Hot IT Jobs in Financial Services

The financial sector is under minute scrutiny both in the media and in the business world. Dice's October 2008 IT Market Report reveals that IT hiring in the financial market has slowed this fall, but many IT positions form the foundation of financial business operations and will continue to be needed. System administrators and security administrators fill key support roles, and application developers — particularly those with .NET, Java and C++ expertise — are always in demand.

The report highlights other anticipated needs for 2009:

"While we've heard talk of the need for project managers and business analysts that specialize in transition and merger work, we have yet to see the demand but expect to in 2009. As far as business lines, equities is your best bet. Fixed income has really taken a hit with the mortgage crisis so there is an abundance of developers with a fixed income background in the market now."

Current top postings are asking for candidates with experience in the following areas:

• Financial application development: Application developers who have particular knowledge of financial needs, such as calculation of loan amortization, business process analysis and documentation are top picks. Such developers work with a variety of languages — Python, Java, C#, Perl, Ruby — and platforms — Oracle Financials, SQL Server, Unix, and .NET. Web application developers who understand XML Web Services and service oriented architecture are also in good standing.
• Data management and reporting: IT professionals need to be able to implement and maintain a variety of enterprise ERP systems and have experience with reporting solutions such as SSRS or Crystal Reports; finance-specific systems such as Hyperion Financial Management; and overarching DBA concepts such as Data Quality Management, Master Data Management, and Data Integration Management as well as data processing systems design, analytical skills, and database management and modeling experience.
• Web site development: Web developers should be used to the concepts employed in consumer-facing, transactional Web site development, managing financials and financial reporting, and have industry experience such as previous work with brokerage, clearing house, or broker/dealer businesses.

The Connors Group is currently seeking candidates for IT positions in the financial industry. For information about the jobs listed here, contact Sheri Breitstein, vice president for client development at The Connors Group, at 201-537-0030 or by email at sheri@theconnorsgroup.com.