SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:
Location: Cape Town or Johannesburg (hybrid)
The role
This is a front-line trading seat on the OTC desk in South Africa, reporting to the Head of Trading and sitting within the Treasury team. You’ll price, execute and risk-manage large trades for institutions, corporates and professional traders in one of the world’s most active crypto-fiat markets. You’ll work with the wider OTC desk, in-country teams and relationship managers to turn that client flow into a consistently profitable book.
This is a mid-level role designed for growth. The business is building its future desk leadership from within. You’ll start by running South African flow, take on new markets and strategies as the business expands, and move toward senior desk leadership as trading scales.
Key responsibilities
Client book ownership
Act as the voice of the desk for institutional and VIP clients: price and quote large OTC trades, source counter-trades and execute with speed and discipline
Build long-term client relationships alongside country teams and relationship managers, with a focus on repeat flow
Manage the desk’s working capital, making sure anticipated trades are pre-funded or backed by adequate credit facilities
Own trade disputes end-to-end and work with Trade Operations to settle every trade cleanly
Execution and risk
Execute OTC trades, counter-trades and market counter-trades within approved trading strategies
Hedge market risk on working capital and revenue streams, and execute revenue liquidation trades
Own the desk P&L against targets and risk limits
Trading strategy
Develop trading strategies across crypto and FX: OTC, hedging and revenue liquidation now, with derivatives, arbitrage and warehousing as the desk matures
Market insight
Produce in-depth analysis of digital asset markets, covering trends, opportunities, risks, regulatory changes and the flows that move prices
Deliver a daily market read to the Treasury team and feed insights into wider business decisions
Reporting
Maintain accurate, auditable records of trades, P&L, risk and performance metrics
Produce regular stakeholder reports on trading activity, performance and market insight
Building the desk
Specify improvements to trading and risk systems and help drive the move from manual execution to a scaled, systematic operation
Pressure-test risk frameworks and models, and recommend changes as market conditions shift
Requirements
3–5 years’ trading experience on a sell-side OTC desk, market maker, prop desk or brokerage in crypto (preferred), FX, equities or derivatives
Principal trading experience is essential. You need P&L responsibility for trade and counter-trade within trade size limits, position limits and working capital constraints. This is not an execution-only role.
A proven broking or OTC trading track record across more than one market
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Business Administration, Accounting or a related field
Advantageous: derivatives arbitrage knowledge or experience; CFA, CAIA, MBA or another relevant postgraduate qualification
Strong commitment to regulatory compliance and ethical trading practices
Excellent attention to detail in trade execution and documentation
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, and a team player
Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic trading environment
Ambition to grow into broader market ownership and, in time, trading leadership
A genuine passion for crypto
Our client is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. They do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status.
