Python Desk Developer (Proprietary Trading / Market Making)

Python Desk Developer – Proprietary Trading / Market Making

Salary: £120,000 Base (potential flexibility) + 30–50% Bonus + Benefits

Location: London (4–5 days per week in office)

We are supporting a high-performing proprietary trading / market-making firm in the search for a Python Desk Developer to join their London technology team. This is a genuinely greenfield role, working directly with traders, quants and research teams to build new tools and applications that have a direct impact on the trading desk. You’ll have significant ownership, taking projects from initial idea through to production, rather than maintaining legacy systems. The firm is highly technology-driven, with developers working closely with the trading and research functions across multiple asset classes globally. We’re particularly interested in candidates from a buy-side, proprietary trading, market-making or hedge fund environment who have experience building technology for front-office users.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build greenfield Python applications and tools to support traders and trading teams.
• Work directly with traders, quants and researchers to understand problems and identify opportunities for technology-driven solutions.
• Take ownership of projects from initial idea and requirements through to design, development and deployment.
• Develop new trading tools, analytics applications and workflows that improve the efficiency and capabilities of the desk.
• Iterate quickly with end users, incorporating feedback and continuously improving the applications you build.
• Design and develop scalable, maintainable Python solutions in a Linux environment.
• Work with relational databases and financial data to support trading applications.
• Collaborate with other engineers, quants, traders and research teams across the business.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and improve existing trading workflows.
• Contribute to the evolution of the firm's technology stack and development practices.

Required Experience:

• Experience building applications or tools from scratch, with a strong focus on quality and usability.
• Strong software engineering fundamentals and an ability to take ownership of projects.
• Experience working closely with end users or business stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver solutions.
• Experience working with Linux environments.
• Familiarity with relational databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL or similar.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• A collaborative approach with the ability to operate independently and drive projects forward.
• A genuine interest in financial markets and technology.
• Previous experience within a buy-side, hedge fund, proprietary trading or market-making environment.
• Experience developing trader-facing or desk-facing applications.
• Experience working directly with traders, quantitative researchers or portfolio managers.
• Exposure to financial markets, trading workflows or market data.
• Experience with Python libraries and frameworks used for data analysis and application development.
• Experience building dashboards, analytics tools, internal applications or workflow automation.
• A degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Physics or another relevant technical discipline.

Ideal Candidate:

You’re a strong Python Engineer who loves building from scratch and working directly with traders. This is a genuinely greenfield role with the autonomy to take ideas from concept through to production. You’ll work closely with traders, quants and researchers to solve real problems, build impactful tools and see your work used by the business every day. Ideal for someone from a buy-side, market-making or proprietary trading environment who wants greater ownership, closer front-office exposure and the opportunity to build rather than maintain legacy technology.

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