Citadel has appointed former Morgan Stanley distinguished engineer Alex Armstrong as head of optimisation and execution within its treasury engineering team, adding another senior banking technologist to the hedge fund's technology ranks, according to a report by eFinancial Careers.

Armstrong joins after 14 years at Morgan Stanley, where he spent the past eight years as an executive director. He was promoted to the firm's distinguished engineer programme around 18 months ago, a title reserved for a small group of the bank's most technically accomplished engineers.

Morgan Stanley's distinguished engineer designation is awarded to approximately 0.3% of its technology workforce, recognising individuals for their technical expertise while allowing them to remain in hands-on engineering roles rather than moving into management. The programme also encourages participants to contribute to projects beyond their immediate business areas.

Armstrong's move continues Citadel's recruitment of senior engineering talent from global investment banks. The hedge fund hired former Goldman Sachs technology fellow Mehdi Houshmand in London last year, while Chenglong Yeh, another former Goldman technology fellow, also joined the firm in New York.

Citadel reportedly declined to comment on Armstrong's appointment, while Morgan Stanley did not respond to requests for comment.