At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to build high-performance Java applications for global financial markets.
- Company: Join Citi, a leading global bank with a focus on innovation and growth.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, 27 days leave, private medical care, and hybrid working.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for career development and learning.
- Why this job: Shape the future of banking technology while making a real impact.
- Qualifications: Expertise in Java, leadership experience, and a passion for mentoring.
The predicted salary is between 59400 - 72600 £ per year.
Citi's Markets technology team is growing at lightning speed, and we’re looking for talented technology leaders to help build the future of global banking. Our global technology team spans 84 countries with almost 30,000 colleagues managing thousands of projects. Join an environment with a laser focus on growth and progress, and take your career to the next level through the power of Citi's unmatched globality and vast expertise.
We are seeking an experienced FX Risk Java Tech Lead to drive technical excellence and team leadership in building high-performance risk calculation systems that directly impact global markets operations. You’ll guide talented engineers, set technical direction, and take ownership of critical systems at unprecedented scale.
Join us if you:
- Are passionate about leading teams to build distributed, high-performance, and resilient Java applications
- Want to shape technical strategy and architecture for risk calculation systems in global financial markets
- Thrive in mentoring others and driving technical excellence
- Are ready to take full ownership of complex systems and their success
Key Responsibilities
- Technical Leadership & Strategy
- Lead and mentor a team of Java developers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and ownership
- Define technical vision and architecture for FX risk calculation platforms
- Make critical technical decisions on system design, technology stack, and implementation
- Champion best practices in code quality, testing, performance, and security
- Conduct code reviews and elevate team capabilities through constructive feedback
- Ownership Across SDLC
- Take complete ownership of systems and features across the entire Software Development Life Cycle
- Drive accountability within the team - ensuring every member embraces ownership of their work
- Own the technical roadmap and ensure alignment with business objectives
- Proactively identify and mitigate risks throughout the development lifecycle
- System Design & Architecture
- Design and architect scalable, resilient solutions for complex risk calculation workflows
- Lead implementation of distributed systems handling global trade volumes
- Optimize application performance and establish benchmarks
- Design integration patterns with databases (SQL/NoSQL) and messaging systems
- Ensure systems are built for observability, maintainability, and operational excellence
- Team Development & Collaboration
- Build and grow a high-performing engineering team through hiring, mentoring, and career development
- Foster a culture of ownership where team members take initiative and accountability
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams including product, business, and risk stakeholders
- Remove blockers and create an environment for the team to excel
- Lead by example in technical excellence and professional conduct
- Delivery & Production Excellence
- Lead end-to-end delivery of complex projects and initiatives
- Own production stability and system reliability for critical FX risk systems
- Establish monitoring, alerting, and incident response procedures
- Lead L3 production support and participate in on-call rotation
- Balance technical debt with feature delivery and make strategic trade-off decisions
Required Experience
- Technical Expertise
- Solid professional Java development experience with deep expertise
- Experience in a technical leadership role (Tech Lead, Team Lead, or similar)
- Expert-level knowledge of Core Java and multithreading (JDK 11+)
- Proven experience architecting distributed, high-performance systems
- Hands-on experience with SQL/NoSQL databases (Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, etc.)
- Experience with message queuing systems (Kafka, Tibco, Solace, or similar)
- Deep understanding of Linux and JVM internals
- Strong advocate for Test-Driven Development (TDD) and automated testing
- Extensive production support experience including L3 support and on-call
- Leadership & Professional Experience
- Proven track record of leading and mentoring engineering teams
- Experience managing the full SDLC from conception to production
- Strong project management skills with Agile/Scrum experience
- Track record of successfully delivering mission-critical systems
Essential Leadership Qualities
- Ownership (Primary Quality)
- Takes complete accountability for systems, team outcomes, and business results
- Proactively identifies and addresses issues before they escalate
- Treats company systems as if they were their own
- Strategic Thinking & Communication
- Balances short-term delivery with long-term technical vision
- Articulates complex technical concepts to all audiences
- Makes data-driven decisions with business context
- Collaboration & Results
- Works effectively across teams and time zones
- Focuses on delivering measurable business value
- Drives execution with urgency while maintaining high standards
- Continuous Improvement
- Stays current with industry trends and best practices
- Drives process improvements and challenges status quo
- Encourages experimentation and learning from failures
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of FX markets and risk calculation methodologies
- Expertise in containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Experience building CI/CD pipelines and implementing DevOps practices
- Microservices architecture experience at scale
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field or experience operating in a similar role
What we’ll provide you
- By joining Citi, 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
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.
FX Risk Java Tech Lead in London employer: Citigroup
Citi is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of London where innovation meets collaboration. As a Sales Director, you will benefit from extensive training and mentorship opportunities, fostering your professional growth while working alongside industry leaders in FX Sales. With a strong commitment to integrity and inclusivity, Citi provides a supportive culture that empowers employees to excel and drive meaningful results for clients.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land FX Risk Java Tech Lead in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Citigroup or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Citigroup.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Citigroup.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Citigroup that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace FX Risk Java Tech Lead in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Citigroup.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Citigroup and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Citigroup
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Citigroup uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
