MARGO
Senior KDB+ Specialist – Fixed Income Algo Trading
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Join MARGO in the UK (London) – Perm & Contracting Opportunities
MARGO is a tech-native consultancy delivering high value-added IT expertise to the financial services industry. We specialise in data-intensive trading and risk environments where real-time analytics, large data volumes, and high-performance engineering are critical. Joining MARGO means working on highly specialized data platforms while benefiting from a human-sized structure, close follow-up, and tailored career paths.
Business Context
You will work directly within the Front Office Fixed Income Algo Trading IT environment. This role sits in a fast-paced setting focused on real-time pricing, risk management, and trading algorithm performance for FI products.
The platform supports:
- Real-time and intraday market data streaming and time-series capture.
- Fixed Income pricing, hedging, and risk analytics.
- Ad-hoc statistical analysis of algorithm behavior, client behavior, and market impact.
- Real-time trade and algorithm monitoring dashboards (e.g., Panopticon).
Role Overview
We are looking for a Senior KDB+ / q Specialist to work on real-time data and algo trading platforms. While centered on robust kdb+ development, the position features short feedback cycles and direct interaction with traders and production teams.
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We welcome candidates with strong kdb+ / q experience who thrive across:
- Core kdb+ / q development & time-series architecture
- 3rd line platform support & performance optimization
- Technical business analysis & trader-facing requirement gathering
Key Responsibilities
- Development & Analytics: Design, develop, test, and deliver change on real-time KDB+ processes, including API and schema design for FI Algo desks.
- Business Interaction: Liaise directly with traders to gather requirements, analyze algo performance, and build custom monitoring views (such as Altair Panopticon dashboards).
- Platform & Data Ownership: Maintain and evolve time-series data models, optimize q code performance, and build compliance/monitoring tools.
- Support & Delivery: Provide 3rd line technical support to production teams, participate in release processes (including occasional out-of-hours releases), and ensure software delivery compliance.
Technical Environment
- Core: kdb+ / q, TorQ framework, Linux/UNIX environments.
- Testing & CI/CD: qspec, qunit, Gitlab CI/CD, JFrog Artifactory, Rundeck.
- Visualization & Tools: Altair Panopticon (or similar monitoring tools).
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Required Experience & Skills
Essential
- Deep, hands-on experience with q/KDB+ in a front-office time-series environment.
- Solid knowledge of Fixed Income (FI) products or quantitative finance.
- Strong Linux/UNIX OS knowledge and performance monitoring mindset.
- Proven track record in a trader-facing or front-office role with clear communication and systematic reasoning.
- Degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or Engineering.
Valued
- Experience with the TorQ framework, qspec, or qunit.
- Exposure to Altair Panopticon dashboards.
- Familiarity with modern software delivery, CI/CD pipelines, and Agile methodologies.
Why Join MARGO
- Direct impact on front-office algorithmic trading and risk architectures.
- Flexible exposure across development, 3rd line support, and quantitative business analysis.
- Agile team culture with short feedback loops and rapid delivery cycles (hours to days).
- Human-sized consultancy with close support and long-term career focus.
Interested? Apply on our website or at staff.uk@margo.com.
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