Ncounter

Solution Architect, AI & Data Ncounter is supporting the growth of a technology consultancy delivering complex AI, data and digital transformation programmes across secure and highly regulated environments. We are looking for an experienced Solution Architect who can operate between customer requirements and technical delivery, shaping solutions before they move into engineering and implementation. You will work directly with customers to understand their challenges, lead discovery activity and translate requirements into practical technical designs. The focus will be on modern AI, data and automation solutions, covering areas such as enterprise data platforms, generative AI, integrations, security and operational architecture. Key responsibilities: • Design end-to-end AI, data and automation solutions for complex enterprise environments • Produce solution architectures, technical designs and implementation roadmaps • Lead customer discovery workshops and translate business requirements into deliverable technical solutions • Design solutions using foundation models including OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini • Shape agentic AI architectures, including multi-agent systems, tool calling, orchestration and human-in-the-loop approaches • Design RAG, vector database, semantic search and enterprise knowledge solutions • Support technical proposals, solution estimates and customer presentations • Contribute to architecture governance, security, responsible AI and technical standards We are looking for: • Strong Solution Architecture experience across AI, data, analytics or digital transformation • Practical understanding of generative AI and selecting appropriate models for enterprise use cases • Experience designing agentic AI and RAG-based solutions • Strong API-led and event-driven architecture knowledge • Experience integrating modern solutions with enterprise platforms and services • Confidence discussing architecture trade-offs with both technical and business stakeholders • Previous consultancy or customer-facing architecture experience Experience within Defence, National Security or similarly regulated environments would be particularly useful, although it is not essential. Candidates must currently have UK Security Clearance. If you are an experienced Solution Architect looking to work on technically challenging AI programmes where you can influence solutions from initial discovery through to delivery, contact Ncounter to discuss the opportunity.

Principal Consultant, Digital Transformation UK Hybrid, with occasional client travel NPPV3 Clearance Required Ncounter is supporting a growing technology and management consultancy looking for an experienced Principal Consultant to lead complex digital transformation engagements across the UK public sector. This is a hands-on consulting position for someone who can take ownership of an engagement from initial discovery and problem definition, through mobilisation and delivery, to implementation and aftercare. You will work directly with senior client stakeholders, establish what needs to be achieved, navigate governance and delivery challenges, and remain accountable for getting the work to the required outcome. We are particularly interested in consultants who have developed broad experience rather than specialising in one discipline. Your background may span business analysis, delivery leadership and business change, giving you the flexibility to move between strategic thinking and practical delivery depending on the engagement. Key experience: • Strong management consulting experience within complex public sector environments • Current NPPV3 clearance • Ownership of consulting engagements across the full delivery lifecycle • Experience across business analysis, delivery and transformation • Digital transformation experience, ideally involving multi-supplier or complex programmes • Strong understanding of Central Government, law enforcement, national security or public safety environments • Confidence navigating governance, approvals and senior stakeholder groups • Commercial experience contributing to bids, proposals, opportunity development and wider account growth • Ability to lead teams, support less experienced consultants and take accountability when challenges arise This is a Principal-level opportunity where commercial awareness is important, but delivery credibility remains central. You should be comfortable contributing to bids and developing opportunities while still being someone who can break down an unclear problem and lead the work required to solve it. For an experienced public sector consultant looking for greater ownership of engagements, broader responsibility and a clear route for progression, please apply or contact Ncounter for a confidential discussion.

Lead Business Analyst, Financial Planning & Affordability £650 to £700 p/d Outside IR35 Contract to March 2027 Andover 2 days per week onsite DV Clearance required Ncounter is supporting a major Defence programme with the appointment of a Lead Business Analyst specialising in Financial Planning and Affordability. This is a senior, hands-on BA position requiring a strong combination of transformation experience and genuine expertise across financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, affordability and investment decision-making. You will lead discovery and analysis across complex financial and portfolio planning processes, working closely with senior Finance, Programme and Portfolio stakeholders. The focus will be on understanding how budgets, resources, programmes and strategic priorities interact, identifying capability gaps and defining improved processes and future-state operating models. Key responsibilities: • Lead BA activity across Financial Planning and Affordability workstreams • Analyse budgeting, forecasting, affordability and financial planning processes • Support investment prioritisation, portfolio planning and benefits management • Lead discovery sessions, workshops, requirements gathering and process analysis • Define future-state processes, operating models and implementation roadmaps • Present findings and recommendations to senior stakeholders and governance groups We are looking for: • Extensive Senior or Lead Business Analysis experience within complex transformation programmes • Strong hands-on experience across financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and/or affordability • Experience of investment planning, portfolio management, resource planning or benefits management • Confidence working with senior stakeholders including Finance Leads, SROs and Programme Directors • Defence or MOD programme experience, particularly around financial management, portfolio planning or investment decision-making • Current SC Clearance and availability to work onsite in Andover 2 days per week There is also a digital and data element, including improved management information and affordability modelling, although the core requirement remains strong Business Analysis combined with financial and portfolio planning expertise. The contract is expected to start on 1st September and run until 31st March 2027. If you have the relevant financial planning experience, current SC Clearance and can move quickly for a September start, please contact Ncounter to discuss the programme and requirements in more detail.

