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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and innovate in electronic trading infrastructure for a global financial giant.
- Company: Join Citi, a top-tier global bank committed to innovation and diversity.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid work, competitive salary, 27 days leave, and private medical care.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team driving cutting-edge technology in finance.
- Qualifications: Experience in low latency trading, systems architecture, and Linux fundamentals required.
- Other info: Citi values diversity and offers a supportive workplace for all.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
We are looking for an industry wide Senior Systems Architect – Infrastructure who can provide leadership and direction for Change-The-Bank (CTB) electronic trading infrastructure initiatives covering all technologies (in this specific domain) for Rates.
What We do
The role sits within Citi's Global Markets: High Performance Architectures – Infrastructure (HPAi) group. This team is responsible for all electronic trading infrastructure architecture across all markets globally for the firm. It is composed of low latency Subject Matter Experts (North America, EMEA), Systems Architects (both regional and asset class aligned) and an aligned initiative management function (e.g. Technical Project Manager). Technology is key to our business; this role will require you to drive innovation and technology adoption in a large multi-faceted and complex environment. This ICG-Tech \”business aligned tech\” resource will collaborate with ICG-Markets \”the business\”, CTI \”Enterprise Infrastructure\”, and CISO \”Security\” teams driving technical architecture and engineering of CTB and End of Vendor Support (EoVS) initiatives where we choose to innovate.
Role Overview/What will you do:
Reporting to the head of HPAi, the Systems Architect will be responsible for ensuring best in breed technology architecture and engineering are in alignment with business requirements. This will be done in collaboration with CISO and CTI Compute resources aligned to HPAi who represent Enterprise and CISO priorities and standards. Active collaboration with all parties is required to be successful. The resource should be able to effectively collaborate with the Markets-Tech Electronic Trading organization (our clients), steer other technology organizations directly or through influence, and love rolling up their sleeves and working as an individual contributor. The resource will leverage the full strength of the supporting non-ICG technology organizations (dedicated and non-dedicated to HPAi). The role is very broad requiring a resource that is not afraid to do new things and be challenged on a regular basis with a can-do attitude and an engineering mindset. Ideal candidate has deep desire to drive results and an unquenchable desire to understand how technology primitives work (and how to abuse them).
Duties will also include (But not limited to)
- Ingress/plan/execute/manage technical initiatives to make our electronic trading systems faster, more adaptable stable and maintainable aligned to HPAi standards.
- Communicate ideas, requirements, and results across disparate teams.
- This position will support technical populations (Rates), partnering with leaders to understand their challenges and design and execute solutions to solve them.
- Communicating business and IT requirements to external vendors and internal technical teams
- To succeed in this role, you must enjoy working independently and collaborating, being a hands-on contributor, learning on the fly and embrace change – rapid pace.
- You must be able to understand full-stack electronic trading technologies and engage effectively in a very technical manner with other SMEs, systems architects, the business (at times), Markets-Tech, and enterprise infrastructure organizations (CTI/CISO).
The environment
- Low Latency Trading – Rates and Cross Markets, domain specific technology is required (solid knowledge for as many of the following as possible):
- Compute (Linux – O.S., Tuning, kernel bypass technologies, core dump analysis)
- Network (R&S, cut-through, Multicast, SDN, BGP, L1-L3, PCAP analysis)
- HW (Server, FPGA, GPU, DPU, Memory, over clocking, cooling, ASIC, Quantum, NUMA)
- DevOps (OpenShift, Kubernetes, DevOps, Programming (C++/Python/Rust), CI/CD)
- Time Sync (PTP, NTP, GPS, White Rabbit, SyncE)
- Wave (RF, Millimeter, Microwave, DWDM, Photonics)
- Storage (I/O, NAS, SAN, Object Store, SDS)
- Database (relational, columnar, graph, NoSQL)
- Monitoring (SPANs, TAPS, OEO, Packet Brokers, Corvil, SNMP, FIX, Logs, ELK)
- Messaging (TibRV, Solace, Multicast, Market data (TCP/UDP), Exegy/Vela, Aeron)
- Load Balancers (HW, SW)
- Security (Firewalls, Optical Encryption)
- Connectivity (WAN, Lucera, cross-connects. ECX, venue, client. nvLink, uaLink, CXL, UltraEthernet)
- Colo / Datacenter (Power, Space, Cage, Rack, Cabinet, Design)
- Market Data (Bloomberg, Reuters, RAW | Consolidated Feeds)
Skills & Experience
- Systems Architecture experience in a Low Latency etrading Trading environment
- Deep knowledge of operating system fundamentals – hyper focus on Linux (REL, CoreOS)
- Understanding of OSI model and TCP and UDP network protocols
- Experience with Python and data libraries
- Fluency with the Unix command line and shell scripting
- Practical experience with modern Linux systems and systems programming concepts like C, IPC mechanisms, virtual memory, and process life cycle
- Strong troubleshooting skills and knowledge of profiling/debugging tools such as gdb, perf, DTrace, SystemTap
- Can understand, interpret, and improve application performance via system tuning
- Thorough understanding of modern computer architecture – modern x86 AMD and Intel cache hierarchies as an example.
