Trading Support Engineer at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• Absa Capital Securities is looking for an experienced Trading Support Engineer to support the Executing Platforms in our estate. This is a critical role in ensuring the Systems and Infrastructure supporting the Trade Execution platforms are functioning smoothly and efficiently. To excel in this role, a combination of technical, analytical and communication skills is needed.

Job Description

Key critical skills and technical experience required:

• 5 + years hands on experience in a customer support role in a technology environment
• Application Support experience
• Experience working in FinTech or related fields, preferably Financial Markets / Investment Banking
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to read and analyze application logs to escalate to development 
• Experience working in a high pressure environment and deliver in tight deadlines is imperative
• Trading support experience/exposure to trading protocols (FIX highly beneficial)
• Experience working with both Windows Server and UNIX/Linux OS’  
• Service Management/ITIL knowledge
• Experience in Amazon Web Services
• Scripting: Proficiency in scripting languages like Bash or PowerShell is essential
• Knowledge of Trading Platforms: Familiarity with trading platforms like Bloomberg, Eikon, other proprietary trading systems + FIX Protocol
• Database Management:  Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases
• Networking and Protocols: Strong understanding of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, UDP) and protocols such as FIX and other communication protocols used in Electronic Trading
• Operating Systems:  Expertise in Linux/Unix & Windows Server systems. Troubleshooting and System monitoring in these environments is important.

Market Knowledge: 

• Understanding of Financial Markets:  Knowledge of Asset classes (Equities, Fixed Income, FX, Derivatives)
• Exchange and Market Data Feeds: Understanding how Market Data feeds work and how to manage Real-Time price feeds from Execution Venues
• Risk Management: Basic knowledge of Risk Management processes in trading environments

Problem-Solving and Troubleshooting:

• Incident Response: Ability to quickly identify and resolve issues related to Trading Systems, such as Connectivity problems, Latency, Order routing failures, or System crashes.
• Root Cause Analysis: Ability to analyze logs, System behavior, and Performance metrics to identify the underlying causes of issues.
• Log Analysis and Monitoring: Familiar with tools for Monitoring and Analyzing logs + System Monitoring Tools

Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC):

• Configuration Management: Knowledge of tools like Git, Jenkins, and Automation tools to manage Configurations, Deployments, and Version Control.
• Quality Assurance: Understanding of Testing Frameworks and Methodologies, and being able to test and validate new features or updates

Communication and Collaboration:

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:  Ability to work closely with other teams such as Trading, Development, Infrastructure and Operations to ensure smooth implementation and support of Trading Systems.
• Client Support and Troubleshooting:  Providing direct support to Traders or Clients, understanding their issues, and guiding them through fixes or workarounds.
• Documentation: Writing clear and concise documentation for troubleshooting steps, system configurations, and support procedures.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor, deploy and support sophisticated front-office trading systems
• Interact with Traders, Front, Middle + Back Office Staff, including Development, Application Support and Infrastructure Teams
• Perform regular system checks
• Troubleshoot and restore system processing in event of outages
• Handle service requests and queries
• Perform proactive maintenance
• Support Application deployment to Production Services
• Perform and assist with all Disaster Recovery Plans
• Proactively assign, manage and prioritize relevant support tickets on the ticketing queue using ServiceNow
• Experience in Stakeholder management
• Ability to take ownership and become a Subject Matter Expert
• Proactively document any knowledge on Confluence
• Understanding of networking fundamentals and experience in diagnosing connectivity issues
• Strong attention to detail, self-management, initiative, discipline, and follow-through
• Exceptional problem-solving ability to provide root cause analysis of problems and workarounds
• Ability to work flexible hours to meet client demands

Education

• Bachelor's Degree: Information Technology