Platinum & Partners — Quant & Systematic Recruitment
Specialist KDB+/q Developer & KDB Architect Recruitment
KDB+/q is the backbone of tick data and market data infrastructure at the world's leading systematic funds, HFT firms and quant asset managers. KDB+/q developers are among the most niche and highest-paid specialists in quantitative finance — and the best roles are never advertised. Platinum & Partners is the specialist recruiter placing KDB+/q Developers, KDB Architects, q Programmers and Tick Data Engineers at hedge funds, HFT prop desks and systematic asset managers globally. We handle both permanent and contract (outside IR35) KDB roles. Founded by Tabby Kaan — every mandate led personally.
A KDB+/q Developer builds and maintains the tick data infrastructure that enables systematic trading. This spans: designing KDB+/q databases for ultra-high-frequency market data ingestion, building q-based analytics for real-time and historical signal computation, optimising query performance for research teams, managing data retention and partitioning strategies, integrating KDB+ with streaming platforms (Kafka, Solace) and building custom analytics libraries in q. Senior KDB developers often architect entire market data platforms, lead migrations (e.g., Kx 4.x upgrades, cloud migrations), and work closely with quant researchers to deliver the data infrastructure that enables alpha generation. The q language is unique — functional, array-oriented and extremely concise — making experienced q programmers exceptionally valuable.
Live market data from Platinum & Partners mandates. London unless stated. Contact Tabby Kaan for role-specific benchmarks.
| Level | Base Salary | Total Comp (incl. bonus) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior KDB+/q Developer (0–2 years) | £70,000 – £120,000 | £100,000 – £180,000 | Bonus 30–60% of base; strong demand for q skills |
| Mid-Level KDB+/q Developer (2–5 years) | £120,000 – £200,000 | £180,000 – £400,000 | Premium over generalist quant developers; strong bonus |
| Senior KDB+/q Engineer (5–10 years) | £180,000 – £350,000 | £350,000 – £800,000+ | Carry access at some platforms; significant autonomy |
| Lead / Principal KDB Architect (10+ years) | £280,000 – £500,000+ | £500,000 – £1,500,000+ | Platform-level economics; co-investment opportunities |
New York typically runs 15–25% above London. Singapore is narrowing the gap rapidly. Figures based on Platinum & Partners placement data 2025–2026.
A KDB+/q Developer builds and maintains the tick data infrastructure that stores, processes and serves ultra-high-frequency market data for systematic trading. This includes designing KDB+ databases for market data ingestion, writing q-based analytics for real-time and historical signal computation, optimising query performance for research teams, and managing data retention strategies. Senior KDB developers often architect entire market data platforms and lead migrations to newer KDB+ versions or cloud deployments. The q language is unique — functional, array-oriented and extremely concise — making experienced q programmers exceptionally valuable and hard to find.
In 2026, mid-level KDB+/q Developers in London with 2–5 years of experience earn £120,000–£200,000 base with total compensation of £180,000–£400,000. Senior KDB engineers (5–10 years) earn £180,000–£350,000 base with total packages of £350,000–£800,000+. KDB+/q developers command a significant premium over generalist quant developers due to the scarcity of q skills. Contract KDB+/q rates range from £900–£1,800/day outside IR35. For current market rates, contact Tabby Kaan at tabby@platinumandpartners.com.
KDB+/q is the industry standard for tick data storage and analytics at systematic hedge funds, HFT firms and quant asset managers. Its columnar, in-memory architecture can ingest and query billions of records per second — essential for high-frequency market data processing. The q language, while compact and initially challenging to learn, is extraordinarily powerful for time-series analytics. Despite newer alternatives (ClickHouse, TimescaleDB, DolphinDB), KDB+/q remains dominant at tier-1 systematic funds because of its performance, maturity and the deep analytics ecosystem built around it.
Most senior KDB+/q roles at top systematic funds are not publicly advertised. KDB+/q developers are a small, tight-knit community and funds prefer to hire through trusted specialist networks. Platinum & Partners has deep relationships across the KDB+/q community and with the market data leadership at the world's leading systematic funds. We handle both permanent and contract (outside IR35) KDB roles. Contact tabby@platinumandpartners.com for current opportunities.
Speak to Tabby Kaan directly. Retained, exclusive and contingency mandates — 48–72 hours to initial longlist. London, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and global systematic investment centres.
Register confidentially with Platinum & Partners. We never circulate your CV without permission. Direct access to the off-market roles at the world's best systematic funds.
Tabby Kaan — Founder & Managing Partner | tabby@platinumandpartners.com | +44 (0)203 941 9113