Head of OTC Trading Desk – Crypto

In brief

**Overview** This is a senior leadership role with management and strategic responsibility for the company’s global OTC desks, reporting to the Head of Treasury. The successful candidate will lead a team of OTC principal traders across several markets, ensuring all trading adheres to defined limits and that client flow from institutions, corporates, and professional traders is traded profitably on a risk-adjusted basis. Sitting within the Treasury department, the role involves collaboration with heads of adjacent business lines, in-country teams, and relationship managers to cultivate a consistently profitable book from client flow. This position is being recruited by Fempower Recruitment Excellence. **What you will do** * **Team leadership:** Manage and mentor a team of traders, fostering a culture of high performance, risk awareness, and commercial drive. Ensure all trading activity complies with defined strategies, counterparty credit limits, operating limits, and allocated working capital. Oversee trade dispute resolution, intervening as necessary. Ensure trade execution and settlement follow standard operating procedures. Maintain accurate records of trades and P&L. * **P&L and risk:** Own the aggregate desk P&L and risk-adjusted P&L against targets and risk limits. Oversee the hedging of market risk on working capital and revenue streams, and execute revenue liquidation trades. * **Trading strategy:** Set and agree upon trading strategies across multiple desks in crypto and FX, encompassing OTC, corporate hedging, and revenue liquidation. Develop strategies for derivatives, arbitrage, and warehousing as the desk matures, with a core focus on risk management and profitability. * **Reporting:** Deliver global-level reporting to senior stakeholders on trading activity, performance, and market insight. * **Building the desk:** Identify opportunities to expand desk flow and profitability through client retention, growth, new client acquisition, additional pairs, and new instruments, and advocate for the necessary infrastructure and resources. Motivate for changes to counterparty credit limits, operating limits, and working capital allocation to support sustainable profitability. Specify improvements to trading and risk systems and processes, driving the transition from manual execution to a scaled, systematic operation. Pressure-test risk frameworks and models, recommending changes as market conditions evolve. * **Relationship management:** Build strong internal relationships with cross-functional teams, including Marketing, Sales, Product, Compliance, and Legal. Develop long-term client relationships alongside traders, country teams, and relationship managers, with an emphasis on repeat flow. **Requirements (from the original advert)** * 5–8 years’ trading experience on a sell-side OTC desk, market maker, prop desk or brokerage in crypto preferred, FX, equities or derivatives. * 3–5 years’ experience managing traders or trading teams in one of those environments. * Principal trading experience is essential. Trading and management experience must include P&L responsibility for trade and counter-trade within trade size limits, position limits and working capital constraints. The desk acts as principal, not on an execution-only basis. * 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:* * RE5 certification. * 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, leadership and communication skills. * Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic trading environment. **Who should apply** An ideal candidate for this senior leadership role is an experienced principal trader with a strong background in sell-side OTC desks, market making, prop desks, or brokerages, preferably in crypto, FX, equities, or derivatives. They should possess significant experience managing trading teams and demonstrate a proven track record of P&L responsibility across multiple markets. The candidate must be strategically minded, capable of setting trading strategies, driving desk growth and profitability, and implementing systemic improvements. They should be a strong leader, skilled in mentoring teams, fostering high performance, and ensuring strict adherence to risk limits and compliance. Excellent interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills are essential for building strong internal and external relationships. The role requires someone who is highly detail-oriented, thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic trading environment, and is committed to ethical trading practices and regulatory compliance. **Deadline** Not specified **Reference** Original posting: https://www.myjobmag.co.za/job/head-of-otc-trading-desk-crypto-fempower-recruitment-excellence-1 Source: myjobmag

Summary drafted with AI assistance from the original advert. The advert itself is the authority — how we use AI.

At a glance

• At least 3 years of experience.

Extracted automatically from the advert; confirm requirements on the original listing.

Job description

Before you apply

• Confirm the requirements and closing date on the original listing (myjobmag). SPANi lists vacancies from other sites and may not reflect last-minute changes.
• Legitimate employers do not charge application, registration or training fees.
• Don't send your ID or bank details before you have confirmed the employer is real.

How to spot a job scam

Before you apply

• Read the full advert and confirm you meet the minimum requirements before applying.
• Tailor your CV headline and most recent experience to the job title and key skills.
• Note the closing date and reference number, and keep a copy of what you submit.
• Apply only through the employer or job board link — never pay to apply.