EMEA Head of Client Connectivity Engineering (SVP)

EMEA Head of Client Connectivity Engineering (SVP)

Engineer the future of global finance. At Citi, our Tech team doesn't just support finance - we are helping to redefine it. Every day, $5 trillion crosses through our network. We do business in 180+ countries operating at a scale few can match. From deploying advanced AI to helping shape global markets, we build systems that matter. Look to join a team where your work helps influence economies, your ideas can drive innovation and outcomes, and your growth is backed by mentorship, continuous learning and flexibility with potential hybrid work opportunities. Help solve real-world challenges that touch millions and get the opportunity to build the future of finance with Citi Tech.

Equities Technology

Equities Technology at Citi is undertaking a bold, multi‑year transformation to build a best‑in‑class global platform across execution, prime, clearing and cross‑product margining. We are re‑engineering our technology estate to achieve world‑leading performance and resiliency, enabling new capabilities in advanced execution, global market connectivity, and modernised post‑trade, clearing and margin processes. Our ambition is to deliver a seamlessly integrated, highly automated platform that drives outstanding client outcomes and accelerates growth across our global franchise. As part of the team, you'll collaborate closely with high‑calibre engineers and deeply engaged business and product partners - working together to define and deliver the next generation of Equities technology at Citi.

Role Overview

Citi's Equities Technology organization is seeking an experienced, hands-on engineering leader to join the Equities Electronic-Execution (Electronic Trading) technology team. The person in this role will be responsible for designing, leading the development, and ensuring the operational excellence of Citi's next-generation low-latency connectivity platforms. This encompasses critical components including low-latency Client Connectivity, Order Management, Algo access as well as Direct Market Access (DMA).

The successful candidate will lead a cross-functional team of engineers and will be the primary technology partner for senior leaders in product development, quantitative research, technology infrastructure, and production support for the EMEA region and beyond. This role requires a leader who can align closely with the global strategy, drive execution across multiple regions within a global team and platform and inspire a culture of innovation and engineering excellence.

• Strategic & Technical Leadership: Contribute to the definition and execution of the technical vision, strategy, and roadmap for the global low-latency connectivity platform, ensuring alignment with both regional and global business objectives and market trends.
• Team Management & Mentorship: Lead, manage, and mentor a geographically distributed team of high-performing engineers. Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Oversee hiring, retention, and career development for the team.
• Stakeholder Partnership: Serve as the senior technology partner for business and senior technology stakeholders. Translate complex business needs into a clear technology roadmap and innovative product features, including execution performance improvements, new liquidity sources, and DMA capabilities.
• Platform Architecture & Delivery: Drive the architectural design and oversee the end-to-end delivery of high-performance, resilient, and scalable electronic connectivity systems.
• Engineering Excellence: Champion and enforce best practices in software development, including automated testing, quality engineering, and performance optimization. Continuously enhance testing frameworks and development environments to ensure platform reliability at scale.
• AI-Powered SDLC: Promote and guide the team in leveraging Citi's suite of AI-powered development tools throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to maximize productivity, code quality, and innovation.
• Agile & CI/CD: Lead the adoption and refinement of Agile development practices and Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) processes to accelerate release cycles and improve delivery predictability.
• Operational Oversight: Ensure the creation and maintenance of robust, common solutions for platform monitoring, reconciliation, application recovery, and other essential support functions to guarantee production stability.

Key Skills and Experience required - This section is about the candidate.

• Extensive experience in financial technology, with extensive technical knowledge and expertise in building low-latency systems in Java, C++, or Rust.
• Proven track record of leading and managing high-performing, geographically distributed engineering teams in a financial institution or equivalent environment.
• Deep, prior experience in developing and architecting electronic trading and connectivity platforms (e.g., market data, order routing, DMA, FIX).
• Demonstrated experience in setting technical strategy, defining roadmaps, and managing large-scale, multi-year technology initiatives.
• Expert-level understanding of low-latency system design, including performance optimization, concurrency, high-throughput architecture, and network protocols.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to prioritize multiple competing initiatives, set strategic goals, and deliver results in a fast-paced, globally distributed environment.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrable ability to present and influence at the executive level and to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• In-depth knowledge of regional exchange microstructure and regulatory regimes.
• Solid understanding of Agile methodologies and a passion for driving CI/CD and DevOps culture.