Head of Trading — US Sports Market Making

Prediction Markets & Exchanges | London, office-based | Full-time, permanent

Employer: Confidential client | Base: approximately US$202,000–US$336,000 + profit-linked bonus

Blockchain Headhunter is recruiting a Head of Trading for a confidential client building a proprietary US sports market-making desk in London, focused on prediction markets and betting exchanges.

You will design and run trading strategies, own the P&L, set the risk framework, build automation with engineers, and hire and lead the team as the desk scales. You will report to the board and work directly with senior leadership.

This is a leadership role for a trader with a proven record of consistent profitability in fairly priced markets who wants to build and lead a substantial trading operation.

What you will do

Identify, size and exploit profitable market-making and trading opportunities in US sports on Kalshi, Polymarket and the Betfair exchange, starting with parlay and event-contract markets in the pilot phase.

Own the desk's P&L against agreed capital, return and drawdown targets, and report performance transparently to the board.

Design the pricing, inventory, hedging and risk-limit framework (per-pick, per-slate and aggregate exposure; correlation; collateral efficiency) and run it day to day.

Specify, test and deploy automated quoting and RFQ-response systems with the engineering team; define the data and latency requirements.

Build and lead the trading team: define roles, recruit, train and manage traders and quants as the desk grows.

Work with counsel and compliance on exchange onboarding, designated market-maker programmes, disclosure and conflict-of-interest controls, and CFTC and UK regulatory requirements.

Set up the operational backbone: venue and broker relationships, settlement and treasury processes, performance analytics, monitoring and alerting.

Present pilot results and the scale-up case to the board, with pre-agreed success and kill criteria.

What we are looking for

Essential

A verifiable record of consistent profitability with your own or your firm's capital at risk on fairly priced venues: prediction markets, betting exchanges, sharp market making or a quantitative sports trading firm or syndicate. You will be asked to evidence returns, drawdowns and your personal attribution, under NDA.

Deep practical knowledge of US sports markets (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA) and of how prices behave pre-game and in-play.

Experience building or materially shaping the strategies you traded: pricing models, automation, risk controls, performance analysis.

Strong quantitative skills and ability to specify systems to engineers and read their output critically.

Demonstrated ability to spot a new opportunity, test it quickly and scale what works.

Evidence of leading people or building a small team, or a clear and credible plan for doing so.

Sound judgement on regulatory and reputational risk in a CFTC-regulated and UK-licensed environment.

Strong academic credentials from a leading university, ideally including a postgraduate degree in a quantitative science (for example physics, mathematics, statistics, engineering or computer science).

Fluent professional English; able to communicate performance and risk clearly to a non-specialist board.

Desirable

Experience at a leading market-making, proprietary trading or quantitative sports trading firm, such as Susquehanna (SIG), Jump Trading, Jane Street, White Swan Data or Starlizard, or at a comparable syndicate.

Direct experience quoting on Kalshi, Polymarket or similar event-contract exchanges, including designated market-maker programmes.

Experience with request-for-quote and parlay or correlated-outcome pricing.

Familiarity with Rust or C++ in a trading context.

Evidence of independent research, such as a research-based master’s or doctorate, or peer-reviewed publications.

A rigorous professional quantitative qualification, such as actuarial fellowship or the CFA charter.

Compensation and terms

Base salary: approximately US$202,000–US$336,000 per year, depending on experience and track record. USD figures are indicative equivalents of the source salary range of £150,000–£250,000, converted at approximately US$1.344 per £1 on 10 November 2026; the USD equivalent will vary with exchange rates.

Bonus: participation in a formulaic trading bonus programme, paid from a share of the desk’s trading profits after agreed charges (including a return on capital), subject to vesting. Full terms will be set out in the offer.

Benefits: pension contribution, private medical insurance. Relocation assistance and visa sponsorship are available for the right candidate.

Location and hours: London, office-based

Our process

An initial conversation with senior leadership, followed by a structured interview covering your trading record and approach, a practical case on pricing and risk, references (including from a principal or capital provider where applicable), and a final meeting with the board. We aim to move quickly and will keep you informed at each stage.

Any pre-employment checks, including references and background verification, will be conducted with your consent and in accordance with applicable law, including fair-chance requirements where they apply; a conviction history will be considered only where relevant to the role.

Equal opportunity

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. We make hiring decisions on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.

If you require a reasonable adjustment or accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process because of a disability or other protected characteristic, please tell us and we will work with you to provide it.

We can sponsor you for a work visa in case you are not legally authorised to work in the United Kingdom at the time of starting employment.