C++ Developer | Low-Latency Trading | London | £250k - £1mil+

Somewhere in London right now there's a C++ engineer earning more than most engineering directors, working in a team of eight, with no sprint planning, no ticket queues, and code that goes to production in days rather than quarters.

I recruit for a small number of the most profitable proprietary trading firms in the world. You would recognise the names immediately, which is exactly why I can't put them in this ad. What I can tell you is that they have asked me to find them strong C++ engineers, and they don't care whether you've ever touched finance in your life.

Trading engines, market data systems, order gateways, network stacks. Modern C++ on Linux where performance is the whole point of the business, not something that gets deprioritised when a deadline looms. If you enjoy thinking about memory layout, cache behaviour, lock-free structures and what the compiler is really doing with your code, this is the environment where that knowledge is worth serious money. The teams are small and the engineers are exceptional. Your code ships fast, and you can see exactly what it contributes.

Two or more years of professional C++. That's the bar, and I mean it. Some of the best people I've placed had three years' experience and came from gaming, embedded, robotics, telecoms or big tech. These firms would much rather teach markets to a great engineer than teach engineering to a markets person.

You should genuinely understand how your code runs on real hardware. If colleagues tend to bring you the hard problems, you're probably who I'm looking for. Finance experience is a bonus, not a requirement.

Exceptional Total compensation of £250k to £1mil+, and at these firms the bonus is a meaningful part of that, reviewed every year based on what you actually contribute. You'll be working alongside the strongest engineers you've ever met. The roles are London based, though my clients also hire into Amsterdam, New York, Chicago, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney if you ever fancy a move.

These firms turn away the majority of people who apply directly, including plenty who were good enough. I know each firm's interview process in detail, what they value, and where your profile fits best. One conversation and you'll know exactly where you stand, even if the answer is "not yet".

You don't need a polished CV or a cover letter. If you've written C++ you're proud of, apply or get in touch for a confidential chat. Worst case, you find out what you're actually worth on this market.

All conversations are strictly confidential. Client names shared once we've spoken.