If you are a senior KDB engineer, low-latency C++ developer, Python quant dev or systematic infrastructure specialist between roles or considering your next contract, register with us. We run a curated bench for funds and prop firms that need senior engineering capacity at speed.
Typical contracts are in the £700–£1,800/day range in London depending on seniority and specialism, with niche specialisms such as FPGA, senior HFT C++ and KDB architects with multi-fund track records extending to £2,000+/day. Start windows of 4–12 weeks. We keep a live list of upcoming requirements and match proactively against your profile, so you do not have to wait for a live role to be posted.
We maintain a curated bench of senior quant engineers. If you have deep experience in any of these areas and are considering contract work, we want to hear from you.
Production KDB environments, tick data infrastructure, Kx 4.x migration, research platforms. 3–5+ years at a fund or tier-1 bank. Mid £750–1,000/day, Senior £1,100–1,500/day, Architect £1,500–2,000/day. The highest-demand, lowest-supply skill set in systematic finance.
Execution systems, market data handlers, OMS infrastructure, lock-free data structures. Microsecond or sub-microsecond domain knowledge. HFT or systematic prop desk background preferred.
Backtesting frameworks, signal infrastructure, data pipelines, research platforms. Strong pandas / polars / numpy. Experience building systematic research tooling at a fund or prop desk.
KDB+/q is the tightest market in systematic finance. The majority of tier-1 systematic shops — the major multi-strategy funds, large quant funds, systematic CTAs and prop desks — run KDB for tick data and research infrastructure. The global talent pool is small, trained at investment bank trading technology divisions, directly at KX, or via the major hedge fund graduate programmes. Chronic unmet demand means day rates have risen 15–25% in three years.
Low-latency C++ and Python quant dev sit alongside it as the broader catchment. Same funds, same decision-makers, same contract-friendliness.
Rates shown are gross day rates. Inside-IR35 net rates reduce by Employer NIC, Apprenticeship Levy where applicable, and umbrella margin. NYC rates assume W-2 or 1099 with consultancy.
Submit your details and CV confidentially. We review your background within 48 hours, assess upcoming requirements against your profile, and reach out as soon as there is a relevant match.
All registrations treated in strict confidence. +44 203 941 9113