Software Developer, C++ / Electronic Trading London Hybrid Permanent Ncounter is supporting the growth of a specialist electronic trading technology team responsible for building and enhancing high-performance systems operating across global financial markets. We are looking for an experienced Software Developer with strong C++ skills and a background working on low-latency trading technology. You'll work on business-critical applications including matching engines, FIX gateways and real-time trading systems, where performance, availability and efficient processing are fundamental. This is a hands-on development role with considerable exposure to C++, alongside Java, Python and JavaScript within a predominantly Linux environment. What you'll be working on • Designing and developing high-performance matching engines, FIX gateways and electronic trading applications • Building low-latency, multithreaded systems using C++ and Java • Processing real-time market and trading data through highly available systems • Developing efficient in-memory data structures, lock-free queues and circular buffers • Working with TCP/IP, UDP, multicast and other networking technologies • Troubleshooting, profiling and optimising performance-critical production applications • Supporting automated testing, DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines • Working closely with trading, product and infrastructure teams throughout the development lifecycle What we're looking for • 5+ years of professional software development experience • Strong C++ development skills, ideally alongside commercial Java experience • Hands-on FIX protocol experience within electronic trading • Experience building low-latency, high-frequency or performance-critical systems • Strong Linux knowledge covering multithreading, sockets, IPC and system-level behaviour • Good understanding of concurrency, memory management and in-memory optimisation • Knowledge of NUMA architectures and performance-focused programming techniques • Experience with networking protocols including TCP/IP, UDP, unicast and multicast • Python, SQL and relational database experience would be useful This is an opportunity to work close to the core of electronic trading, solving challenging engineering problems where software performance has a direct business impact. If you have strong C++ engineering experience alongside FIX and low-latency trading systems, get in touch with Ncounter for a confidential discussion.

DV Cleared Software Engineer / Integration Specialist Contract 6 Months MOD Programme Hybrid Working Ncounter is supporting a major Defence digital transformation programme seeking a DV Cleared Software Engineer with strong integration and interoperability expertise. This is an opportunity to work across complex Defence environments, helping connect applications, platforms, data services, and enterprise systems within a highly secure ecosystem. This role sits within a fast-moving programme focused on improving interoperability between legacy and modern Defence systems. You will work across multidisciplinary delivery teams, collaborating with architects, engineers, suppliers, and senior stakeholders to deliver scalable and secure digital capability. The position is highly suited to someone with broad technical depth and strong Defence domain understanding, rather than somebody tied to a single programming language or technology stack. Experience integrating systems across regulated or mission-critical environments will be key. Key experience required: • Active DV Clearance • Experience designing, developing, and integrating enterprise applications and services • Strong understanding of APIs, REST services, middleware, messaging, and event-driven architectures • Background delivering within Defence, National Security, Banking, Healthcare, Energy, or other highly regulated sectors • Ability to support interoperability between legacy and modern platforms • Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities • Experience working within Agile or DevOps delivery environments • Ability to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders • Understanding of governance, assurance, security, and compliance principles This contract will involve travel across MOD environments, likely including Andover and London, with around 2-days per week onsite expected. No expenses are available for travel or accommodation. This is an urgent requirement with interview availability this week and a quick turnaround expected for the right individual. If you have the integration expertise, Defence experience, and clearance required to operate in highly sensitive environments, please get in touch for a confidential discussion.

