SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Kraken, one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms founded in 2011 and trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions globally, is seeking a Head of Exchange Infrastructure to own the foundational layer upon which all Kraken products are built.
You will lead the product vision and roadmap for the exchange layer, encompassing the matching engine, core infrastructure, third-party custody, algo engine, and API engine. Currently, Kraken operates as a set of vertically integrated products, each with its own engine and APIs. This role consolidates them into a single, unified exchange stack serving every product and interface.
You will lead and grow a team of four to five product managers, partnered with an engineering manager. This is a senior, independent team where you gain leverage quickly and are expected to stay close to the work. Key responsibilities include:
- Own the product vision and roadmap for the exchange layer (matching engine, core infrastructure, third-party custody, algo engine, API engine)
- Lead the consolidation of multiple matching engines into one, starting with US derivatives, then international derivatives, then spot trading
- Build interface-agnostic platforms so every product team and interface can leverage the same infrastructure rather than building bespoke solutions
- Define and track success metrics (p99 latency, throughput, uptime, resiliency) and hold teams accountable
- Partner with engineering leaders across exchange and core infrastructure to sequence migrations without disrupting live markets
- Collaborate with Risk and Credit Infrastructure to enable clients to hold one account and trade every product against it
- Anticipate industry shifts and shape the platform to stay ahead
- Align cross-functional teams (product, engineering, risk, compliance) around exchange strategy
- Act as a player-coach: this independent team means you will own roadmaps and write specs yourself at times, not only review them
REQUIREMENTS:
- Senior product leader with experience in exchange, trading, or high-performance platforms
- Proven experience managing and developing product managers on a team senior enough to run independently
- Demonstrated ability to set product vision and translate it into long-term roadmaps
- Strong understanding of matching engine and market data architecture, and the tradeoffs low latency forces
- Experience building platforms for internal customers, with judgment to distinguish platforms from bespoke builds
- Excellent communication skills to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Passion for crypto markets, market structure, and building next-generation infrastructure
NICE TO HAVES:
- Engineering background before transitioning to product, with hands-on experience building or operating high-performance systems
- Experience across both spot and derivatives venues, understanding market structure differences
- Time at a crypto exchange operating at comparable scale, volume, and uptime expectations
- Track record building platform roadmaps that interlock with adjacent product organizations
