Senior C++ FIX Protocol & Exchange Connectivity Engineer
- Waterloo, London (Hybrid)
- £600 - £748 per day (Inside IR35)
- Initial 6-Month Contract | Extensions Available up to 3 Years
We are partnering with a leading global trading organisation seeking a Senior C++ FIX Protocol & Exchange Connectivity Engineer to join a high-performing technology team responsible for developing and supporting mission-critical electronic trading platforms.
This is an exciting opportunity to work at the core of a sophisticated trading environment, building low-latency exchange connectivity solutions that process Real Time market data and execute orders across global financial markets. Working closely with traders, quants, and trading operations teams, you'll play a key role in delivering highly scalable and resilient trading infrastructure.
The Opportunity
As a Senior C++ FIX Protocol & Exchange Connectivity Engineer, you will design, develop, and optimise software that connects directly to exchanges using industry-standard trading protocols. You'll be responsible for ensuring reliable, high-performance exchange connectivity whilst contributing to the development and enhancement of automated trading systems.
Key ResponsibilitiesFIX Protocol & Exchange Connectivity
- Design, develop, and maintain exchange connectivity solutions using modern C++
- Build software that communicates directly with exchanges using FIX Protocol, WebSocket, and HTTP APIs
- Develop and support market data handlers, order gateways, and order routing systems
- Optimise exchange communications through techniques such as network tuning, TLS optimisation, and low-latency connectivity improvements
- Research exchange-specific behaviour and protocol requirements to ensure optimal performance and compliance
- Integrate and enhance exchange SDKs using technologies including C++, Rust, Python, and TypeScript
- Develop, maintain, and extend automated testing frameworks to ensure software quality, stability, and performance
Trading Systems & Algorithm Development
- Implement trading algorithms and enhancements based on requirements from traders and quantitative teams
- Translate trading and business requirements into robust, high-performance software solutions
- Continuously improve the stability, reliability, scalability, and performance of the trading engine
- Work closely with Trading Operations teams to improve monitoring, observability, and operational tooling
- Investigate and resolve production issues, including latency bottlenecks, performance degradation, and system failures
- Support software releases, deployments, and production rollouts of new trading platform functionality
Essential Skills & Experience
- 5+ years of commercial C++ development experience within Financial Services, Electronic Trading, Commodities, Capital Markets, or Investment Banking
- Strong experience developing FIX Protocol connectivity solutions
- Proven track record building and supporting low-latency, high-performance distributed systems
- Strong understanding of multithreaded, concurrent, and asynchronous programming
- Experience with exchange connectivity, market data feeds, order management systems (OMS), or electronic trading platforms
- Solid understanding of networking concepts and protocols, including FIX, TCP/IP, WebSocket, and API-based integrations
- Excellent knowledge of algorithms, data structures, and performance optimisation techniques
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot complex production issues
- Experience with Scripting and automation using Python, PowerShell, C#, SQL, or similar technologies
- Experience with software deployment, release management, and operational best practices
Highly Desirable
- Experience working directly with traders, quantitative analysts, and trading support teams
- Understanding of the full trading life cycle, including order capture, execution, allocation, settlement, and regulatory requirements
- Experience within electronic trading, commodities trading, market making, hedge funds, exchanges, or investment banking environments
- Knowledge of low-latency networking and performance tuning techniques
- Exposure to Linux-based trading environments
Personal Attributes
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with traders, developers, and senior stakeholders
- Comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-pressure trading environments
- Proactive, self-motivated, and delivery-focused
- Strong ownership mentality with a passion for building reliable, high-performance systems
- Able to manage competing priorities and thrive under demanding deadlines
- Naturally curious with a desire to solve complex technical and business challenges
Why Apply?
- Work on business-critical electronic trading and exchange connectivity platforms
- Collaborate directly with traders, quants, and senior engineering teams
- Exposure to cutting-edge low-latency trading technologies
- Long-term contract with potential extensions up to 3 years
- Competitive day rate of £600 - £748 per day (Inside IR35)
- Hybrid working from a central London location
Interested? Apply now or contact me directly for a confidential discussion.