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- Tasks: Lead the development of a critical trading dashboard and optimise complex SQL queries.
- Company: Join a 25-year established algorithmic trading hedge fund in the heart of London.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, performance-based bonus, 25 days holiday, and pension.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with high engineering standards and excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a tech-led environment with direct trader interaction.
- Qualifications: Strong SQL Server skills, C#/.NET experience, and a solid academic background.
The predicted salary is between 140000 - 180000 £ per year.
Our client, an algorithmic trading hedge fund with a 25-year track record in systematic trading, are hiring a Principal SQL Developer to join their trading desk tech team. It’s a 20-person business with roughly half the team in engineering and technical roles, so you’re in a genuinely tech-led environment where trading is fully programmatic and engineers work closely with the desk day to day.
They’re hiring a Principal SQL Developer to become the lead engineer responsible for their most business-critical platform: the internal trading dashboard that sits at the centre of the desk’s day-to-day activity. You’ll work closely with traders, quantitative researchers and the Founder, helping shape how financial market data is stored, modelled, queried and surfaced across the business.
The environment spans long-running futures trading systems, crypto trading infrastructure built over the last decade, and increasingly complex options datasets. A big part of the role is understanding what the business is trying to achieve with the data, then designing the right structures, workflows and tooling around it.
This is not a traditional ETL or pipeline engineering role. The systems are highly concurrent, transactional and real-time, with correctness and consistency being absolutely critical. A lot of the core business logic sits in SQL stored procedures, and the role spans both the database and application layers across SQL Server and C#/.NET systems while acting as a key link between the trading desk and wider engineering team.
Non-Negotiables
- SQL Server
- Concurrent SQL environments
- Stored Procedures
- Complex query optimisation
- Data modelling
- C# / .NET
- Front-office buy-side experience (hedge funds, asset management, systematic trading, OMS/PMS environments)
- Strong academics (2:1 or above in a technical discipline)
What You'll Work With
- SQL Server on Windows VMs in Azure
- C# / .NET
- Trading dashboard
- Portfolio and order management systems
- Real-time trading desk tooling
- Futures, crypto and options datasets
- Data visualisation
- Reporting and monitoring tools
Nice to Haves
- Front-office buy-side experience
- Systematic trading environments
- Quant research support
- OMS / PMS platforms
- Distributed systems exposure
- Legacy platform modernisation
- SQL Server performance tuning
- Trading desk interaction
Why Join
You’ll be joining a small team with high engineering standards, working alongside some very sharp people who care about doing things properly. There’s a strong culture of peer review and technical debate, and you’ll have real ownership from day one.
You’ll also be working directly with traders and senior leadership, so your work is closely tied to how the business performs. The problems themselves are genuinely interesting, centred around correctness in a concurrent, real-time environment rather than scale.
Benefits
- Bonus up to 100% (performance-based, genuinely paid)
- 25 days holiday + bank hols
- Pension
Principal SQL Developer in City of London employer: Prism Digital
Contact Detail:
Prism Digital Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal SQL Developer in City of London
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with folks in the industry! Attend meetups, conferences, or even online webinars related to SQL development and trading. You never know who might have a lead on that Principal SQL Developer role you’re after.
✨Show Off Your Skills
When you get the chance, demonstrate your SQL prowess! Whether it’s through coding challenges, tech interviews, or even casual chats, make sure you highlight your experience with complex queries and stored procedures. Let them see you in action!
✨Tailor Your Approach
Don’t just send out generic applications. Research the company and tailor your pitch to show how your skills in SQL Server and C#/.NET can directly benefit their trading desk. Make it clear why you’re the perfect fit for their team.
✨Apply Through Our Website
We’ve got some fantastic opportunities listed on our website, so don’t miss out! Applying directly through us not only streamlines the process but also shows your commitment to joining our tech-led environment. Let’s get you that dream job!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal SQL Developer in City of London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Principal SQL Developer role. Highlight your experience with SQL Server, C#/.NET, and any relevant projects that showcase your skills in concurrent SQL environments. We want to see how you can bring value to our trading desk!
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills: In your application, don’t just list your technical skills; share examples of how you've tackled complex problems in real-time environments. We love seeing candidates who can think critically and adapt quickly, especially in a fast-paced trading setting.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your cover letter, keep it clear and concise. We appreciate straightforward communication, so get to the point about why you're a great fit for the role and how your background aligns with our needs at StudySmarter.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of getting noticed. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you’re considered for the Principal SQL Developer position. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
How to prepare for a job interview at Prism Digital
✨Know Your SQL Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your SQL Server skills, especially around stored procedures and complex query optimisation. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've tackled performance issues in concurrent environments.
✨Understand the Business Context
Familiarise yourself with how trading desks operate and the role of data in decision-making. Being able to articulate how your technical skills can directly impact trading strategies will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Showcase Your C#/.NET Experience
Prepare to discuss your experience with C# and .NET, particularly in relation to building applications that interact with SQL databases. Have examples ready that demonstrate your ability to bridge the gap between database management and application development.
✨Engage with Technical Questions
Expect technical questions that test your problem-solving skills in real-time scenarios. Practice explaining your thought process clearly and concisely, as communication is key when working closely with traders and engineers.