Sr. Low Latency Enterprise Solutions Architect - VP

Citi • Irving, TX

12d • $125,760 - $188,640

About The Position

Citi is hiring a senior technology architect to gather and analyze business and application requirements for global financial services, electronic trading, markets, and quantitative investment platforms. The role’s primary goal is to design strategic target-state low-latency network architectures that use defined standards to maximize throughput, minimize deterministic packet latency and jitter, maintain capacity, and improve operational efficiency and cost optimization.

The architect applies deep expertise in high-performance networking, exchange colocation ecosystems, ultra-low-latency switching, multicast market-data distribution, and hardware acceleration. The role provides network services across private-cloud data centers, colocation facilities, and hybrid-cloud environments, using orchestration and automation to deliver infrastructure solutions. It also advises stakeholders, evaluates emerging technologies, defines secure and resilient architectures, and drives performance improvements across global trading networks.

Requirements

• Experience as a Senior Network Engineer, Network Architect, or Systems Infrastructure Engineer in high-volume financial services, electronic trading, or a Tier-1 service-provider environment.
• Experience with root-cause analysis in complex data-center and colocation environments.
• Deep understanding of how electronic trading and financial application requirements affect infrastructure type, switch-buffer architecture, link oversubscription ratios, high availability, and disaster recovery.
• Expertise with low-latency switching and routing platforms, such as Arista 7130/MetaWatch/7050/7060, Cisco Nexus 3500/9000, ExaNIC, SmartNICs, and FPGA-accelerated network interface cards, in high-volume mission-critical environments.
• Hands-on experience designing Layer 2/3 network fabrics, BGP, OSPF, multicast routing (PIM-SM, PIM-SSM, IGMPv2/v3), cut-through switching, and VXLAN/EVPN.
• Strong knowledge of high-precision time synchronization, including PTP IEEE 1588v2, SyncE, and GPS grandmaster clocks.
• Knowledge of network packet-capture analytics platforms such as Corvil, Endace, cPacket, and Wireshark.
• Understanding of host-level networking optimization, kernel-bypass frameworks such as Solarflare Onload/ef_vi and DPDK, socket-buffer tuning, and CPU core pinning.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code, and network automation frameworks such as Python, Ansible, and Terraform.
• Clear, concise written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts across teams.
• Ability to build strong working relationships, manage multiple projects with competing priorities, and lead architectural initiatives.
• Team-oriented approach and willingness to learn new technologies and industry trends quickly.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, or Information Technology, or 6+ years of relevant experience with enterprise mission-critical low-latency trading infrastructure systems.

Nice To Haves

• Cisco CCIE or CCDE certification in Data Center or Enterprise Infrastructure.
• Arista Certified Engineering Expert certification (ACE-A, ACE-P, or ACE-L3).
• AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty or Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer certification.
• TOGAF or equivalent Enterprise Architecture framework certification.
• Effective presentation skills for architectural review boards and executive audiences.

Responsibilities

• Advise CTI businesses and Markets Technology on low-latency network solutions and engineering tasks.
• Discuss application performance and connectivity requirements with Network Engineering, Systems Administrators, Core Infrastructure Build, Application Owners, and Business Sponsors.
• Coordinate with Application Architects, Electronic Trading Developers, DevOps, Market Data, and Telecommunications teams to align designs with enterprise architecture standards and low-latency best practices.
• Document solution designs in narrative form and detailed architectural diagrams, including Visio diagrams, for technical and business stakeholders.
• Assess application RTO/RPO, failover mechanisms, and zero-packet-drop high availability when sizing infrastructure solutions.
• Evaluate low-latency networking technologies, Layer 1 switching fabrics, FPGA/SmartNIC acceleration, kernel bypass technologies, and optical transport services.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for low-latency networking, cut-through switching, multicast routing, PTP IEEE 1588v2, and Direct Market Access integration patterns.
• Define and enforce network security, micro-segmentation, MACsec encryption, audit compliance, and disaster recovery strategies across trading and colocation fabrics.
• Mentor junior architects and network engineers on network automation, latency monitoring, and infrastructure governance.
• Support cloud and hybrid-connectivity initiatives, including low-latency cloud interconnection services.
• Drive latency reduction, micro-burst mitigation, and telemetry optimization across global trading network platforms.
• Develop working relationships, manage competing project priorities, and lead architectural initiatives.
• Provide technical direction, participate in architectural reviews, and deliver presentations to business sponsors and executives.

Benefits

• Medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• 401(k)
• Life insurance
• Accident insurance
• Disability insurance
• Wellness programs
• Paid time off, including vacation and sick leave
• Paid holidays
• Eligible employees may receive discretionary and formulaic incentive and retention awards

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior