Lead Software Engineer in London

We're seeking someone to join our Exchange connectivity team as a Vice president in Algo to help develop and maintain applications that provide access to exchanges, brokers, SI's and other liquidity sources for trading in securitized instruments. The Exchange Connectivity development team develops and maintains applications that provide access to exchanges, brokers, SI’s and other liquidity sources for trading in securitized instruments. The team offers unbeatable value for global market, cross-asset coverage and focuses on developing highly robust systems that can process large quantities of orders with very low latency. Our team is the main point of contact when the firm requires access to trading venues, and as such we regularly liaise with multiple business units and technical teams to ensure that projects run to completion and within stipulated timescales.

In the Technology division, we leverage innovation to build the connections and capabilities that power our Firm, enabling our clients and colleagues to redefine markets and shape the future of our communities. This is a Lead Software Engineering position at VP level, which is part of the job family responsible for developing and maintaining software solutions that support business needs.

What you'll do in the role:

• Communicate regularly with product leads across the technology organization and discuss opportunities for improvement to existing and future technology solutions.
• You will be responsible for developing order routers as part of a global development team.
• Development may be for new markets, or mandatory exchange driven upgrades or applying break-fixes to Order Router software.
• You will be fully involved in all aspects of the project lifecycle from requirements to deployment and subsequent support.
• You may need to design/develop products to add value to the services the team provides.
• You may need to perform exchange certification, regression testing, configure and deploy applications (some weekend work required occasionally but you'll have days off in lieu).
• You will be responsible for developing order routers as part of a global development team.
• This role is a critical contributor to the ongoing modernization of the Exchange Connectivity platform and the adoption of agentic tooling to accelerate code migration, testing, and operational efficiency.
• You may also be required to serve as L3 support.

Internal systems use FIX. The routers take care of translating FIX messages to the exchange protocol. Our goal is to provide a consistent interface to all of the firm’s applications when they use our routers to hit the market. Hence understanding the business requirements and being able to juggle multiple projects that involve talking to various technical teams is key.

What you'll bring to the role:

• Ability to effectively manage multiple functions or guide junior staff and initiatives.
• Being a collaborator, multitasker and being extremely organised is required in this fast paced environment.
• Experience working in low latency/high performance systems.
• You should be able to demonstrate in-depth understanding of OO principles, design patterns and threading techniques.
• At least 6 years' relevant experience would generally be expected to find the skills required for this role.
• A good understanding of C++ combined with AI/Machine learning applications.
• Experience working in a Unix/Linux environment.
• Have worked on distributed applications, in a service based architecture.
• This position also requires advanced expertise in low-latency engineering.
• Subject matter expertise in exchange-specific protocols, certification processes, regulatory requirements, and production operations that are essential to maintaining reliable market access.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

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Certified Persons Regulatory Requirements: If this role is deemed a Certified role and may require the role holder to hold mandatory regulatory qualifications or the minimum qualifications to meet internal company benchmarks.

Flexible work statement: Interested in flexible working opportunities? Morgan Stanley empowers employees to have greater freedom of choice through flexible working arrangements. Speak to our recruitment team to find out more.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents. Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.