- Kernel-bypass technology knowledge (such as Solarflare OpenOnload / TCPDirect / ef_vi, RoCE, DPDK)
- Prior experience in a similar Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), DevOps, distributed computing, systems engineering/administration
- Ability to context switch to work on several projects at once
- Knowledge of JIRA, SCRUM, Sprints
This job description provides a high-level review of the types of work performed. Other job-related duties may be assigned as required.
What we'll provide you
By joining Citi London, you will not only be part of a business casual workplace with a hybrid working model (up to 2 days working at home per week), but also receive a competitive base salary (which is annually reviewed), and enjoy a whole host of additional benefits such as:
- 27 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)
- A discretional annual performance related bonus
- Private Medical Care & Life Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Pension Plan
- Paid Parental Leave
- Special discounts for employees, family, and friends
- Access to an array of learning and development resources
Visit ourGlobal Benefitspage to learn more.
Alongside these benefits Citi is committed to ensuring our workplace is where everyone feels comfortable coming to work as their whole self, every day. We want the best talent around the world to be energized to join us, motivated to stay and empowered to thrive.
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Job Family Group:
Technology ——————————————————
Job Family:
Infrastructure ——————————————————
Time Type:
Full time ——————————————————
Most Relevant Skills
Please see the requirements listed above.——————————————————
Other Relevant Skills
For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.——————————————————
Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to use our search tools and/or apply for a career opportunity review Accessibility at Citi .
View Citi's EEO Policy Statement and the Know Your Rights poster.
VP of System Architecture - Citi employer: Citi
Contact Detail:
Citi Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land VP of System Architecture - Citi
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in low latency trading technologies. Understanding the specific tools and frameworks used in electronic trading will help you engage in meaningful conversations during interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the industry, especially those who work in similar roles at other firms. Attend relevant conferences or webinars to build connections and gain insights into what companies like Citi are looking for in candidates.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your hands-on experience with system architecture and engineering. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've driven innovation or improved performance in previous roles, as this will demonstrate your capability to meet the demands of the position.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your collaborative skills by highlighting past experiences where you successfully worked with cross-functional teams. This role requires effective communication across various departments, so illustrating your ability to bridge gaps will be beneficial.
We think you need these skills to ace VP of System Architecture - Citi
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in systems architecture, particularly in low latency electronic trading environments. Use specific examples that demonstrate your technical skills and leadership capabilities.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for technology and innovation. Discuss how your background aligns with Citi's goals for their electronic trading infrastructure and mention any specific technologies or methodologies you are proficient in.
Showcase Technical Expertise: When detailing your experience, focus on your knowledge of operating systems, networking protocols, and programming languages mentioned in the job description. Be specific about your hands-on experience with tools and technologies relevant to the role.
Highlight Collaboration Skills: Citi values collaboration across teams. Include examples of how you've successfully worked with cross-functional teams in the past, especially in high-pressure environments. This will demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively and drive results.
How to prepare for a job interview at Citi
✨Understand the Technical Landscape
Make sure you have a solid grasp of low latency trading technologies and the specific tools mentioned in the job description. Brush up on your knowledge of Linux, networking protocols, and system architecture to demonstrate your expertise during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Collaboration Skills
This role requires active collaboration with various teams. Be prepared to discuss past experiences where you successfully worked with cross-functional teams, highlighting your ability to communicate effectively and influence others.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Abilities
Expect technical questions that assess your troubleshooting skills. Prepare to discuss specific challenges you've faced in previous roles and how you approached solving them, particularly in high-pressure environments.
✨Emphasise Your Adaptability
The job requires a can-do attitude and the ability to embrace change. Share examples of how you've adapted to new technologies or processes in the past, showcasing your willingness to learn and grow in a fast-paced environment.
