Sr Lead Software Engineer - KDB+ / Q

Location: LONDON, LONDON, United Kingdom

Job Family: Software Engineering

About the Role

At JP Morgan Chase, we are at the forefront of financial innovation, powering global markets with cutting-edge technology. As a Sr Lead Software Engineer specializing in KDB+/q, you will join our Data Platform Engineering team in London to architect and enhance our next-generation KDB platform. This platform is critical for managing historical and real-time market data, supporting everything from high-frequency trading strategies to comprehensive risk analytics for our institutional clients. You will work in a dynamic environment where your expertise in low-latency data processing directly impacts billions in daily transactions, collaborating with elite quants, traders, and developers to deliver scalable solutions that drive business value. Your role will involve leading the development of robust KDB+ systems that handle massive volumes of tick-level data from global exchanges, ensuring sub-millisecond query responses and seamless integration with JP Morgan's broader ecosystem, including our proprietary data lakes and AI-driven analytics tools. You will optimize platform performance using advanced q scripting, implement fault-tolerant architectures, and adhere to stringent regulatory standards like MiFID II to mitigate risks in our trading operations. As a senior leader, you will mentor a team of engineers, conduct technical deep-dives, and champion best practices in agile delivery, all while innovating to meet the evolving demands of the financial services industry. This position offers the chance to contribute to transformative projects at one of the world's largest financial institutions, with opportunities for career growth in a supportive, inclusive culture. If you thrive in fast-paced settings and have a passion for leveraging KDB+ to solve complex financial challenges, join us in London to shape the future of data-driven finance at JP Morgan Chase.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain the next-generation KDB+ platform for processing historical and real-time market data at JP Morgan Chase
• Collaborate with quantitative analysts and traders to define platform requirements for high-frequency trading and risk management
• Optimize KDB+/q code for performance, scalability, and reliability in handling petabyte-scale financial datasets
• Integrate KDB+ with other JP Morgan systems, including data lakes, streaming pipelines, and visualization tools
• Lead code reviews, mentor junior engineers, and drive best practices in software engineering within the team
• Troubleshoot and resolve production issues in real-time market data feeds to ensure minimal downtime
• Implement robust error handling, data validation, and security measures compliant with financial regulations
• Contribute to platform architecture decisions, including migration to cloud-native environments
• Monitor system performance and develop automation for deployment and testing in CI/CD pipelines
• Stay abreast of industry trends in financial data technologies and propose innovative enhancements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree preferred
• Minimum 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with at least 5 years focused on KDB+/q development
• Proven expertise in building and optimizing high-performance data platforms for real-time and historical market data processing
• Strong understanding of financial markets, including equities, fixed income, and derivatives data handling
• Experience with large-scale distributed systems and cloud infrastructure in a financial services environment
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams in agile development methodologies
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work under tight deadlines in a high-stakes trading environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Computer Science or Quantitative Finance
• Experience with JP Morgan's internal data platforms or similar enterprise systems at a major investment bank
• Familiarity with regulatory compliance standards such as MiFID II, EMIR, or Dodd-Frank in data management
• Prior work on low-latency trading systems or tick data analytics
• Certifications in KDB+ development or cloud platforms like AWS/GCP

Required Skills

• Expertise in KDB+/q programming language and database optimization
• Proficiency in real-time data streaming technologies like Apache Kafka or KX Insights
• Strong knowledge of SQL/NoSQL databases and data modeling for financial time-series
• Experience with Python, Java, or C++ for integrating with KDB+ ecosystems
• Understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Skills in performance tuning for low-latency applications in trading environments
• Familiarity with financial data protocols (FIX, FAST) and market data vendors (Bloomberg, Refinitiv)
• Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Jira for project management
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills for cross-team interactions
• Analytical mindset for debugging complex data pipelines
• Knowledge of cybersecurity best practices in financial systems
• Problem-solving abilities in high-pressure, deadline-driven settings
• Adaptability to evolving technologies in fintech
• Leadership skills for mentoring and guiding engineering teams

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and performance-based annual bonus
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Generous 401(k) matching and pension plan contributions
• Paid time off including vacation, sick leave, and parental leave
• Professional development opportunities with tuition reimbursement and internal training programs
• Employee stock purchase plan and financial wellness resources
• On-site fitness centers, wellness programs, and mental health support
• Flexible hybrid work arrangements and relocation assistance for London-based roles

JP Morgan Chase is an equal opportunity employer.