Senior kdb+ Architect (Greenfield Project)

About the role

We have a rare opportunity for a Senior kdb+ Architect based in New York to lead a greenfield kdb+ platform build for a top-tier Investment Banking client. This role offers true end-to-end ownership, spanning real-time and historical market data ingestion through to high-performance analytics and downstream visualisation.

You'll play a pivotal role in defining and shaping the overall system architecture, making critical design decisions around data models, scalability, performance and resiliency. The work sits at the heart of the market data stack and demands deep expertise in kdb+/q, low-latency systems, market data feeds and analytic frameworks.

This is an excellent opportunity for a senior engineer who wants to influence technical direction, work closely with front-office-aligned systems and build a strategic platform from the ground up while showcasing their architectural and performance optimisation expertise.

As a Senior kdb+ Engineer at [DI] you'll be at the forefront of delivering high-performance, scalable solutions for some of the world's most data-intensive financial institutions. You'll: Lead technical delivery on client projects, setting the standard for quality and performance. Design and implement robust kdb+ architectures that handle billions of rows of time-series data.

Collaborate with quants, traders, and analysts to translate business needs into performant, efficient code. Mentor and guide junior and mid-level developers, fostering a culture of technical excellence. Own the full development lifecycle by developing, testing, supporting and maintaining all code for client applications Drive innovation by staying ahead of the curve in kdb+, q, and adjacent technologies.

Qualifications & Requirements

• What You Bring 5+ years of hands-on kdb+ development, with deep expertise in q and time-series data.
• Proven experience designing and implementing kdb+ architectures and scaling kdb+ systems in production.
• Experience working with and architecting both real-time and historical systems.
• Strong background in Unix/Linux environments and scripting.
• Demonstrated technical leadership and decision-making in fast-paced projects.

• Excellent communication skills to explain complex systems to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience in capital markets or investment banking, understanding the domain and its demands.
• A passion for clean, performant code and continuous improvement.
• Bonus Points For: Experience with Python, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), or other time-series databases.

Exposure to tick data, real-time analytics, or electronic trading systems. People management or team leadership experience.

Additional Information

Why Join Data Intellect? Global opportunities - work with clients in London, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, and beyond. Continuous learning - access to paid training, certifications, and leadership development. Clear progression paths - biannual promotion cycles and regular 1:1s to support your growth. Healthcare & wellbeing - provider dependent on region. Referral bonuses, social events, and more - we work hard and celebrate harder.