Application Engineer, Aladdin Data, Director

About this role About Aladdin Data and the Next Generation Security Master Platform Data drives Aladdin’s differentiation, with the Aladdin Data (AD) organization managing BlackRock's data ecosystem. AD operates the Aladdin Enterprise Data Platform (EDP), which is the foundational framework that delivers high-quality, consistent data throughout the organization. Security Master, a business domain within AD, manages the lifecycle of all tradable instruments (securities), including stocks, bonds, digital assets, private assets and many more. To address emerging business opportunities, we are launching a multi-year initiative to build the Next Generation Security Master platform, fundamentally transforming how instrument data is managed and distributed across Aladdin. The new platform will provide managed and self-service capabilities, creating new commercial opportunities. Key features include: Sophisticated GUIs  for both managed and self-service instrument maintenance workflows Robust backend services and APIs  for platform application integration Advanced database and architecture design  using cloud-native infrastructure for scalability Success requires hands-on experience building scalable, resilient solutions in regulated environments. Ideal candidates have delivered complex, stable enterprise platforms that empower teams and follow architectural best practices. This is a unique chance to influence the future of data infrastructure at one of the world’s leading investment platforms, tackling challenges in instrument data management, identifier strategy, and global governance. Role Description: As Director of Engineering working on Aladdin’s Next Generation Security Master platform, you will be responsible for leading a team to design, build, and scale the infrastructure, services and APIs that underpin our platform. As part of your day-to-day work, you’ll work closely with product managers, program managers, trading desks, data integrity teams, data modelling experts, and even external clients. You should be familiar with ‘agile’ software development and be comfortable building roadmaps and breaking work into sprints. Success in this position requires a mix of technical leadership, people leadership, strategic insight, and a genuine interest in ‘going down the rabbit hole’ to become an expert in how financial instruments work. You must have experience delivering scalable and resilient software systems, ideally for external clients in a similarly complex, regulated environment. It also helps if you have direct experience in the financial industry. An ideal candidate would have • BA/BS in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience  • Expert level skills with 10 years of experience on a range of languages and platforms (Java, Python, C, Golang)  • Experience building scalable, distributed systems in enterprise environments.  • Demonstrated ability in technical architecture, developing technical design, documentation standards, technology selection frameworks etc.  • Broad awareness of the technical landscape with specific knowledge of modern data platforms and cloud native infrastructure.  • Ability to mentor and educate engineers and operational teams as well as product and program managers on our technical architecture. • Strong opinions on building scalable, testable web applications with a focus on repeatability and code quality.  • Excellent communication skills with experience working directly with clients and managing senior stakeholders.  • Understanding of relational databases is a must • Expertise in building distributed applications using NOSQL technologies like Distributed highly available NoSQL data store, coordination services like Zookeeper. • Experience in message-oriented middleware architecture is required. • Strong analytical and software architecture design skills with an emphasis on test driven development. • Experience in using Project Management methodologies such as Agile/Scru ... (truncated, view full listing at source)