Director, Market Operations

Rothera•Chicago, NY

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Rothera is building a prediction market in partnership with Robinhood and Susquehanna International Group. Its platform enables traders to take positions on events and uses financial markets to generate forecasts and information for leaders and decision makers. The Market Operations Director provides senior-level support to clients and internal stakeholders, maintains fair and orderly markets, and monitors system stability. This is a player-coach role that includes supporting the education and professional development of Associates and Specialists. The Director serves as a subject matter expert on CFTC regulations and the trading and clearing lifecycle, manages complex exceptions, reviews and certifies sensitive staff decisions, and acts as a senior liaison to clients. The role supports market participants and industry partners, monitors system integrity, maintains listed event contracts, builds team automation, diagnoses trading and clearing issues, oversees settlement, manages clearing lifecycle processes, and supports FIX connectivity and certification. It is a full-time, in-person hybrid position with an event-driven schedule and an on-call environment. The position does not offer visa sponsorship; applicants must be authorized to work permanently and indefinitely in the United States.

Requirements

At least 8 years of experience, including demonstrated success in a technically focused operations or systems engineering role at a derivatives exchange, derivatives clearing house, market maker, or FCM.
Proven understanding of electronic trading systems, reference data management, matching engine mechanics, and market connectivity concepts.
Thorough practitioner knowledge of derivatives trading, clearing, and settlement processes, including margining methodologies and collateral management.
Ability to independently research, analyze, and resolve complex operational issues.
Proficiency with trade management and reconciliation systems, such as Calypso, SmartStream, TradingTechnologies, or proprietary reconciliation platforms.
Python programming experience, such as data analysis or writing simple scripts to automate manual processes.
Strong organizational leadership skills and ability to mentor colleagues while contributing as an individual contributor in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.
Availability and commitment to flexibly accommodate an event-driven work schedule and on-call environment.
Authorization to work in the United States on a permanent, indefinite basis; visa sponsorship is not available.

Responsibilities

Provide senior-level technical and non-technical support to market participants, including FCMs, clearing banks, and other industry partners, resolving issues related to access to or use of Rothera trading, clearing, and data services.
Monitor system integrity and maintain control of Rothera’s trading environment.
Maintain listed event contracts, including accurate product specifications, trading parameters, and settlement terms.
Design, build, and maintain automation scripts for the Market Operations team.
Analyze logs and review packet captures to diagnose latency, execution, and trade integrity issues in trading and clearing environments.
Oversee daily settlement of cleared transactions, including cash movements and payment instructions.
Manage the end-to-end clearing lifecycle, including position maintenance, collateral management, and delivery processing.
Serve as a FIX Protocol subject matter expert, assisting members with new connections and certification testing.
Support the education and professional development of Associates and Specialists.
Manage complex exceptions, review and certify sensitive staff decisions, and act as a senior liaison to clients.
Maintain fair and orderly markets and monitor system stability.