At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to build high-performance trading research infrastructure using Rust and Python.
- Company: Join Whistler Trading, a fast-growing leader in systematic trading with top-tier talent.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, performance bonuses, comprehensive health insurance, and top-notch hardware.
- Other info: Collaborative culture that values merit, clarity, and ownership with excellent growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Shape the future of trading technology while mentoring the next generation of engineers.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in software engineering, strong Rust and Python skills, and leadership experience.
The predicted salary is between 120000 - 200000 £ per year.
About Whistler Trading: Whistler Trading was founded in 2022 with the ambition to build a new leader in systematic trading. We've invested heavily in research and infrastructure, developing lean, high-performance systems that let us go from idea to production faster than ever. Most importantly, we've built a team with incredible talent density, including alumni of top firms like Citadel and SIG, medalists from math and informatics olympiads, and individuals with deep domain expertise in trading, distributed systems, and real-time infrastructure. We value drive, rigor, and originality, and we back people who want to build something lasting.
The Role: We're building out our research platform team and looking for a Senior Software Engineer / Technical Lead to help drive this effort. You'll oversee a growing team of junior engineers building our high-frequency and mid-frequency trading research infrastructure, while staying hands-on with architecture and critical technical decisions. This isn't a pure management role; you'll write code, design systems, and solve hard technical problems. You'll also mentor engineers, set technical direction, and ensure we're building research infrastructure that's fast, reliable, and enables our researchers to move quickly from idea to production.
The ideal candidate has strong systems programming fundamentals, experience building research or data platforms, and a track record of leading technical projects and developing other engineers.
What You'll Do:
- Lead the research platform team: Provide technical direction and mentorship to a team of junior engineers building our HFT/MFT research infrastructure.
- Design and build research infrastructure: Architect and implement high-performance systems in Rust and Python that enable our researchers to test ideas, analyse data at scale, and iterate quickly.
- Bridge research and production: Work closely with researchers and traders to understand their needs, then build tools and infrastructure that accelerate their work.
- Drive technical decisions: Own architecture and design decisions for the research platform.
- Solve HPC challenges: Work on high-performance computing problems related to data processing, parallel computation, and system optimization.
- Maintain engineering standards: Establish and uphold strong engineering practices through code reviews, documentation, and technical mentorship.
- Stay hands-on: Remain actively involved in coding, design, and technical problem-solving.
Skills and Qualifications:
- Experience: 7+ years of software engineering experience, with demonstrated ability to lead technical projects and mentor other engineers.
- Systems programming: Strong proficiency in Rust for performance-critical systems.
- Python for research/data: Solid Python skills for building research tools, data analysis pipelines, and working with scientific computing libraries.
- High-performance computing: Experience with parallel programming, optimization, and building systems that process large datasets efficiently.
- Technical leadership: Track record of leading technical projects, making architecture decisions, and helping other engineers grow.
- Problem-solving and pragmatism: Ability to balance competing priorities.
- Communication: Clear, direct communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field (Master's or Ph.D. a plus).
Nice to have:
- Experience in quantitative trading, quantitative research, or financial markets.
- Background building data platforms, backtesting systems, or research infrastructure.
- Familiarity with distributed systems and workflow orchestration.
- Experience with modern data tools and frameworks.
Why Join Whistler:
- Build foundational systems: You'll be shaping the research infrastructure that underpins our entire trading operation.
- Develop engineers: Work with smart, driven junior engineers and help them grow into strong systems programmers.
- Work with exceptional people: Collaborate with researchers and engineers who are genuinely excellent at what they do.
- Merit over hierarchy: We run a lean, collaborative organization where the best ideas win.
- Clarity and ownership: We value clear thinking and direct communication.
- Growth opportunity: As we grow, top performers grow with us.
Compensation and Benefits:
- Base Salary: CAD $150,000 – $250,000 depending on experience and performance.
- Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits to support you and your family.
Hiring Process:
- Initial screening: A short conversation to discuss your background, leadership experience, and mutual fit.
- Technical assessment: A systems design or architecture exercise focused on research infrastructure challenges.
- Technical interviews: In-depth discussions with our engineers about your experience.
- Team fit interview: A conversation with senior team members to assess collaboration style.
- Offer: If it's a mutual fit, we'll extend an offer promptly.
Senior Software Engineer / Technical Lead Research Platform (Rust + Python) employer: Whistler Trading
Whistler Alpha Research is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic work culture where innovation and performance are at the forefront. As a Graduate Software Engineer, you will have the unique opportunity to collaborate with industry leaders in a fast-paced environment, receiving rapid feedback and mentorship that accelerates your professional growth. With a competitive salary and a focus on impactful work, Whistler Alpha Research is dedicated to nurturing talent and providing a platform for meaningful contributions in the world of quantitative finance.
