Morgan Stanley

Vice President - Principal Software Engineer

Morgan Stanley • $155K — $215K *
Finance & Insurance
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in software engineering leadership roles
  • Strong server-side development skills in Java or Scala
  • Experience with client-facing or trading-related platforms
  • Knowledge of Securities Lending and equity trading workflows
  • Proven ability to engage with senior stakeholders and clients
  • Strong analytical skills for translating complex requirements
  • Demonstrated leadership in mentoring and developing engineering teams

Responsibilities

  • Translate departmental priorities into a strategic roadmap for Approvals and distribution
  • Lead and develop the engineering team, establishing ownership and managing performance
  • Collaborate with Trading Desk and Client Coverage on locate decisions and client workflows
  • Facilitate client-facing technical discussions, managing expectations and service risks
  • Shape resilient and scalable Approvals services, ensuring system performance
  • Coordinate with Stockloan Trading on inventory and trade-event dependencies
  • Integrate decision logic and analytics into production services

Benefits

  • Opportunity to shape technology that supports client trading activities
  • Hands-on leadership role with significant influence on team development
  • Collaboration with diverse teams across engineering and trading
  • Engagement in high-impact projects within Securities Lending
  • Access to modern development practices and tools
Full Job Description

This is a Software Engineering position at the Vice President level, which is part of the job family responsible for developing and maintaining software solutions that support business needs.


About the team

Securities Lending Technology is part of Prime Brokerage Technology. Our Approvals platforms provide locates and availability to external clients and internal users, connecting short-sale activity to Securities Lending inventory and controls. Our distributed engineering teams partner with the Trading Desk, Strats, Client Coverage and Product to improve client service and support the wider Stockloan Trading business.


About the role

We are seeking a senior technology leader in New York to lead the team and multiple connected initiatives across Approvals and distribution. You will combine strong engineering judgement with senior stakeholder engagement, helping shape client-facing services and their integration with

inventory, trading and lifecycle platforms.

You will work closely with Strats, Trading and Client Coverage to translate commercial needs an quantitative requirements into reliable, scalable technology. This is a hands-on leadership role with

responsibility for developing engineers, guiding technical decisions and communicating clearly with senior stakeholders and clients.


What you’ll do in the role:

  • Translate departmental priorities into a medium-to-long-term roadmap for Approvals and distribution, owning multiple programmes and aligning regional needs with global platform
  • direction.
  • Lead and develop the engineering team: establish clear ownership, coach technical leads and engineers, plan capacity and manage performance in partnership with Technology leadership.
  • Partner with the Trading Desk, Strats and Client Coverage on locate decisions, availability distribution, inventory use and client workflows; turn ambiguous requests into agreed requirements and controlled delivery.
  • Lead client-facing technical discussions alongside Coverage and Product, explaining capabilities, integration options and delivery trade-offs while managing expectations and service risk
  • Shape resilient, scalable Approvals services and interfaces, protecting response times and controls for systems that sit within clients’ trading flow
  • Coordinate with Stockloan Trading and lifecycle teams on inventory, position and trade-event dependencies; promote consistent data and reusable services across platform boundaries.
  • Work with Strats to integrate decision logic and analytics into production services, with clear interfaces, validation, monitoring and ownership.
  • Guide architecture, implementation and controlled rollout; communicate progress, complex decisions and risks to senior stakeholders, and drive improvements following production incidents.



What you’ll bring to the role:

  • A substantial track record of delivering business-critical software, leading engineering teams and coordinating multiple related initiatives across organizational boundaries.
  • Strong server-side development and architecture skills in Java or Scala, including distributed services, messaging, databases, SQL, Unix/Linux and production troubleshooting.
  • Experience building client-facing or trading-related platforms where availability, response time, data correctness and operational controls are essential.
  • Working knowledge of Securities Lending, equity trading or closely related financing workflow with the ability to reason about short-sale coverage, inventory and trading dependencies.
  • Proven senior stakeholder engagement and client-facing technical communication: listen carefully, synthesize competing needs and explain options and risks without unnecessary technical details.
  • Strong analytical judgement and experience partnering with quantitative, business or product
  • specialists to turn complex requirements into supported production solutions.
  • Demonstrated people leadership, mentoring, capacity planning and development of engineers who can own delivery independently within a global team.
  • Disciplined delivery practices covering design review, automated testing, secure development, observability, recovery and controlled releases.
  • A degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience; clear written and spoken English.
  • Experience that would be valuable
  • Locate and availability platforms, electronic distribution, client onboarding and integration, or Securities Lending inventory-management systems.
  • Direct partnership with Strats, a Trading Desk and Client Coverage, including integration of analytics or decision engines into operational workflow
  • Modernization of high-volume distributed services, event-driven processing, performance engineering and cloud-ready systems.
  • Responsible use of approved AI-assisted development tools, with independent validation, testing, code review and protection of confidential information



Why this role:

Shape technology that directly supports clients’ trading activity. You will work at the intersection of engineering, the Trading Desk, Strats and Client Coverage, while developing a team and contributing to global Securities Lending platforms.



About Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley Investment Management are active managers of capital, working to outperform the market and deliver results for their clients. Morgan Stanley Investment Management's long-tenured professionals apply their experience and expertise across public and private markets, in single-sector, multi-asset and custom solutions.

Morgan Stanley Careers

Joining Morgan Stanley today means becoming part of a global team dedicated to strengthening communities, pioneering innovation, and fostering diversity. As a leading global financial services firm, Morgan Stanley offers unparalleled job opportunities, career growth, and a culture of leadership that together create an exceptional employment experience. Work You’ll Do At Morgan Stanley, you will collaborate with knowledgeable professionals to drive innovation and deliver solutions in financial services. Our team is composed of diverse, talented individuals who bring their unique skills and perspectives to work every day, setting the standard for leadership in the global market. Morgan Stanley is not just a company; it's a place where ambitious, creative, and skilled individuals can build a rewarding career. Here, you can experience the benefits of a vibrant culture dedicated to professional growth and diversity training. Internship Programs Kickstart your career with Morgan Stanley’s internship programs. These positions offer invaluable industry insights and professional experience to students and recent graduates. Interns at Morgan Stanley gain hands-on experience, working alongside seasoned experts in a dynamic, supportive environment. Innovation and Professional Growth We believe in the power of innovation to solve complex problems and encourage our team to think differently and act boldly. Morgan Stanley supports your career development through comprehensive training, development programs, and leadership workshops, ensuring that every employee has the tools they need to succeed. Join Our Team Explore the various job opportunities at Morgan Stanley, from entry-level positions to executive roles. We are hiring individuals who are passionate about finance and eager to contribute to a team that values integrity, excellence, and a forward-thinking mindset. Enhance your skills through our networking events, mentorship opportunities, and ongoing professional development. Stay Connected Keep up to date with the latest from Morgan Stanley Careers by subscribing to our job alert emails. Tailor your preferences to receive updates about new postings, career tips, and exclusive insights from our team leaders. Apply Now Ready to take the next step in your career? Search open positions that match your skills and interests on the Morgan Stanley Jobs portal. Prepare your resume, refine your interview techniques, and join a company that values innovation and leadership. At Morgan Stanley, we’re not just building careers—we’re developing leaders. Discover how far your talents can take you by joining our team today.
Learn more about Morgan Stanley
Size
77,000 employees
Market Cap
$144.1 billion
Industry
Net Income
$10.9 billion
Founded
1935
5 Year Trend
+10%
Revenue
$52 billion
NASDAQ

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