Trade Operations Associate

The Department 

The Trade Operations Group oversees post-trade operations for the Financial Risk Management practice. It is the responsibility of Trade Operations to execute cash management transactions, reconcile cash management activity, and to ensure margin and collateral requirements are met. Trade Operations Group performs the independent reconciliation and verification of all trading performed by Capital Markets Group. It also directs trade matching, clearing, and settlement activities. Additionally, the group manages dealer and custody accounts on behalf of our clients, including account opening, onboarding, maintaining dealer records and general account administration and operations.  

 

The Role 

The role of Trade Operations Associate is responsible for all trade lifecycle, collateral and cash management aspects of their clients. This role acts as the first point of contact for all client queries and reports to the Head of Trade Operations. The Trade Operations Associate is a key part of a dynamic team that works closely with the trading and portfolio management teams and other stakeholders.  

 

Your Responsibilities: 

• Identify, perform analysis, and resolve trade and settlement breaks.  

• Monitor the intraday and next day trade and cash reconciliation of client accounts.  

• Oversee high level account balances and margin requirements; execute transfers to meet margin requirements.  

• Work directly with counterparties, custodians, banks and other interested parties to ensure all actions on behalf of the client are resolved and reconciled in a timely manner  

• Produce and distribute reporting to clients and third-party service providers  

• Serve as a Subject Matter Expert in specific areas of this business. Collaborate with other areas of support including Governance & Risk Management, Portfolio Management, Capital Markets and Trading, Actuarial, Trading Technology and Legal/Compliance.  

• Assist internal and external clients with resolution of reported errors or issues when deeper analysis is required.  

• Actively participate in client meetings to field and address client requests and concerns 

• Provide support for daily operational activities while also identifying opportunities for automation in areas.  

• Comprehend the business processes, understand current procedures, and possess a strong ability to implement process changes and improvements.   

• Drive process improvements by analyzing requirements, constructing workflow charts and diagrams, and writing specifications.  

• Produce documentation regarding process flows and operational procedures. 

• Cross-train, guide, and mentor junior team members.  

• Provide support on cross team or external project management activities. Take lead on small to medium team projects.   

• Additional responsibilities as group continues to expand in business and complexity.  

 

Job Knowledge, Experience Skills 

Job Knowledge Required 

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, or another similar and relevant program of study.  

• In depth knowledge of derivatives products of multiple asset classes  

• Intermediate knowledge of one or more of the following products: Futures, Listed Options, Cleared OTC Derivatives, Fixed Income (Bonds and ETFs), Mutual Funds, UIT(s), Equities, and Bilateral Non-Cleared OTC Derivatives.  

• Working knowledge of cash and collateral management.  

• Experience with managing different aspects of the post trade life cycle from beginning to termination including allocation, confirmation, reconciliation, clearing settlement, valuations/exposure management, and corporate actions for Derivatives, Fixed Income, or Equity products in domestic and international markets.  

 

Experience and Soft Skills Required  

• 3-7 years of experience in treasury, trade, or investment operations. 

• Exposure to fund accounting, global custody, or transfer agency operations.  

• Knowledge of the different participants in the fund management business and their roles – fund managers, administrators, brokers.  

• Experience with post trade operations vendor systems.  

• Experience with SQL, Python, and other programming languages a plus.  

• Proficient in Microsoft Office with intermediate to advanced Excel capabilities.  

• Understand how derivatives, securities, and cash management activities impact custody, accounting, portfolio management, and trading.   

• Strong technical sk