Director, Head of Execution

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director, Head of Execution based in the United States. This is a senior technical leadership opportunity for an experienced algorithmic trading professional ready to shape the next generation of electronic trading infrastructure. You will lead the design and development of a greenfield, low-latency, high-throughput algorithmic trading and Smart Order Router (SOR) platform. The role combines hands-on engineering, execution strategy, and architectural leadership in a fast-paced digital asset environment. Working closely with traders, product managers, and external partners, you will build intelligent routing capabilities that optimize execution quality, liquidity, latency, and cost. You will also oversee system reliability, performance, and integration across the broader trading technology stack. This is an opportunity to influence critical trading systems while mentoring developers and driving technical excellence. Accountabilities - Lead the architecture, design, and development of a high-performance algorithmic trading and Smart Order Router system from the ground up. - Build and implement intelligent order-routing algorithms that optimize execution based on liquidity, execution quality, latency, and transaction costs. - Collaborate with traders, product managers, and other stakeholders to define routing strategies, refine trading logic, and develop new algorithmic capabilities. - Integrate the Smart Order Router with the broader trading infrastructure, including order management, execution, booking, and reporting systems. - Monitor live trading performance, identify bottlenecks, and continuously optimize system speed, throughput, and reliability. - Lead technical architecture decisions, establish engineering standards, and promote high-quality, maintainable code. - Mentor and support junior developers, encouraging technical growth and effective collaboration. - Provide production support for trading-related incidents and implement improvements to system resilience, recovery, and failover capabilities. - Work with internal teams and external partners to deliver essential trading infrastructure initiatives.

Requirements: - At least 10 years of experience developing execution or routing strategies within markets such as U. S. equities, European markets, or cryptocurrency exchanges. - Proven experience building, developing, and benchmarking algorithmic trading systems, ideally in high-frequency or electronic trading environments. - Strong knowledge of tick data analytics and real-time market data processing. - Experience with low-latency system design and multicast or unicast market data feeds. - Solid understanding of electronic and algorithmic trading application stacks, infrastructure, and technical workflows. - Proficiency in FIX protocol and trading system architecture, including Order Management Systems (OMS), Execution Management Systems (EMS), and market gateways. - Strong knowledge of concurrency, networking, memory management, and performance optimization. - Hands-on experience with Linux environments and performance profiling tools. - Familiarity with cloud-based market access solutions or hybrid infrastructure deployments. - Strong architectural judgment and the ability to translate complex trading requirements into robust technical solutions. - Excellent problem-solving skills, a proactive approach, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-moving, collaborative environment. Preferred qualifications: - Deep understanding of electronic trading, order types, and market microstructure across asset classes such as equities, options, foreign exchange, and digital assets. - Experience in cryptocurrency markets or decentralized finance (DeFi). - Exposure to regulated or compliance-driven trading environments.