Low Latency Linux Engineer

New Yesterday

Low Latency Linux Engineer

Department: Infrastructure

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: London


Description


We are seeking an exceptional Low Latency Linux Engineer to optimize our global low-latency trading infrastructure. This is a high-impact role where your engineering choices will have a direct and measurable effect on trading performance, execution quality, and overall profitability.


You will combine hands-on technical depth with a strategic approach to system, network, and market data performance tuning. Working alongside world-class developers, quants, and platform engineers, you’ll design, deploy, and refine deterministic, microsecond-level systems that underpin our trading platforms.


This is far from a traditional sysadmin position — it’s a role for exceptional engineers immersed in the Linux ecosystem, who thrive on tackling kernel-level challenges, pushing bare-metal systems to their limits, and writing performance-critical code. You’ll engineer and refine the RHEL platform that drives ultra-low-latency trading, addressing intricate problems in CPU scheduling, memory architecture, kernel bypass techniques, and performance-aware virtualization. Some investigations may take weeks or months to solve — this role demands persistence, precision, and a genuine passion for performance engineering.

Key Responsibilities


OS Engineering & Tuning: Customize and refine RHEL for high-performance, low-latency workloads, including kernel parameters, IRQ handling, CPU pinning, NUMA optimization and memory management.

Kernel Bypass & User-Space Networking: Implement and optimize technologies such as Solarflare OpenOnload/TCPDirect/ef_vi, DPDK, InfiniBand verbs, or Exablaze to minimize network stack latency.

Bare-Metal Performance: Tune BIOS/firmware; optimize CPU scheduling, cache utilization, and pipeline efficiency for deterministic execution.

High-Performance Storage: Deploy and fine-tune NVMe over RoCE for ultra-fast data access in trading environments.

Precision Timing: Manage and optimise PTP across the estate.

Observability & Diagnostics: Build and enhance monitoring and alerting and implement a packet capture solution for latency analysis.

Coding & Debugging: Write and maintain high-performance tooling in Java, Python, or Golang to support infrastructure performance, profiling, and automation.

Cross-Team Collaboration: Partner with quants, network engineers and platform engineers to integrate performance enhancements into trading platforms.


Skills, Knowledge and Expertise


• Proven RHEL/Linux performance engineering expertise in ultra-low-latency environments.

• Strong programming skills in Java, Python, or Golang, with ability to debug at system and kernel levels.

• Experience with hardware performance counters, profiling tools, and in-depth performance analysis.

• Deep knowledge of modern CPU architectures (Intel & AMD), including cache hierarchies and NUMA considerations.

• Hands-on experience with kernel-bypass frameworks (Solarflare OpenOnload/TCPDirect/ef_vi, DPDK, InfiniBand verbs, Exablaze).

• Understanding of managed runtime performance challenges (Java, C#) and mitigation strategies.

• Understanding of FIX protocol and multicast messaging concepts.

• Familiarity with PTP timing solutions and packet capture analysis.

• Designing and implementing automation solutions using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Ansible, Python, and Terraform to streamline and standardize operational workflows.

Personal Attributes


• Clear communication – explains technical concepts concisely and effectively

• Adaptability – adjusts to new technologies and unexpected challenges

• Analytical thinking – breaks down complex issues logically and methodically

• Decision-making – balances speed and accuracy when making technical decisions

• Collaboration over competition – prioritises team success over individual wins

• Accountability – follows through on commitments and owns mistakes

• Patience – supports teammates as they learn or troubleshoot issues

• Open to feedback – accepts and applies suggestions for improvement

• Growth mindset – always looks for ways to improve skills and workflows

• Proactiveness – takes initiative instead of waiting for instructions

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Location:
London, England, United Kingdom
Salary:
£125,000 - £150,000
Category:
IT & Technology

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