Full Stack Software Engineer Cheltenham, full time onsite Ncounter is supporting a highly specialised software consultancy delivering secure, high assurance engineering into some of the UK's most sensitive environments. This is a role where technical depth really matters, with engineers working across the full stack to build resilient, scalable systems that operate in complex and highly controlled settings. We are looking for a Full Stack Software Engineer with strong backend expertise in either Java or C++, combined with modern JavaScript capability on the frontend. You will be part of a close, technically strong team, contributing across the full development lifecycle, from core backend services through to intuitive and responsive user interfaces. This position offers the chance to work on meaningful systems, with a strong engineering culture that values clean architecture, performance, and long term maintainability. You will also have dedicated time to develop your skills and explore new technologies. Key requirements: • Strong backend engineering experience in Java or C++ • Commercial experience with JavaScript, ideally within modern frameworks • Proven ability to build full stack applications in complex or secure environments • Understanding of software engineering best practices including Agile, TDD and CI/CD • Exposure to containerisation and orchestration, particularly Kubernetes • Experience or interest in DevOps principles and automation • Any cloud exposure across AWS, Azure or GCP would be beneficial The environment promotes collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement. Engineers are encouraged to contribute ideas, challenge design decisions, and play an active role in shaping how systems are built and deployed. On offer is a competitive salary, strong pension, meaningful project work, and a genuine commitment to work life balance alongside structured time for personal development. Due to the nature of the work, active DV clearance is required. If you are looking for a full stack role that combines backend depth, modern frontend development, and exposure to cloud and DevOps practices, please apply or get in touch for a confidential discussion.

Chief Technology Officer Defence Technology UK Based Hybrid Ncounter is supporting a fast-growing technology consultancy delivering highly sensitive programmes across Defence and National Security. Following a significant period of growth and newly secured funding, the business is now looking to appoint a Chief Technology Officer to help shape the next phase of its expansion. This is not a role for someone wanting to sit above the detail. The business needs a hands-on technology leader capable of balancing technical strategy, customer engagement, delivery oversight and team leadership within a growing consultancy environment. They are looking for someone with the ambition and adaptability to step into a first-time CTO role, or an experienced technical leader ready for a broader leadership position. You'll work closely with senior leadership to define technical direction, shape delivery capability and help scale the organisation from a small specialist team into a significantly larger engineering function over the next 12-18 months. The role will involve responsibility across architecture direction, team structure, recruitment strategy, bid support, customer engagement and technical assurance across secure programmes. What they are looking for: • Active SC Clearance as a minimum, DV highly desirable • Strong Defence or National Security technology experience • A blend of technical depth and commercial awareness • Background leading engineering teams, architecture functions or technical delivery organisations • Ability to engage confidently with both technical teams and senior customer stakeholders • Experience supporting bids, solution shaping or consultancy growth activities • Someone progressive in their thinking, adaptable and comfortable operating within ambiguity The environment is highly collaborative, fast-moving and growth focused. Unlike larger defence organisations, this role offers genuine influence over how the company evolves technically and operationally. Equity will form part of the longer-term opportunity, alongside the chance to build and shape a high-calibre engineering organisation from an early stage. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to combine leadership, strategy and technology within a business operating on genuinely impactful programmes. To find out more, please get in touch for a confidential discussion.

Principal Rust Engineer London Permanent Hybrid Ncounter is supporting a global investment firm in hiring a Rust Developer to join a highly influential Product team. This group sits at the core of the business, building the distributed platforms, internal services, and compute frameworks that underpin trading, quant research, and large-scale data processing across the organisation. This is a deeply technical engineering role focused on high-performance systems, scalability, and platform reliability. You'll work on foundational technology used by multiple engineering and investment teams, helping to shape the infrastructure powering a world-class trading environment. What you'll do: • Design, build, and maintain scalable distributed systems and internal frameworks using Rust • Develop high-throughput services and tooling used across research and trading platforms • Work closely with investment and technology stakeholders to deliver robust, production-grade solutions • Contribute across the full software lifecycle, from architecture and development through to production support • Drive improvements in platform reliability, frameworks, compute solutions, observability, automation, and engineering standards • Operate within modern containerised and Kubernetes-based environments What we're looking for: • Strong commercial experience with Rust development in complex backend or systems environments • Proven background building distributed systems or large-scale compute platforms • Experience developing and supporting production-grade microservices using Docker and Kubernetes • Strong Linux knowledge and familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and automation tooling • Experience working with large datasets, scalable infrastructure, or high-availability systems • Confident communication skills and the ability to collaborate directly with technical stakeholders • Python exposure would be advantageous This opportunity offers the chance to work on critical internal technology that directly impacts the speed, scalability, and effectiveness of a globally recognised investment platform. If you enjoy solving complex engineering problems and want to work in an environment where technology is genuinely central to the business, apply now for a confidential discussion.

