HFT Prop Desk. 6–9 months.
A high-frequency trading prop desk is seeking a FIX Protocol and Exchange Connectivity Engineer to own exchange onboarding, order routing infrastructure, and FIX engine performance and resilience. You will be directly responsible for expanding venue connectivity, reducing order-to-ack latency across existing connections, and stress-testing the full execution stack ahead of a new strategy deployment.
This role is for connectivity and execution engineers who have built and operated FIX engines and exchange connectivity infrastructure within an HFT firm, systematic prop desk, or systematic hedge fund operating in live markets. Exchange connectivity experience from outside a live trading environment — including from financial technology vendors without direct trading operations — will not be considered. The client operates at microsecond latency and requires engineers who understand the execution consequences of connectivity decisions, not just the protocol mechanics.
What they need:
→ 5+ years FIX protocol and exchange connectivity engineering at an HFT firm, prop desk, or systematic hedge fund operating live trading strategies
→ Deep FIX engine expertise — session management, order routing logic, drop copy, FIX 4.2/4.4/5.0 in a production trading environment
→ Direct exchange onboarding experience: LSE, CME, Eurex, ICE or equivalent venues — connectivity negotiation, certification, and live deployment
→ Low-latency C++ or Java for FIX engine development and optimisation
→ Understanding of co-location environments, cross-connect infrastructure, and market access agreements
→ OUCH, ITCH, or proprietary binary protocol experience beneficial → Knowledge of pre-trade risk controls and order throttling requirements under MiFID II or equivalent regulation
Duration: 6–9 months.
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