At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build a global network for a leading investment platform.
- Company: Join a top-tier financial technology firm focused on innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborate with elite engineers in a dynamic, tech-driven environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by creating resilient and high-performance network infrastructure.
- Qualifications: Experience in network architecture and automation with a passion for engineering excellence.
Build the Global Network Behind a World-Class Investment Platform
Most networking roles are about keeping the lights on. This one is about building the infrastructure that keeps global financial markets moving.
We're looking for an exceptional Network Architect/Engineer to become the technical owner of our global network estate—designing, evolving and continuously improving the infrastructure that connects our trading platforms, cloud environments, market data providers and offices around the world.
This is a genuine architecture and engineering role with real ownership.
You'll define the technical direction, influence technology strategy, introduce new capabilities, automate everything possible and build a network designed for resilience, performance and scale.
If you're someone who enjoys solving difficult engineering problems—not attending endless meetings—you'll fit right in.
What You'll Own
This is your network.
You'll become the firm's technical authority for enterprise and cloud networking, responsible for designing and evolving a global platform spanning:
- Global offices
- AWS and Azure
- Low-latency trading connectivity
- Exchange and broker networks
- Secure global connectivity
You'll define where the platform goes next—not inherit somebody else's decisions.
Your Mission
You'll build a network platform that is:
- Highly available
- Highly automated
- Secure by design
- Cloud-first
- Observable
- Scalable
- Simple to operate
- Ready for the next generation of trading infrastructure
- You’ll introduce engineering standards.
- You’ll automate everything that should never require a human.
- You’ll continually raise the technical bar.
What You'll Be Doing
You'll lead the architecture and engineering of a globally distributed networking platform, including:
- Defining the long-term network strategy across the firm
- Designing resilient LAN, WAN, SD-WAN, Wi-Fi and data centre infrastructure
- Architecting hybrid cloud networking across AWS and Azure
- Building resilient connectivity between trading platforms, exchanges, brokers and co-location facilities
- Designing high-performance routing using BGP, OSPF and multicast
- Driving Infrastructure-as-Code and Network-as-Code adoption using Python, Terraform and Ansible
- Introducing modern cloud networking capabilities including Transit Gateway, Direct Connect, PrivateLink, Cloud WAN and emerging AWS services
- Building observability into every layer of the network using flow logs, CloudWatch, Grafana and modern telemetry
- Partnering with Security to implement Zero Trust networking and secure segmentation
- Leading major technical incidents and driving engineering improvements afterwards
- Planning capacity years ahead rather than reacting when limits are reached
- Setting engineering standards that the wider infrastructure organisation follows
What Great Looks Like
- You're probably already operating at Principal Engineer, Lead Engineer or Architect level.
- You enjoy designing systems as much as building them.
- You naturally simplify complexity.
- You automate repetitive work without being asked.
- You care about resilience.
- You care about performance.
- You care about elegant engineering.
You have deep expertise across:
- Enterprise routing and switching
- BGP, OSPF, TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP
- VPCs, Transit Gateway, Direct Connect, PrivateLink and hybrid networking
- Python, Terraform and Ansible automation
- Observability and performance engineering
- High-availability enterprise networking
Experience in financial markets is helpful, but exceptional engineers come from many industries.
If you've built infrastructure where downtime simply wasn't acceptable and/or loss-making, we'd love to speak with you.
- Exchange connectivity
- PTP
- Route53 Profiles
- NetBox, Infoblox or AWS IPAM
- Network CI/CD
- CCIE, JNCIE, PCNSE or AWS Advanced Networking
Why This Role?
- Because you'll have the opportunity to build something exceptional, in your design.
- You'll work alongside other elite engineers who care about technical excellence rather than process for the sake of process.
- You'll have real influence over architecture, technology choices and engineering standards.
- You'll solve problems that genuinely matter, where milliseconds, resilience and reliability have measurable business impact.
- You'll work in an environment that values engineering judgement, encourages automation and invests in modern technology—not technical debt.
- Most importantly, you'll own a platform that powers one of the most sophisticated technology environments in finance.
- If building world-class infrastructure excites you more than simply maintaining it, we'd like to talk.
Principal Network Engineer employer: Winston Fox
Winston Fox is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment at a leading Quantitative Hedge Fund in London. With a strong focus on innovation and collaboration, employees benefit from market-leading compensation, opportunities for professional growth, and the chance to work with cutting-edge technologies in a supportive culture that values creativity and teamwork.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Network Engineer
✨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 Winston Fox 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 Winston Fox 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 Winston Fox!
✨Direct Apply to Winston Fox
Let's not forget to apply directly through the Winston Fox 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 Principal Network Engineer
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 Winston Fox.
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 Winston Fox. 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 Winston Fox
✨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.
