Backend Engineering Lead

Validus is looking for a highly skilled and motivated engineer to lead our back-end engineering team. The back-end team is responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining the systems and services powering the rapidly growing, award-winning technology offering at Validus. The back-end team is part of the broader technology team working in collaboration with quants, frontend and platform engineers. Our teams work together to grow our technology platform, Horizon. Horizon comprises multiple applications for trade execution, portfolio management and risk analysis for alternative asset managers in various domains, such as private equity, private debt and real estate.

Key Responsibilities:

• Back-end Tech Strategy and Leadership: Develop and execute the back-end strategy for our financial and quantitative applications, working to break down and complement objectives from wider business and technology team strategies. Provide leadership to the back-end team, acting as an expert for Rust & Python, fostering a culture of innovation and leading adoption of best-practices.
• AWS Cloud Solution and Backend Architect: Design, architect and implement back-end services as part of cloud-native solutions on AWS, building Python-based APIs and Rust-based event-driven microservices utilising gRPC. Create suitable design documentation and supply sufficient technical detail to tickets for more junior colleagues.
• Team Management: Manage a team of back-end and financial software engineers, overseeing the team delivery using AGILE processes. Provide mentoring/coaching to reports, improving team code quality through the pull request process, and conducting bi-annual performance reviews.
• Collaboration and Stakeholder Management: Work closely with business stakeholders, including finance teams, traders, and risk management, to understand their needs and translate them into effective technology solutions.
• Financial Market Knowledge: Design data models for elegantly capturing the business domain of complex trades across multiple asset classes. Build a strong understanding of FX and interest rate products, the related financial markets, and market data sources.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, mathematics, finance or a related field.
• Proficiency with both Rust and Python. In exceptional circumstances we may consider applicants with a bulk of experience in a low-level language other than Rust (such as C++ or Go), though a minimum of a demonstrable understanding of Rust concepts and best practices is required.
• Experience leading or mentoring a team of engineers.
• Experience developing cloud-based services in a microservices-led architecture.
• Curiosity to explore new technologies. We are constantly looking for potential technologies to improve our platform.
• Strong understanding of financial markets, quantitative modelling and related data models.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to plan and architect solutions in line with technology initiatives and wider business objectives.

Preferred Qualifications/Experience:

• Experience with financial or market risk modelling is a plus, but not required. The role is heavily finance focused, so a keen interest is expected.
• Knowledge of AWS computing platforms and services.

Validus Risk Management is an independent technology-enabled advisory firm specializing in the management of FX, interest rate and other market risks. We work with institutional investors, fund managers, and portfolio companies to design and implement strategies to measure, manage and monitor financial market risk, using a market-tested combination of specialist consulting services, trade execution and innovation risk technology. Working at Validus can offer an exciting opportunity for both personal development and professional growth. Share in our mission to become the largest and most respected specialist provider of financial market risk services in the world. Notable benefits include a competitive remuneration package (salary + bonus), retirement plan, private healthcare, regular social events, and financial support towards professional qualifications. Validus is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.