At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technical delivery and guide teams in innovative data solutions.
- Company: KX, a leader in high-performance analytics for top global industries.
- Benefits: Hybrid work model, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team with a focus on innovation and career advancement.
- Why this job: Shape the future of AI-driven analytics and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in tech, deep expertise in kdb+, and strong client engagement skills.
The predicted salary is between 90000 - 110000 £ per year.
- Description
- About KX
Our mission is to accelerate data and AI-driven innovation with high-performance analytics solutions, enabling our customers to transform into AI-first enterprises.
KX is trusted by the world's top investment banks and hedge funds, aerospace and defence, life and health sciences, semiconductor, telecommunications, and advanced manufacturing companies.
Time series and vector data analytics and management are at the heart of our products, independently benchmarked as the fastest on the market.
They help our customers process data at unmatched speed and scale and empower LOB leaders, developers, data scientists, and data engineers to build high-performance data-driven applications and turbocharge their favourite analytics tools in the cloud, on-premise, or at the edge.
KX technology enables the discovery of richer, actionable insights for faster, better-informed decision-making, driving competitive advantage and transformative growth for our customers.
KX operates across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
Role Overview
We are hiring a Principal Solution Architect to lead the KX Services technical delivery function, including architects, developers and Dev Ops.
As a member of the KX Services Leadership Team, you will be accountable for the function's people, technical direction, engineering practices and contribution to customer outcomes.
You will bring deep credibility in kdb+ and use that foundation to lead its evolution into KDB-X across KX Services.
Working directly with customer executives and senior technical stakeholders, you will ensure our technical delivery supports successful adoption, measurable customer outcomes and lasting customer trust.
A major part of the role is to take the existing KX Services AI delivery strategy from early adoption to a mature, repeatable AI-led development and deployment practice.
You will turn successful experiments into standard ways of working, reusable assets and responsible deployment patterns that improve productivity, quality and reuse.
This is a management and leadership role.
You will lead through people managers, Team Leads and senior technical professionals while remaining sufficiently hands-on to guide complex engagements, resolve critical issues and set the technical standard for the wider function.
Location & Workplace Type
This position follows a hybrid working model. The primary location will be confirmed.
Requirements
- Required Skills & Experience
- A sustained record of leading and developing senior technical professionals, including people managers or Team Leads.
- Deep expertise and established credibility in q/kdb+, with the ability to apply that foundation to KDB-X and the wider KX product stack.
- Strong experience designing and governing complex, data-intensive systems, including architecture, performance, resilience, deployment, integration, security and operability.
- A sustained record of working directly with clients in a professional-services environment and building trusted relationships with senior technical and business stakeholders.
- Experience leading complex customer engagements through solution definition, delivery, adoption and resolution of critical issues.
- The judgement and communication skills to advise customer executives, challenge constructively and translate technical decisions into business implications.
- Experience shaping complex scopes, estimates, technical propositions and Statements of Work.
- A strong record of turning delivery experience into reusable architectures, technical standards and improved ways of working.
- Practical understanding of AI-assisted engineering and agentic systems, including the controls required for responsible customer deployment.
- Experience leading across organisational boundaries and influencing product, engineering, commercial and customer-facing stakeholders.
- Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with KDB-X or other current KX products; existing KDB-X mastery is beneficial but not a prerequisite.
- Experience with cloud architecture, distributed systems, Dev Ops, CI/CD and container is deployments.
- Experience working with high-performance time-series, vector real-time analytics solutions.
- Knowledge of financial services, aerospace and defence, life sciences, telecommunications, manufacturing or other data-intensive industries.
Principal Architect in London employer: Kx
KX is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, where innovation and collaboration thrive. With a focus on employee growth, KX offers opportunities for professional development and hands-on leadership experience in a hybrid working environment based out of Newry. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team that values your contributions and supports your career journey in the fast-paced world of data-driven solutions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Architect 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 Kx 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 Kx.
✨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 Kx.
✨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 Kx 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 Principal Architect 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 Kx.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Kx 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 Kx
✨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 Kx 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.
