VP of Engineering | Financial Services Platform | AWS-Native | Executive Ownership

District Partners is partnering with a highly stable, operationally mature financial services firm operating at the intersection of broker-dealer infrastructure, buy-side investment management, and complex regulatory compliance. The platform is built, the systems are performing, and the team is experienced. This is a deliberate leadership hire to assume ownership of a well-functioning environment and scale it with discipline.

The CTO has operated as the central technical authority and is now transitioning that responsibility to a VP of Engineering who can formalize structure, drive consistency in execution, and lead the next phase of growth. This role requires both technical depth and the ability to operate effectively at the executive level.

Scope of Responsibility

• Own engineering, architecture, and system evolution across trading, clearing, settlement, and accounting platforms
• Serve as the primary technical counterpart to executive leadership, including direct partnership with the CTO
• Lead, develop, and scale a lean engineering team while maintaining a high bar for performance
• Establish and enforce engineering standards, delivery frameworks, and prioritization discipline
• Drive system reliability, scalability, and performance across a regulated financial environment
• Ensure alignment with SEC, FINRA, and SOX requirements across systems and processes
• Introduce structure where needed without disrupting an already effective operating model
• Oversee the integration and practical use of AI tooling to improve engineering output and efficiency

Operating Model

• Operate as a hands-on leader with retained technical credibility
• Balance architecture ownership with team leadership and delivery accountability
• Make decisions with incomplete information in a low-bureaucracy environment
• Partner closely with business stakeholders to align technical direction with operational needs
• Maintain a high signal-to-noise ratio in how priorities are set and executed

Technology Environment

• Backend: Java, Groovy, Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, distributed microservices architecture
• Data: MongoDB, object-driven modeling, event-driven data flows
• Cloud: AWS (EC2, ECS, SQS, SNS, S3, CloudWatch)
• DevOps: Jenkins CI/CD, infrastructure as code (Terraform or AWS CDK), containerization
• Systems: Trading, clearing and settlement, accounting platforms operating under SEC, FINRA, SOX
• AI: Existing adoption with opportunity to expand usage in a measured, outcome-driven way

Profile of the Right Leader

• Experience within broker-dealer, buy-side, hedge fund, or regulated fintech environments
• Demonstrated ability to lead engineering teams while remaining credible in system design and architecture
• Strong working knowledge of regulated financial systems and associated compliance requirements
• Experience operating in lean organizations with broad ownership across systems
• Ability to introduce structure, prioritization, and accountability without over-engineering
• Executive presence with the ability to engage effectively across technical and business leadership

Location

• Tri-State (NY/CT/NJ) or Washington, DC metro area with periodic presence in office

Compensation

• Total compensation in the $300,000–$400,000 range (base + bonus), aligned to scope and impact

This role offers direct ownership of a modern platform, accountability for engineering outcomes, and the ability to shape how the function evolves at a firm where technology is central to the business.