations to build and lead the Trade Operations function at OpenFX. Reporting to the Head of Operations, you will own the end-to-end trade and treasury operation and lead the team that keeps OpenFX's cross-border flows settling accurately, on time, and at scale.

Trade Operations is the operational backbone of OpenFX's core business. The team executes and controls the full trade lifecycle, manages multi-currency liquidity and treasury, and keeps settlement flawless across time zones and corridors as volume grows. This is a deliberately hands-on leadership role. You set the operating model, build the controls, and stay with the work until trades settle cleanly and the numbers are trustworthy, not stopping at plans or presentations.

You will work closely with leaders across Product, Partnerships, Finance, Business Operations, Compliance and Engineering. Trade Operations owns the trade lifecycle, liquidity, and operational risk and controls, while each partner function continues to own its own strategy, specialist decisions and results.

Key Responsibilities

Lead and scale the Trade Operations function

  • Manage, coach and develop the Trade Operations team across geographies, with clear responsibilities, scorecards and development plans for each team member.
  • Build the operating model, coverage framework and capacity plan needed to run across IST, GMT and US time zones as OpenFX scales.
  • Set the standard for how the team executes, escalates and continuously improves.

Own the trade lifecycle end to end

  • Own execution, booking, confirmation, reconciliation and settlement across all currencies and corridors.
  • Drive down settlement discrepancies and operational breaks through process design, controls and system improvements.
  • Stand up real-time visibility into settlement status and operational breaks.

Own liquidity and treasury

  • Manage daily liquidity and cash across currencies, accounts and banking partners.
  • Build cash forecasting and rebalancing that improves working capital efficiency and reduces cost of funds.
  • Oversee short-term funding, investment and borrowing activity.

Own operational risk, controls and compliance

  • Build the operational, market and currency risk framework: limits, monitoring, escalation and audit trails.
  • Ensure trade and treasury activity adheres to regulation and internal policy across the US, UK, EU, UAE and India.

Drive automation, reporting and systems

  • Own the trade and treasury systems roadmap and drive automation over manual work wherever possible.
  • Standardize and automate reporting for leadership, partners and regulators.
  • Protect data integrity across trade and treasury systems.

Work clearly with other teams

  • Partner with Product on operational readiness for new products, features, corridors and currencies, so nothing ships without ops sign-off. Product owns the roadmap and requirements.
  • Partner with Partnerships on banking and liquidity relationships, SLAs and fee structures. Partnerships owns the relationship strategy.
  • Partner with Finance on planning, reconciliation and controls. Finance owns the books and financial reporting.
  • Partner with Compliance on regulatory requirements. Compliance and Legal own licensing and regulatory strategy.

What We're Looking For

Must-haves

  • 15+ years in trade operations, treasury or related functions, including senior leadership at large-scale fintechs and/or major financial institutions.
  • A record of building and scaling a trade or treasury operations function and leading teams across geographies, with clear evidence of personal ownership and measurable results.
  • Deep, technical command of the full trade lifecycle, FX markets, cross-border payments and multi-currency liquidity and cash management.
  • Strong people leadership, including setting clear expectations, coaching capable operators and building an effective team structure.
  • Excellent judgment on risk, controls and compliance in a regulated, multi-jurisdiction environment.
  • Strong written communication and executive judgment, including making ownership, tradeoffs and decisions clear.
  • Comfort working through ambiguity. You can set a clear way of working and move important work forward without waiting for a detailed playbook.

What helps you stand out

  • An MBA or a professional treasury certification (e.g., CTP).
  • Hands-on experience with trading and treasury management systems and platforms.
  • Experience building a trade or treasury operations function from the ground up (0 to 1) at a company scaling significantly.
  • Experience across multiple regulatory jurisdictions (US, UK, EU, UAE, India).

What We Offer

  • Competitive salary and benefits package.
  • Equity in a rapidly growing company.
  • Opportunity to work in a fast-paced startup at the forefront of fintech innovation.
  • Opportunity to make a significant impact on global financial infrastructure.
  • Collaborative work culture with emphasis on personal and professional growth.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Head of Trade Operations in London employer: OpenFX

OpenFX is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that thrives on innovation and collaboration. As a Product Manager in London, you'll be at the forefront of cross-border payment solutions, with ample opportunities for professional growth and direct impact on revenue through currency expansion. Join a high-calibre team backed by top-tier investors, where your contributions will shape the future of financial infrastructure in Europe.

OpenFX

Contact Details:

OpenFX Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Head of Trade Operations in London

Tap into Campus Networks

If you're still in uni, don’t forget to engage with your campus's career services and attend finance-related events. Banks often do presentations and recruitment drives on campus, so put yourself out there and make use of these opportunities to show off your passion for the field.

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Join finance-focused groups on platforms like LinkedIn and engage in discussions. This can really help you stand out from the crowd, allowing potential employers to see your knowledge and interest in industry trends. Plus, you might stumble upon job postings shared exclusively within the group.

Apply Directly and Be Proactive

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We think you need these skills to ace Head of Trade Operations in London

Trade Operations Management
Treasury Management
Cross-Border Payments
Multi-Currency Liquidity Management
Operational Risk Management
Compliance Knowledge
Team Leadership

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Off Your Numbers!:In the banking and financial services world, quantifiable achievements are key. Make sure your CV highlights your grades in relevant subjects, any financial certifications you hold, and specific projects where you've delivered measurable results. Employers love to see how your skills translate into real-world success.

Tailor Your Cover Letter to the Role:When applying for a full-time position, your cover letter should make a direct connection between your experience and the job description. Don't just state your enthusiasm for finance—dive into how your background in banking or financial analysis sets you apart. Let your passion shine through while being specific about what you can bring to OpenFX.

Include Relevant Financial Software Experience:If you've worked with financial modelling tools or software like Excel, SAP, or specific analytical tools during your studies or internships, bring that up! Highlighting your proficiency can really make your application pop and show you're ready to hit the ground running in a full-time role.

Research and Reflect:Before hitting that 'apply' button on OpenFX's website, do a little digging. Look up their recent projects, values, and culture. Reflecting their ethos in your application can make a huge difference and show you’re genuinely interested in being part of the team!

How to prepare for a job interview at OpenFX

Brush Up on Financial Analysis Skills

Make sure you're well-versed in financial concepts and analytical techniques relevant to banking and financial services. Get comfortable with tools like Excel for modelling or financial forecasting, as technical questions in this area are common during interviews with OpenFX.

Prepare for Case Studies

Expect to tackle case studies that demonstrate your problem-solving skills in real-world banking scenarios. Familiarise yourself with the types of problems you might face—think risk assessments or investment evaluations—and be ready to articulate your thought process clearly.

Show Your Passion for Finance

Since this is a full-time position, employers at OpenFX will be keen to see your genuine interest in finance. Be prepared to discuss recent industry trends or news articles that excite you, showcasing your enthusiasm and engagement with the field.

Network with Industry Professionals

Before your interview, reach out to current or former OpenFX employees on platforms like LinkedIn. They'll offer unique insights into the company's culture and the interview process, which can give us a delightful edge in showcasing a good fit for the team.