At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the support and evolution of our Solace messaging infrastructure for trading systems.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at a leading financial institution in London.
- Benefits: Flexible hybrid working, competitive salary, and opportunities for career growth.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with a focus on engineering quality and long-term career development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on high-performance trading environments with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in technical platforms, expert in Solace, and strong scripting skills.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Team Overview: The UK ITS AS (ENET) team provides highly specialized middleware and application platform support to the Bank's dedicated, low-latency electronic trading infrastructure. This mission-critical environment supports real-time Forex (FX) and Fixed Income (FI) electronic trading systems, where sub-millisecond performance is paramount.
Role Summary: We are seeking an expert-level Senior Solace Middleware Engineer to spearhead the support, management, and long-term evolution of our enterprise Solace messaging infrastructure. In this role, you will act as the platform owner for the messaging bus that underpins our global FX and Fixed Income trading businesses. You will work directly with global development teams, network infrastructure specialists, and trading stakeholders to design resilient, ultra-low latency messaging architectures, onboard critical new applications, and maintain flawless operational stability during high-volume market hours.
Key Responsibilities
- Solace Messaging Infrastructure & Architecture
- Platform Ownership: Architect, administer, and optimize the enterprise Solace PubSub+ platform (both physical appliances and software brokers).
- Latency Tuning: Configure and performance-tune Solace brokers, message VPNs, queues, topic hierarchies, and client profiles to meet micro-second requirements.
- Resilience & Routing: Manage high-availability configurations (primary/backup broker pairs, replication) and implement Dynamic Message Routing (DMR) for inter-datacenter distribution.
- Governance: Define and enforce messaging standards, naming conventions, and best-practice governance frameworks.
- Trading Application Integration & On-boarding
- Integration Engineering: Partner with global development teams to integrate trading applications with Solace message streams, optimizing session properties and flow control.
- Pattern Design: Design topic hierarchies, multicast messaging standards, and subscription patterns optimized for market data distribution and trade execution flows (Direct vs. Guaranteed messaging).
- Application On-boarding: Own the end-to-end application onboarding process onto the ENET platform, defining connectivity, network, and security requirements.
- Monitoring, Performance, & Market Connectivity
- Specialized Monitoring: Deploy and maintain custom monitoring dashboards using ITRS Geneos and Corvil network analytics to track latency, throughput, and queue depths in real time.
- Connectivity Management: Manage network and application connectivity to external FX and FI trading venues, coordinating closely with network teams on multicast routing and firewall configurations.
- Data Pipelines: Architect data pipelines from Solace message streams to backend analytics databases for trade data persistence, flow analysis, and trade reconstruction.
- Operational Excellence
- Production Support: Troubleshoot complex, high-pressure messaging bottlenecks and data loss incidents during active market hours.
- Automation: Eliminate manual overhead by scripting operational tasks using Python, Shell, and SQL.
- Rota Support: Participate in the team’s global on-call rotation and weekend change-management rota (approximately 1 in 3 weekends).
Requirements
- Essential Experience & Technical Skills
- 10+ Years of Experience: A proven track record supporting high-performance technical platforms or core infrastructure within Capital Markets or Electronic Trading environments.
- Subject Matter Expertise in Solace (Critical): Deep, expert-level knowledge of the Solace PubSub+ ecosystem, including guaranteed/direct messaging patterns, VPN configuration, bridges, SEMP API, and DMR.
- Low-Latency Networking: Strong underlying knowledge of Linux/Unix administration focused on network performance tuning, specifically with multicast messaging protocols, packet captures tcpdump, Wireshark, and diagnosing data loss at the OS level.
- Trading Workflow Domain Knowledge: Clear understanding of pre-trade workflows in FX/FI markets, including pricing engines, Request for Quote (RFQ), order management, and common serialization formats (FIX, JSON, Protobuf).
- Monitoring Tooling: Practical experience configuring enterprise monitoring setups inside ITRS Geneos and leveraging Corvil network analytics.
- Automation Scripting: Proficiency in Python and Shell scripting, alongside solid SQL database skills for data persistence tracking.
- Desirable Attributes
- Certifications: Solace Certified Administrator or Solace Certified Developer credentials.
- Modern Data Stack: Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) for Solace deployments or exposure to streaming analytics platforms like Kafka or Flink.
