Senior Software Engineer at Mako in London, England, GB

At Mako, we believe in the power of collaboration to drive innovation in pursuit of our collective ambition; excellence in trading. Our diverse community is connected through a commitment to being the best we can be with the highest standards of integrity.

Join the Software Development team which is responsible for the Front Office Trading system.

Mako is looking for a Senior C++ Developer to join our Front Office Execution team, responsible for building and running the low-latency C++ exchange connectivity systems that trading algorithms rely on each day across multiple venues globally. The role encompasses the entire order lifecycle — from exchange connectivity and order management to ultra-low-latency execution logic and last-line-of-defence pre-trade controls.

You will work closely with the trading desks, ship into production frequently, and have end-to-end ownership — from design and implementation through to deployment and production support. We expect you to move work forward without being asked, mentor the engineers around you, and communicate clearly with both technologists and traders

What you’ll be involved in:

• Design, build and ship parts of our trading stack — exchange connectivity, order state management, low-latency execution, boundary risk checks — and keep them running in production.
• Profile and improve latency and throughput on the hot path; reason about cache, allocations, contention and the network stack, and measure rather than guess.
• Work directly with traders and researchers to identify improvements to our execution performance and turn trading ideas into real production impact.
• Diagnose live issues during market hours and drive them to root cause.
• Raise the quality of the codebase through rigorous review, sensible testing and clear written design.
• Coach and mentor other engineers — pairing, reviewing in depth, and helping them grow.

What we need from you:

• At least 5 years of hands-on C++ development on a latency-sensitive or high-throughput system running on Linux, with experience developing trading systems at a prop shop, market maker, hedge fund or similar.
• Good understanding of exchange connectivity protocols (e.g. FIX, ITCH/OUCH, proprietary binary) and the mechanics of limit order books.
• Expertise in modern C++ with a focus on deterministic performance, lock-free concurrency, and low-latency design patterns.
• Passionate about solving challenging technical problems, and curious — strives to understand and explain observed behaviours.
• Disagrees well, writes clearly, and has demonstrably made the engineers around them better.

Other beneficial skills and experience

• Trading strategies and pricing models, particularly in options.
• Kernel bypass (Solarflare/Onload) or FPGA drivers.
• Python for tooling and research support.
• Acting as a technical lead on projects with real trading impact.

We are Mako

At Mako, we are welcoming, inclusive and collaborative. We work fast and smart in a supportive and dress-down environment that allows colleagues to be themselves and achieve great things. We uphold the principles of a flat structure that offers unrivalled engagement with senior leadership and career development opportunities. We have a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Flexible leave and hybrid working policies
• Private health and dental insurance
• Generous pension scheme
• Free access to the Mako gym
• Employee wellbeing guidance and support
• Opportunity to become involved in the rewarding work of the Mako Foundation

About Mako

Mako is a leading options market maker with a global trading footprint. It has been at the forefront of options market making since 1999, from the open outcry trading pits to screen trading and automated algorithmic execution strategies that are driving the future of the industry.

From offices in London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Singapore, Sydney, Brisbane and Chengdu, Mako offers the best-in-class liquidity solutions across Equities, Fixed Income, Commodities and FX derivatives markets and prides itself in its entrepreneurial, collaborative and philanthropic culture.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or assistance during the recruitment process, please email hr@mako.com and we will arrange this.

For further information on the Mako Group please refer to our website: http://www.mako.com.

Mako does not accept unsolicited CVs or candidate details from recruiters or search firms and will not pay any fees to such firms without a signed agreement.