Head of Operations Technology / Operations Technology Lead | Hands-On, Player-Manager Role | Buy-Side | London

A leading, growth-oriented hedge fund is appointing a senior Operations Technology leader into a newly created role, driven by sustained AUM growth and increasing operational complexity. This is a hands-on leadership position, reporting directly to the CTO, designed for an experienced technologist who wants real ownership while remaining close to the code. The mandate is clear: lead, build, and evolve the firm’s Operations Technology capability, not manage it from a distance.

You will take responsibility for a globally distributed Operations Technology team, partnering closely with Operations, Compliance and other business stakeholders across the full post-trade lifecycle. The remit spans both BAU ownership and greenfield development, supporting new products, counterparties and investment strategies as the platform scales.

This is emphatically not a project management or purely strategic role. The successful candidate will be technically credible, actively involved in architecture and code quality, and comfortable acting as a player-coach to a highly capable team.

Approximately 30% of the role remains hands-on, including code reviews, architectural oversight and technical mentoring, with the remainder focused on leadership, stakeholder engagement and strategic delivery.

The Operations Technology estate covers core post-trade and operational systems, including but not limited to:

• OMS integrations and straight-through processing
• Trade capture, trade entry and blotters
• Reconciliation frameworks
• Counterparty and third-party allocation flows
• Instrument setup and lifecycle management
• Operational reporting and data extracts

The team owns both in-house platforms and the integration and support of third-party operational systems, working directly with the business to automate workflows and reduce operational risk.

• Global Ops Tech team with a core base in London, supported by engineers in New York, Glasgow and APAC
• Current headcount ~11, scaling toward ~15
• Senior, low-ego engineering culture with minimal day-to-day management overhead
• Strong collaboration across technology and operations, with high visibility across the trading and post-trade landscape

This role suits a senior, hands-on Ops Technology leader who brings:

• A strong engineering background (Java / JVM ecosystem)
• Deep exposure to the trade lifecycle, particularly post-trade, settlements, clearing and operations automation

Candidates who have moved away from hands-on engineering, or who come from very large, highly siloed environments, are unlikely to be a fit.

• Direct line to the CTO
• Genuine ownership of Ops Tech strategy and delivery
• Still technical — without giving up leadership progression
• Broad exposure across asset classes and trading strategies
• Clear growth trajectory as the firm continues to scale

Compensation is highly competitive for the right individual, with flexibility around notice periods.

This search is being conducted discreetly. Further detail will be shared during an initial confidential discussion.