- Process Frameworks: Familiarity with ITIL change-management frameworks.
Work Arrangements & Personal Qualities
- Location: Based out of our central London office, with flexible hybrid-working options.
- Hours: Professional day hours, with flexibility required for out-of-hours on-call rotations and occasional international travel.
- Who You Are: You are a highly autonomous engineer who remains calm and analytical under pressure. You bring an imaginative approach to complex routing challenges and possess the meticulous attention to detail required to protect a live trading floor.
Why Join MARGO
- Access to complex Front Office and Risk UI platforms.
- Strong emphasis on engineering quality and clean front-end architecture.
- Real-time, performance-sensitive UI challenges.
- Human-sized consultancy with close support and long-term focus.
- Long-term career opportunities across engineering and architecture.
Interested? Motivated? Apply on our website or at staff.uk@margo.com.
Solace Middleware Engineer - ENET employer: Linuxconfig
At Sony Interactive Entertainment, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters innovation and collaboration within a dynamic work culture. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through comprehensive training programs and opportunities for advancement, all while working in a vibrant location that encourages creativity and teamwork. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team that values your contributions and supports your professional journey.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Solace Middleware Engineer - ENET
✨Join the IT Consultancy Buzz
Get involved in local or virtual IT consultancy meetups and forums. This is where we can rub shoulders with industry professionals, get insights into what Linuxconfig values, and even spot unadvertised opportunities. Don't miss out on these chances to make a name for ourselves in the IT world!
✨Show Off Your Skills
Create a personal project or case study relevant to the challenges Linuxconfig might face. Use platforms like GitHub or Medium to share your findings. This not only demonstrates our consulting skills but shows a proactive attitude, making us stand out from the crowd when applying for that full-time gig.
✨Leverage LinkedIn for Connections
Follow and engage with the relevant thought leaders and influencers in IT consultancy on LinkedIn. Share insightful content and join discussions to gain visibility. A well-placed comment or shared article could catch the attention of someone at Linuxconfig!
✨Direct Apply to Linuxconfig
Let's not forget to apply directly through the Linuxconfig website! Tailor your application to showcase our understanding of their consulting style and how we can contribute to their projects. A personalised approach can make a huge difference in landing that full-time position!
We think you need these skills to ace Solace Middleware Engineer - ENET
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In IT consulting, it's all about problem-solving, so make sure your CV highlights your analytical skills and any relevant projects you've tackled. Mention specific technologies or methodologies you've used to resolve issues or improve processes; this shows you can think critically and deliver results, which is vital for us at Linuxconfig.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Certifications like ITIL, PMP, or even specific tech stack qualifications can really make you stand out. Make sure to include these in your CV, as they not only demonstrate your expertise but also your commitment to staying current in the field. We love seeing candidates who are proactive about their professional development!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to connect personally with us at Linuxconfig. Share stories about your experiences in IT consulting, and how they shaped your desire to join our team. Mention why you’re excited about this particular role, and how you see yourself contributing to our projects.
Keep It Clear and Concise:We're all busy, so make sure your application is easy to read. Use bullet points for key achievements, and don’t overload us with jargon. A clean, professional layout goes a long way. Remember, the clearer your application, the more likely we are to invite you in for an interview!
How to prepare for a job interview at Linuxconfig
✨Brush Up on Your Technical Skills
For an IT consulting role, be ready to demonstrate your technical prowess. You might face questions on systems integration, cloud technologies, or even troubleshooting specific software. If you have experience with tools like AWS, Azure, or even specific programming languages, make sure you can talk about them fluently.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Approach
IT consulting is all about solving problems for clients. Think about how you can illustrate your approach to a past challenge using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). It's a great way to show how you tackle complex issues and come up with effective solutions.
✨Know the Business Impact of IT Solutions
When discussing your experiences, focus not just on the tech solutions you implemented, but also on their business impact. Employers want to see that you can connect IT with organisational goals. Prep examples that highlight how your tech contributions improved efficiency or reduced costs for past clients or projects.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Since IT consulting often involves teamwork and client interactions, expect behavioural questions that assess your interpersonal skills. Be prepared with examples that demonstrate your adaptability, communication skills, and how you handle client feedback. Before the interview, think of situations where you worked closely with clients to create effective IT strategies or changes.
