Head of Trading Job Description Template

The head of trading owns execution across the firm, which covers the desk, the broker relationships, the execution technology and the measurement of whether the fund is losing money to the market unnecessarily. The role sits between the investment team and the market, translating portfolio manager intent into filled orders without leaking information or paying away the edge. It is a job where good work is largely invisible and poor work shows up in the transaction cost analysis.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the trading desk and set execution policy across asset classes
• Manage broker relationships, commission budgets and counterparty selection
• Own transaction cost analysis and demonstrate execution quality to the investment team
• Select and oversee execution algorithms, venues and trading technology
• Handle large, illiquid or sensitive orders personally where required
• Ensure trading activity meets best execution and regulatory obligations
• Coordinate with operations on settlement, breaks and trade lifecycle issues
• Advise portfolio managers on liquidity, market impact and realistic sizing
• Hire, train and manage traders and trading assistants
• Monitor market structure changes and adapt the desk’s approach to them

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics or a related field

Required Skills and Experience

• 10+ years of trading experience with time on a buy side desk
• Command of market microstructure and execution algorithm behavior
• Experience running transaction cost analysis and acting on the findings
• Established broker and counterparty relationships
• Understanding of best execution obligations and trade surveillance
• Ability to manage a desk and develop traders
• Composure during volatile or illiquid market conditions
• Fluency with order and execution management systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Multi asset execution experience
• Familiarity with electronic trading and FIX connectivity