Global Financial Institution - Xist4
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Global Financial Institution

Sourcing a Senior Engineer to Strengthen AI-Driven Risk and Cloud Automation Capabilities



The Challenge

Our client, a global financial institution with a large technology presence in London, was modernising its cloud infrastructure and AI-enabled risk systems. To accelerate this transformation, they required a Senior Engineer capable of designing and implementing distributed systems that supported automation, observability, and real-time intelligence across critical financial platforms.

The successful candidate needed expertise in Java, Kafka, Kubernetes, and multi-region architectures, alongside experience in building AI-assisted automation frameworks. The client had struggled to identify individuals who could combine deep engineering expertise with applied AI understanding. They needed a search partner who could access passive engineering talent within major banks, fintechs, and AI-led platforms, while providing a data-backed view of the market.

The Solution

Xist4 delivered a retained, research-led technical search supported by its Recruitment Insight Audit Report. The audit provided a detailed analysis of the available talent market, compensation benchmarks, and competitor hiring activity before the search began, enabling the client to make informed decisions about positioning and engagement.

Key actions included:

  • Defining the Success Profile: Collaborated with engineering leadership to refine core competencies and align them with the bank’s AI and automation roadmap.

  • Talent Mapping: Conducted structured research across fintech, cloud infrastructure, and AI organisations in the UK.

  • Outreach and Engagement: Executed a multi-touch outreach campaign combining technical storytelling and EVP positioning to engage active and passive candidates.

  • Screening and Evaluation: Pre-qualified candidates through structured interviews focused on distributed systems scale, automation maturity, and AI integration.

  • Insight Reporting: Delivered weekly Recruitment Insight updates to maintain transparency on market response and compensation trends.

The Result

Within nine weeks, Xist4 presented a refined shortlist of Senior Engineers with the precise blend of distributed systems expertise, AI automation experience, and financial services knowledge.

The appointed candidate, a Senior Engineer with experience in Java-based cloud automation and AI orchestration, now leads critical reliability improvements across the institution’s AI risk automation platform.

This engagement demonstrated how integrating recruitment intelligence with targeted technical search drives successful hiring outcomes in complex financial environments.

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