About Keyrock
Since our beginnings in 2017, Keyrock has grown to be a leading change‑maker in the digital asset space, renowned for partnerships and innovation. Today, we rock with over 180 team members worldwide. Our diverse team spans 42 nationalities and ranges from DeFi natives to PhDs. Predominantly remote, we have hubs in London, Brussels, and Singapore, and host regular online and offline hangouts to keep the crew tight.
We trade on more than 80 exchanges, working with a wide array of asset issuers. As a well‑established market maker, our distinctive expertise has driven rapid expansion. Our services now span market making, options trading, high‑frequency trading, OTC, and DeFi trading desks.
We’re more than a service provider. We are pioneers in adopting Rust for algorithmic trading and champions of the language in the industry. We support Web3 startups through our Accelerator Program, inject liquidity into promising DeFi, RWA, and NFT protocols, and push the industry forward with research and governance initiatives. At Keyrock, we’re actively building the future of digital assets.
Mission Statement
The Tech Lead bridges business objectives with technical execution. This hybrid position combines hands‑on engineering, architectural leadership, and team enablement. The Tech Lead drives the implementation and delivery of engineering initiatives within its Business Unit, ensuring systems meet high standards of reliability, performance, and maintainability. While the Head of Engineering focuses on strategic alignment, the Tech Lead translates those objectives into code, architecture, and delivery outcomes.
Job Description
Act as the technical point of accountability for the Service Market Making Business Unit, balancing strategic thinking with pragmatic delivery. Champion collaboration between product, design, QA, and engineering, inspiring and developing engineers through mentorship and coaching. Contribute directly through coding while also focusing on architecture, peer reviews, and cross‑functional communication.
Key Responsibilities
* Partner with the Head of Engineering to own delivery of entire work‑streams, ensuring architecture and engineering decisions align with both immediate requirements and business strategy.
* Contribute directly through coding, while also focusing on architecture design, peer reviews, and cross‑functional communication.
* Provide structured feedback through design and code reviews, support skill development, and empower junior and mid‑level engineers to take ownership.
* Guide system design, ensure scalability and resilience, and optimise performance across applications and infrastructure.
* Uphold engineering best practices, enforce coding guidelines, and partner with QA to embed automation and validation in the delivery pipeline.
* Manage technical debt, lead refactoring initiatives, and ensure long‑term maintainability and operational excellence.
* Work closely with product managers, designers, and QA engineers to define scope, refine requirements, and plan delivery in a transparent and predictable manner.
* Anticipate technical risks, dependencies, and trade‑offs early, and propose mitigations to safeguard delivery timelines.
Requirements
* Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
* 5+ years in a Technical Leadership position guiding teams, shaping architecture, and driving delivery of complex projects.
* Demonstrated expertise in architecting and maintaining high‑concurrency, low‑latency trading systems at scale.
* Advanced proficiency in Rust; working knowledge of Node.js (JavaScript/TypeScript) and Python is an advantage.
* Deep experience with data‑intensive architectures and real‑time data pipelines.
* Proven track record deploying, optimising and operating AWS environments for ultra‑low‑latency workloads.
* Hands‑on experience containerising applications and managing Kubernetes clusters in production.
* Familiarity with GitOps workflows to automate infrastructure provisioning, configuration and deployments.
* Solid command of software engineering best practices, including Agile methodologies, DevOps principles and end‑to‑end CI/CD pipelines.
* Knowledge of DevSecFinOps principles to embed security, compliance and cost‑governance throughout the delivery lifecycle.
* Demonstrated leadership of engineering teams, with a commitment to fostering collaboration, mentorship and continuous professional growth.
* Excellent communication and stakeholder‑management skills, able to partner effectively with Product, Architecture, Quantitative Research and Operations.
* Strong analytical and problem‑solving mindset, with a passion for building scalable, reliable and secure systems.
* Deep domain knowledge of finance and trading, particularly within the cryptocurrency sector.
* Experience in fast‑paced, dynamic financial or fintech environments is highly desirable.
Soft Skills & Competencies
* Ownership & Reliability – Take full responsibility for your work. Deliver high‑quality service, meet deadlines, and follow through on commitments.
* Initiative & Problem‑Solving – Approach challenges with a problem‑solving entrepreneurial mindset. Make sound, independent judgments and drive solutions independently.
* Operational Diligence – Respond strategically to technical and operational challenges, ensuring robust and reliable trading infrastructure.
* Curiosity & Growth Mindset – Continuously seek to improve technical skills and knowledge, staying ahead of industry trends.
* Excellent Communication – Collaborate effectively within a fully remote global team, cultivating a supportive team environment.
Recruitment Philosophy
We value self‑awareness in our recruitment process. We seek people who understand themselves and their career goals. We look for crypto enthusiasts who are driven, collaborative, and deliver solid, scalable outcomes.
Our Offer
* A competitive salary package, with various benefits depending on the method of engagement (employee or freelancer).
* Autonomy in time management thanks to flexible working hours and remote work options.
* The freedom to create your own entrepreneurial experience as part of an excellence‑driven team.
EEO Statement
As an employer we are committed to building an inclusive, diverse and non‑discriminating work environment. We welcome employees of all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, creed and sexual orientation. Hiring, rewarding and promoting is based entirely on merit and performance. Due to the nature of our business and external requirements, we perform background checks on all potential employees; passing which is a prerequisite to join Keyrock.
Job Details
* Seniority level: Mid‑Senior level
* Employment type: Full‑time
* Job function: Engineering and Information Technology
* Location: UK or Europe (remote and flexible work options available)
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