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Quantitative Trading,
& Markets

Engineering and research talent at the frontier of speed and signal.

Low-latency C++, FPGA, quant research, core infrastructure, execution and SRE talent for prop trading and market-making firms operating at the frontier of performance.

What we do here

Mostly specialist recruitment, with occasional executive-search work for engineering and research leadership. Mandates are typically run confidentially against active competition.

Recent engagements in this sector

A senior C++ engineer placed into a top-quartile prop firm against active competition from two global firms; multiple confidential mid-senior engineering placements across the Sydney market.

Capabilities we cover

  • Low-latency C++ engineering
  • Quantitative research
  • FPGA and kernel-bypass networking
  • Core infrastructure and SRE

Typical roles & bands

  • Senior Low-Latency C++ Engineer
    $220k-$360k total
  • Quantitative Researcher
    $240k-$400k total
  • FPGA / Hardware Engineer
    $200k-$340k total
A note on these bands
  • Source. The founder's placement records across 15 years of recruitment practice, continuing into AEY, plus ongoing market benchmarking.
  • Composition. Base salary unless otherwise specified. Total-comp roles include equity / bonus / day-rate where stated.
  • Variance. Actual offers move with stage, location, technical specialism, clearance status and the candidate's alternative options. The bands above are 25th–75th percentile, not floor and ceiling.
  • Currency. All amounts in AUD.
Interactive salary benchmark →

Market notes

The Australian prop-trading market is small and competitive: a handful of well-known firms, plus the local presences of global firms. Compensation in this sector runs materially above market for engineering at every level. Process speed and offer clarity matter - see our piece on why low-latency hiring is broken.

Talent we know
~95 senior C++ / quant engineers and researchers

Concentrated in Sydney; very small, very tightly networked market. Most engineers known to each other.

Anonymised, never shared. Maintained as a live working map, not a database.

Recent outcomes in Quantitative Trading & Markets
  • Sydney · May 2026
    Senior Low-Latency C++ Engineer
    Specialist Recruitment
    9d shortlist · 35d close
All search outcomes →
Hiring in this market?

Let's talk about quantitative trading & markets.

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