At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build cutting-edge trading infrastructure from scratch.
- Company: Leading multi-strategy hedge fund with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Highly competitive compensation and the chance to shape technology.
- Other info: Opportunity to influence architecture and engineering practices from day one.
- Why this job: Be a founding engineer and make a real impact in systematic trading.
- Qualifications: 2-15 years of C++ experience in high-performance environments.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 120000 £ per year.
A leading multi-strategy hedge fund is making a substantial investment in systematic trading and is building a new C++ engineering team from first principles. This is a genuine greenfield build: no legacy architecture, no inherited technical debt, and the opportunity to define the core trading infrastructure, engineering standards, and technology stack that will underpin the firm's systematic trading ambitions.
You will work directly with a hiring manager whose background spans HFT, ultra-low-latency systems, kernel optimisation, network infrastructure, and exchange connectivity.
The OpportunityYou will be responsible for designing and building the performance-critical infrastructure that powers the firm's next-generation systematic trading platform, including:
- Ultra-low-latency trading and execution systems
- Market data handlers, feed processing, and normalisation pipelines
- Exchange connectivity, order gateways, and routing infrastructure
- High-performance distributed systems
- Event-driven architectures operating under strict latency constraints
- Performance-sensitive C++ components where microseconds directly impact outcomes
- 2-15 years of C++ engineering experience in a trading or performance-critical environment
- Experience within HFT, electronic trading, market making, systematic trading, or other latency-sensitive domains
- Strong understanding of Linux internals, multithreading, concurrency, memory management, and performance optimisation
- Expertise in low-latency systems, kernel-level development, network optimisation, market data, or exchange connectivity
- Demonstrated tenure and track record within leading technology or quantitative trading organisations
- Join as a founding engineer in a newly established systematic trading technology function
- Build a platform from scratch rather than maintaining legacy systems
- Influence architecture, tooling, infrastructure, and engineering best practices from day one
- Direct impact on a major strategic growth area for the business
- Highly competitive compensation package.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Greenfield Systematic Trading Build | Founding C++ Engineers in London
✨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 Selby Jennings 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 Selby Jennings.
✨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 Selby Jennings.
✨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 Selby Jennings 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 Greenfield Systematic Trading Build | Founding C++ Engineers in London
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 Selby Jennings.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Selby Jennings 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 Selby Jennings
✨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 Selby Jennings 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.
