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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, generous holiday, and pension scheme.
- Other info: Collaborate with sharp minds in a dynamic, peer-reviewed culture focused on excellence.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a tech-led environment with direct influence on trading success.
- 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)
- 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
- 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
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 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 London
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with people in the industry! Attend meetups, conferences, or even online webinars. The more you engage with others, the better your chances of landing that Principal SQL Developer role.
✨Show Off Your Skills
When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, don’t hold back! Share your experiences with SQL Server, C#/.NET, and any complex query optimisation you've done. Let them see how you can add value to their trading desk.
✨Ask Smart Questions
During interviews, ask insightful questions about their trading systems and data workflows. This shows you're genuinely interested and helps you understand how you can fit into their tech-led environment.
✨Apply Through Our Website
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to connect directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal SQL Developer in 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 how you think and approach challenges, especially in a trading context.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use bullet points for key achievements and make sure your passion for technology and finance shines through. We appreciate straightforward communication!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
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, particularly in systematic trading. Being able to articulate how data modelling and workflows can impact trading decisions will show that you understand the bigger picture.
✨Showcase Your C#/.NET Experience
Prepare to discuss your experience with C# and .NET, especially in relation to building applications that interact with SQL databases. Have examples ready that demonstrate your ability to bridge the gap between database and application layers.
✨Engage with Technical Questions
Expect technical questions that test your problem-solving skills in real-time scenarios. Practice explaining your thought process clearly, as communication is key when working closely with traders and engineers alike.