Contract - Senior KDB Developer

Deloitte LLP; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A global consulting firm is seeking an experienced Senior KDB Developer for a 6-month contract in London or Bournemouth. You will design and develop high-performance KDB+ solutions for a major investment bank, ensuring system efficiency and scalability. Candidates should have 7+ years in KDB+, expertise in performance tuning, and strong problem-solving skills. This hybrid role offers opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Exposure to industry-leading projects

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of hands-on experience in KDB+ and q programming.
• Extensive experience in high-volume, low-latency KDB+ systems.
• Proven expertise in KDB+ performance tuning and optimization.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of KDB+ databases.
• Optimize existing KDB+ systems for efficiency.
• Collaborate with traders and tech teams to gather requirements.

Skills

KDB+ and q programming

Performance tuning

Real-time data ingestion

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics

Tools

Python

Java

C++

AWS

Docker

Job description

Job Title: Senior KDB Developer (contract)

Location: London or Bournemouth, Hybrid

Duration: 6 months

Contract Start Date: ASAP November 2025

Working with the Deloitte Associate (Contractor) Programme means we can offer you the opportunity to work on a variation of industry and client-related projects. Our aim is to retain the best talent and so when your project end date nears our team of Talent Community Advisors will be working with you to look at alternative projects within the firm that suit your experience should you wish to continue with Deloitte.

The Role

Deloitte is seeking highly skilled and experienced Senior KDB+ Developers for a unique opportunity to be embedded within a critical, high-impact engagement at a leading Tier 1 US-headquartered global investment bank. You will play a pivotal role in designing, developing, and optimising cutting-edge KDB+ solutions that underpin the bank's most demanding front-office, market data, and risk management systems.

This role offers the chance to leverage your deep technical expertise within a fast-paced, intellectually stimulating environment, contributing directly to the success of a world-renowned financial institution while benefiting from Deloitte's extensive professional development and career progression opportunities.

Responsibilities include

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of high-performance KDB+ databases and applications for critical financial market data and analytics.
• Optimise existing KDB+ systems for latency, throughput, and data storage efficiency, ensuring robust and scalable solutions.
• Collaborate closely with front-office traders, quantitative analysts, and other technology teams to gather requirements, define specifications, and deliver tailored solutions.
• Develop and maintain real-time and historical market data ingestion, processing, and query frameworks.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues within a demanding, low-latency production environment.
• Contribute to architectural discussions, define best practices for KDB+ development, and ensure adherence to coding standards.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior developers within the project team.
• Participate in the full software development lifecycle, from initial concept through to deployment and ongoing support.

Essential Skills and Experience

• A minimum of 7 years of hands-on professional experience in KDB+ and q programming.
• Extensive experience in designing, implementing, and optimising large-scale, high-volume, low-latency KDB+ systems preferably within a financial services context.
• Proven expertise in KDB+ performance tuning, including schema design, query optimisation, memory management, and inter-process communication.
• Strong experience with real-time data ingestion, processing, and distribution mechanisms.
• Solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and distributed computing principles.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and debugging skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment with stringent deadlines.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Deliverables: Responsibilities but not limited to

• Experience with other programming languages such as Python, Java, or C++.
• Deep understanding of financial market data (e.g., equities, fixed income, FX, derivatives, commodities) and its application in KDB+ for analytics, trading, and risk management.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerisation technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Knowledge of distributed systems and big data technologies.
• Experience with DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience working collaboratively on common codebases using git.
• Understanding of financial regulations and compliance requirements.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field.

IR35

As a means of managing tax, commercial and reputational risks, Deloitte prohibits the use of Associates through Personal Service Companies (‘PSCs’). All Associates must contract under PAYE arrangements through a Deloitte approved ‘Employment Company’ (aka ‘umbrella company’).