Senior Kotlin Engineer Ncounter is supporting a leading organisation within the publishing and media space as they look to strengthen their backend engineering capability. This team is responsible for building and evolving platforms that aggregate, process and distribute large-scale editorial and content datasets, enabling internal teams and external partners to access high-quality, structured information in near real time. You will join a highly capable engineering function focused on delivering scalable backend services, working across API development and Kotlin-based microservices that power content ingestion, indexing and distribution workflows. The environment is data intensive, with a strong emphasis on performance, reliability and clean service design across a modern cloud architecture. Key requirements: • 3-4 years commercial experience with Kotlin, or strong Java (8/11) with a desire to transition • 7+ years working across JVM-based backend development • Strong experience with Spring Boot and building RESTful or GraphQL services • Solid understanding of relational databases such as PostgreSQL or MySQL • Experience working within BDD or TDD environments, alongside CI/CD tooling such as CircleCI • Exposure to AWS services including Lambda, DynamoDB, SQS, RDS and CloudWatch, alongside infrastructure as code tools such as Terraform • Familiarity with ORM frameworks such as Hibernate or JOOQ This role will see you take ownership of key backend components within a wider content and publishing platform, contributing to the development of new services and improving existing systems that manage complex data pipelines. You will work closely with other engineers, product stakeholders and data specialists to ensure content is processed efficiently and made accessible in a consistent, scalable way. The team places strong value on engineering best practice, collaboration and continuous improvement, offering an environment where you can have a genuine impact on the direction of the platform and the evolution of its architecture. If you are interested in building robust backend systems within a data-driven publishing environment, please get in touch to discuss further.

Data Architect Ncounter is supporting a specialist consultancy delivering into highly sensitive National Security and Defence programmes, now seeking a DV Cleared Data Architect to join a high-impact transformation initiative. This contract requires 3 days per week onsite on the South Coast. This role sits at the heart of complex, secure data environments, focusing on the design of scalable architectures that enable integration, governance, and analytics across mission-critical systems. You will work alongside senior stakeholders, optimisation leads and solution architects to ensure data structures are aligned to operational needs, while providing clear architectural direction within fast-paced programmes. Key Responsibilities • Design and implement secure, scalable data architectures across complex environments • Define data models, standards and integration patterns across platforms • Embed data governance, quality and compliance aligned to Defence standards • Align data structures with operational tools, systems and user requirements • Collaborate with solution architects and programme teams to deliver cohesive solutions • Support full lifecycle delivery, from requirements through to deployment What We're Looking For • Active DV clearance is essential • Strong experience delivering data architecture within UK Defence or MOD environments • Proven background operating across multiple security classifications • Experience within consultancy or client-facing delivery roles • Knowledge of cloud data platforms, particularly Azure and AWS • Familiarity with data visualisation and analytics tooling such as Power BI or Qlik • Strong stakeholder engagement skills across technical and non-technical audiences This is a contract opportunity offering £750-850 per day, working on programmes where data architecture is critical to operational success. You will play a key role in shaping secure data capabilities while influencing how organisations structure, govern and utilise data at scale. If you hold active DV clearance and are looking to take on a high-impact contract within Defence, please get in touch to discuss further.

Azure Architect £700-800 per day Outside IR35 - 6 months SW, intermittent in-office requirement. Azure Architect - DV Cleared Ncounter is supporting a specialist consultancy delivering into highly sensitive National Security programmes, now seeking a DV Cleared Azure Architect to lead the design of secure, cloud-native platforms within a greenfield environment. This is a senior, hands-on architecture role combining deep technical delivery with client-facing advisory. You will define and shape Azure-based solutions, ensuring they are secure, scalable, and aligned to operational needs within high-assurance environments. Alongside design ownership, you will work closely with stakeholders to guide cloud strategy, architecture standards, and long-term platform evolution. Key Responsibilities • Design and deliver secure Azure cloud architectures across complex programmes • Define infrastructure and platform standards using infrastructure as code • Lead cloud migration and transformation initiatives from legacy environments • Embed security, governance, and compliance into all architectural designs • Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure scalable, resilient delivery • Advise stakeholders on Azure strategy, best practice, and emerging capabilities What We're Looking For • Active DV clearance is essential • Strong experience designing solutions on Microsoft Azure (IaaS, PaaS, networking) • Proven background in cloud architecture within secure or regulated environments • Expertise in infrastructure as code, for example Terraform, Bicep, or ARM templates • Strong understanding of cloud security, identity, and access management principles • Experience working closely with stakeholders in a consulting or advisory capacity This is a high-impact opportunity to take ownership of cloud architecture on critical programmes, shaping secure Azure environments from the ground up while influencing long-term strategy. If you hold active DV clearance and want to play a key role in delivering secure, cloud-first solutions, we encourage you to get in touch.