Senior Spot Trader (Fintech/Payments)

About the position

Our client is looking for a commercially driven and technically savvy Spot FX & Crypto Trader to join their trading team. The role involves real-time market making and pricing across spot FX and crypto pairs, direct client negotiation, and active involvement in developing and improving pricing engines and trading infrastructure.

This is a hybrid role requiring deep market insight, strong client-facing skills, and the ability to collaborate with developers and quants on trading system enhancements.

Job type: Fulltime/ Permanent

Location: Cape Town

Workplace: Hybrid

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Economics, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Professional certifications (e.g., CFA, CA, FASSA) are advantageous but not required.
• 2–6 years of experience in spot or derivative market making.
• Prior experience in OTC or institutional crypto or FX trading is highly preferred.
• Proven track record in pricing, risk management, and client interaction in fast-moving markets.
• Experience with both centralized and decentralized crypto venues is a strong advantage.
• Strong understanding of pricing models, market making, order books, and market dynamics.
• Familiarity with FIX protocols, WebSocket APIs, and trading platform integrations.
• Ability to work closely with technical teams to test, validate, and deploy system updates.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong attention to detail and high risk awareness.
• Calm under pressure and confident in decision-making during market volatility.
• Entrepreneurial, analytical, and collaborative mindset.

Responsibilities

Pricing & Trading

• Make competitive two-way prices across major and emerging market FX pairs and leading crypto assets (e.g., BTC, USDT).
• Monitor liquidity venues, OTC flows, and market depth to optimize pricing and execution quality.
• Maintain real-time visibility on P&L, inventory, spreads, and risk exposures.
• Execute trades and manage flows while adhering to defined risk limits and compliance policies.

Client Interaction

• Quote spot FX and crypto prices directly to institutional and high-volume clients.
• Negotiate trade terms and manage client expectations on pricing and execution.
• Act as a market intelligence source, providing insights into market movements and pricing rationale.
• Collaborate with the sales team to support onboarding, pricing strategies, and client retention.

System & Infrastructure Development

• Work with quant and engineering teams to improve the pricing engine, trading algorithms, and execution logic.
• Suggest and test enhancements for latency reduction, pricing accuracy, and auto-hedging logic.
• Analyze trade data to optimize spreads, slippage, and trading performance.
• Help define requirements and test cases for system upgrades, new product launches, and venue integrations.

Support the COO

• Collaborate with the COO to enhance business processes and revenue-generation strategies.
• Assist with ad hoc tasks and initiatives as needed.
• Attend stakeholder meetings on behalf of the COO when required.

Place of work