Head of Trading Platform - Crypto Exchange UAE

On-site UAE Crypto/Fintech Senior Leadership UAE Residence is a must About the Opportunity

We are a recruitment partner supporting a fintech company in the final stages of launching a regulated cryptocurrency exchange in the UAE (CMA licence).

The company is building a fully compliant trading platform designed to serve both retail and institutional clients under the UAE regulatory framework.

As part of the licensing process, they are assembling a core leadership team and are looking for a Head of Trading Platform - a critical role responsible for the performance, resilience, and regulatory compliance of the exchange's trading infrastructure.

Why This Role Is Unique

• Own and build the trading platform function in a regulated crypto exchange.
• Act as a key senior management role accountable to the UAE regulator (CMA).
• Join at an early stage with strong growth ambitions.
• High level of ownership over trading systems, performance, and market integrity.
• Direct impact on platform scalability, stability, and regulatory compliance.

What You Will Be Doing

• Define and execute the trading platform strategy aligned with business and regulatory requirements.
• Build and lead the trading platform function, including operations and market controls.
• Collaborate with Compliance, Risk, Operations, and Technology teams.
• Ensure strong governance focused on market fairness, stability, and transparency.

Platform Performance & Infrastructure

• Oversee the design, scalability, and performance of trading systems (matching engine, OMS, APIs).
• Ensure platform resilience, latency management, and high availability under peak conditions.
• Participate in technology roadmap decisions, including vendor selection and integrations.
• Maintain high standards for system reliability and operational efficiency.

Market Integrity & Surveillance

• Ensure fair, orderly, and transparent market operations in line with CMA requirements.
• Implement and oversee market surveillance frameworks to detect:
  • market manipulation.
  • abusive trading practices.
• Define procedures for trading halts, circuit breakers, and trade corrections.
• Escalate and report market integrity issues to Compliance and regulators.

Operational Resilience & Incident Management

• Own incident management processes, including outages and root cause analysis.
• Ensure Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCP/DR) frameworks are in place and tested.
• Lead response during critical incidents and ensure proper escalation.
• Conduct regular stress testing and failover exercises.

Risk & Regulatory Compliance

• Identify and manage risks related to trading platform operations.
• Work with Risk teams on KRIs, thresholds, and risk frameworks.
• Ensure compliance with CMA requirements related to trading systems, audit trails, and change management.
• Support audits, inspections, and regulatory reviews.

Regulatory Interaction & Reporting

• Act as the main point of contact with the CMA on trading platform matters.
• Ensure timely reporting of incidents, system changes, and market disruptions.
• Maintain accurate records of orders, executions, and system activity.
• Ensure full transparency and auditability of platform operations.

What We Are Looking For

• 10+ years of experience in trading platforms, exchanges, or fintech.
• 5+ years in a senior leadership role managing trading systems or infrastructure.
• Strong experience in regulated financial environments (CMA or equivalent).
• Deep understanding of trading systems, market structure, and execution models.
• Experience with market surveillance and market abuse prevention.
• Proven ability to manage high-impact incidents and operate under pressure.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent English (Arabic is a plus).

Nice to Have

• Experience with regulated exchanges or trading venues.
• Background in crypto markets or digital asset trading.
• Experience with market surveillance tools and technologies.
• Involvement in regulatory inspections or incident reporting.

Location & Conditions

UAE residency required (or willingness to relocate).

Competitive compensation, discussed individually.

Why Join Us

• Opportunity to build and own a critical trading function from day one.
• Direct exposure to regulators and executive leadership.
• Join a high-growth crypto business entering a regulated market.
• Work in a high-impact role with real ownership and decision-making power.

Please note: this role is subject to regulatory approval. Certain restrictions may apply based on regulatory requirements.