Head of Quantitative Trading

Role Overview:

My client is a FTSE250 firm seeking a visionary and results-driven Head of Quantitative Trading to lead and scale our quantitative trading division. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for developing and executing systematic and electronic trading strategies across global markets. The ideal candidate will combine deep quantitative expertise, a strong software development background, and proven leadership capabilities to drive innovation and performance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership:
• Define and execute the quantitative and electronic trading strategy in alignment with the firm’s investment objectives.
• Lead a multidisciplinary team of quantitative researchers, developers, and traders.

Alpha Generation & Strategy Development:

• Oversee the research, development, and deployment of systematic and high-frequency trading strategies.
• Ensure robust backtesting, risk modeling, and performance attribution.

Electronic Trading & Execution:

• Lead the design and optimization of electronic execution algorithms and smart order routing systems.
• Collaborate with infrastructure and trading technology teams to ensure low-latency, high-reliability execution platforms.

Technology & Development:

• Bring a hands-on development background to guide architecture decisions and code reviews.
• Champion best practices in software engineering, including version control, testing, and continuous integration.

Key Requirements

• 10+ years in quantitative and electronic trading, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven track record of building and managing profitable systematic and electronic trading strategies.

Technical & Development Skills:

• Strong software development background, ideally in C++, Python, or Java.
• Experience building and maintaining electronic trading systems and low-latency infrastructure.

Education:

• Advanced degree (PhD or MSc) in a quantitative field such as Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or Financial Engineering.