Lead Engineer (Java, Trading)

TL;DR

Lead Engineer (Java/Trading): Designing and building high-performance trading engine components for a global digital asset platform with an accent on low-latency Java code, distributed systems, and financial state transitions. Focus on architecting scalable trading infrastructure, optimizing throughput and latency, and integrating agentic AI into the SDLC.

Location: London

Company

hirify.global is an institutionally focused global digital asset platform providing regulated market infrastructure, including a spot and derivatives exchange and CoinDesk data services.

What you will do

• Design and deliver reusable, reliable, low-latency Java code powering the Exchange.
• Apply TradFi product knowledge across Spot and Derivatives to ensure functional correctness and market fit.
• Identify system bottlenecks and engineer solutions to improve throughput, latency, and reliability.
• Set the technical bar for code quality, automation, and design across the engineering team.
• Mentor engineers and define high standards of technical excellence across the organization.
• Collaborate with product and project management across hubs in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Requirements

• 12+ years of Java backend engineering experience with a focus on front-office execution and trading technologies.
• Expert-level knowledge of Java 17+, including the JVM, concurrency primitives, and collections.
• Proven track record of architecting and building low-latency trading systems from the ground up.
• Strong command of data structures, algorithms, and TDD/BDD practices using JUnit and Mockito.
• Hands-on experience with Spring or Micronaut, Docker, Kubernetes, and messaging systems like Kafka, RabbitMQ, or Solace.
• Solid understanding of Spot, Futures, and Options markets.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with TypeScript.
• Experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
• Knowledge of the cryptocurrency or digital asset space.

Culture & Benefits

• Engineering culture that treats development as a craft with a commitment to technical excellence.
• AI-first principle, using LLMs throughout the SDLC to accelerate development and automation.
• Collaborative environment working alongside experienced, deeply specialized global peers.
• Focus on security, compliance, and building institutional-grade financial infrastructure.