Back-End Engineer EMEA - UTL & Position Management (F/M/D)

As a Back-End Engineer EMEA at Flowdesk, you will primarily work on developing and optimizing the Universal Transaction Ledger (UTL) system, focusing on real-time position management. Your duties include ensuring accurate PnL, exposure, and unit cost calculations, maintaining data integrity across multiple sources, and collaborating closely with teams to validate financial data. Additionally, you will have ownership of core system components and will be involved in designing scalable, distributed systems that can perform reliably under high-frequency trading conditions.

To qualify for the Back-End Engineer EMEA position at Flowdesk, candidates should have at least 5 years of experience in financial engineering, software development, or a related field. A strong understanding of PnL, exposure, and financial data modeling is essential. Proficiency in Rust or willingness to learn it, along with strong PostgreSQL database knowledge, is also required. Familiarity with message queues and event-driven architectures, along with debugging skills, will be an asset. Having experience in a crypto trading environment or with low-latency systems is a plus.

Collaboration is a key aspect of the Back-End Engineer EMEA role at Flowdesk. You will closely work with product, trading, and operations teams to ensure that the system performance aligns with the company’s goals. By sharing insights and strategies, you will contribute to the refinement and enhancement of the real-time position management system. This collaborative approach is fundamental to maintaining data accuracy and reliability across the company’s financial platforms while also fostering innovation in your team.

For the Back-End Engineer EMEA role at Flowdesk, preferred technical skills include proficiency in Rust, strong knowledge of PostgreSQL, and experience with message queues and event-driven architectures. You should also possess solid debugging and troubleshooting skills. Familiarity with high-performance, low-latency systems, and a background in prime brokerage or middle-office systems are advantageous. An enthusiasm for digital assets and a proactive approach to problem-solving will contribute significantly to your success in this position.

The interview process for the Back-End Engineer EMEA position at Flowdesk consists of several stages aimed at ensuring a mutual fit. Initially, you will have an HR interview followed by a technical test. Subsequent stages include two technical interviews designed to assess your problem-solving skills and technical expertise, a leadership interview, and a culture fit interview. Throughout this process, the focus will be on discussion rather than trick questions, allowing you to showcase your experiences and values while learning more about Flowdesk.

When responding to this question, highlight your past projects involving financial data, focusing on how you modeled PnL, exposure, and costs. Explain the methods and tools you used to ensure accuracy and reliability, and share examples of challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

It's important to discuss specific practices you adopt for data integrity, such as reconciliation processes, regular audits, and monitoring systems. Mention any tools or frameworks you have utilized and emphasize the critical nature of data accuracy in financial settings.

In responding, provide a structured approach, including aspects such as profiling system performance, identifying bottlenecks, and applying specific optimizations. Share any relevant technologies or programming languages you have used and explain how you've achieved measurable improvements in system efficiency.

To effectively answer this, discuss your step-by-step debugging process. Highlight tools you utilize, such as log analyzers and debuggers, and provide examples where your debugging led to significant issue resolution, ensuring the reliability of financial calculations.

When answering, share details of a specific project, your role, technologies used, and the outcomes. Emphasize how your contributions helped in designing or enhancing the system, especially under scenarios of high-frequency trading.

Discuss strategies such as load balancing, caching mechanisms, and data partitioning you've employed in past projects. Provide concrete examples where you implemented these strategies to ensure system resilience and performance during peak trading times.

Focus on your direct experience with message queues, event sourcing, and how these concepts apply to financial systems. Discuss specific use cases where you've successfully implemented these architectures to enhance scalability and maintain reliability.

Here, share your passion for fintech and how your interests align with the current landscape. Discuss any experiences that ignited this passion, emphasizing your interest in innovation, algorithmic trading, or cryptocurrency.

Point out the resources you utilize such as industry blogs, forums, online courses, and tech meetups. Share how continuously updating your knowledge has impacted your work and allowed you to apply new technologies effectively in past projects.

Illustrate your understanding of the Universal Transaction Ledger’s role in maintaining accurate and real-time data in financial systems. Discuss its importance in risk management, transparency, and operational efficiency, referencing any relevant experience you have in this area.