Chief Operating Officer

Operations Manager / Chief Operating OfficerOur client is a proprietary trading firm and alternative investment manager focused on quantitative and fundamental sports trading. With professionals based across Europe, Asia and the US, they combine deep research with proprietary, technology-driven methodologies to trade major public sports exchanges and markets.Contract type: Permanent, Full-timeLocation: Central London (Hybrid) — candidates must be located in LondonReports to: Founder & Chief Investment OfficerSalary: Up to £120,000 plus equity, plus performance bonusVisa sponsorship: Not available; candidates must already hold the right to work in the UKLanguages: Russian speaker idealAbout the BusinessOur client is a proprietary trading firm and alternative investment manager focused on quantitative and fundamental sports trading. With professionals based across Europe, Asia and the US, they combine deep research with proprietary, technology-driven methodologies to trade major public sports exchanges and markets.Their trading philosophy is rooted in a passion for competitive sports and quantitative research. By applying predictive systems alongside seasoned market expertise, they aim to deliver sustainable short- and long-term, risk-adjusted returns with little to no correlation to traditional financial markets. The firm runs systematic strategies across the world's most actively traded sports, identifying market inefficiencies and diversifying capital across multiple wagering categories, including spreads, totals, and related markets.Role OverviewThis role is designed for a hands-on operator who wants to work close to the engine room of a trading business.The Operations Manager / COO will take ownership of day-to-day operational execution across trading operations, risk processes, capital flows, and cross-team coordination. The focus is not on corporate overhead, but on ensuring the machine runs cleanly, predictably, and safely as trading activity scales.This is a build-and-own position, not simply a maintenance role. Sitting close to the CEO, the role acts as the operational backbone of the business. It requires strong judgment in high-pressure environments, the ability to translate strategy into execution, and comfort operating across trading operations, process design, risk coordination, and cross-functional delivery. The ideal candidate is a hands-on operator who can bring clarity, cadence, and accountability to a performance-driven organisation without imposing unnecessary bureaucracy.This position is suited to someone with experience building operational infrastructure in live, high-stakes environments, who is motivated by ownership, impact, and long-term platform quality rather than the maintenance of legacy systems.Key ResponsibilitiesOversee trading operations across all strategies, ensuring consistent execution standards, effective monitoring, and timely intervention when performance deviates from expectationsPartner closely with traders and researchers to ensure operational processes actively support strategy performanceMaintain operational oversight of capital allocation, execution workflows, and performance reportingImplement and maintain frameworks for operational risk controls, exposure management, and decision-making during periods of drawdown or elevated volatilityAct as a central coordination point between trading, research, engineering, and external service providersEnsure operational dependencies are managed effectively and issues are identified and resolved promptlyOversee operational infrastructure, including data flows, tooling, reporting processes, and relationships with platforms, counterparties, and vendorsContribute to hiring, team structure, and organisational scaling as the business growsBackground and ExperienceThe ideal candidate will have held operational or leadership responsibility within a performance-driven, trading-focused environment. Relevant backgrounds may include:Sports betting syndicates or professional betting operationsProprietary trading firms or hedge fundsQuantitative or systematic trading businessesExecution-focused trading or risk management rolesSenior operations, desk management, or COO roles in data-driven organisationsCandidates may come from Operations Manager, Head of Trading Operations, Trading Manager, COO, or similar roles, provided they have had direct responsibility for operational performance and cross-functional coordination.Skills and AttributesStrong operational judgement and attention to detailAbility to prioritise effectively in fast-moving, high-pressure environmentsComfortable making decisions under uncertainty and communicating clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholdersSolid understanding of trading execution, operational risk, and performance monitoringHigh level of technical literacy, particularly around trading systems, data pipelines, and execution toolingPragmatic, results-focused mindset with the ability to balance strategic oversight and hands-on involvementRussian speaker preferredBenefitsSalary: Up to £120,000, plus equity, plus performance bonusProfit-share bonusKPI-based bonus scheme30 days holiday (excluding bank holidays)Private health, dental, and vision insuranceLife and accident insurancePlease note: no visa sponsorship is available for this role. Candidates must be based in London.