Research Lead - High Frequency Trading (HFT)

About the Client:Our client is a fast-growing quantitative trading firm with a robust capital base and a proven track record in high-frequency, low-latency markets. Built on a culture of precision, innovation, and performance.They are seeking a High Frequency Trading Research Lead to shape the firm’s research direction, developing proprietary alpha strategies, and building a world-class quant research team from the ground up.This is a rare opportunity for a hands-on leader to play a formative role in building the trading strategy, infrastructure, and research culture of a firm that aims to compete at the frontier of high-frequency trading.Key Responsibilities:Design and execute the firm’s HFT research and trading roadmap.Develop, test, and optimize systematic alpha and execution strategies across global equities, futures, or FX markets.Lead the full research lifecycle — from data analysis and hypothesis generation to backtesting, simulation, and live deployment.Build, mentor, and scale a team of quantitative researchers and data scientists as the business grows.Collaborate with engineering teams to implement high-performance models into production trading systems.Continuously refine strategies through post-trade analytics, risk review, and performance attribution.Contribute to strategic decisions on data, infrastructure, and research tooling during the firm’s foundational phase.Requirements:Proven experience developing and deploying high-frequency or ultra-low-latency trading strategies.Strong quantitative foundation in statistics, applied mathematics, or computer science; postgraduate degree preferred.Deep expertise in market microstructure, order-book dynamics, and execution algorithms.Advanced programming skills in Python, C++, or Rust, with demonstrated experience in production-level research.Minimum 7–10 years’ experience in proprietary trading, systematic hedge funds, or quantitative research.Prior involvement in start-up or early-stage trading environments strongly preferred.Entrepreneurial, hands-on, and commercially minded — able to operate both strategically and tactically in a lean setup.