FID, Contractual Terms Risk Management - Associate

Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries.

As a market leader, the talent and passion of our people is critical to our success. Together, we share a common set of values rooted in integrity, excellence, and strong team ethic. Morgan Stanley can provide a superior foundation for building a professional career - a place for people to learn, to achieve and grow. A philosophy that balances personal lifestyles, perspectives and needs is an important part of our culture.

Department Profile
The Fixed Income Division (FID) of the Institutional Securities business unit is comprised of Interest Rate and Currency Products, Credit Products, Commodities and Distribution. Professionals in the Division assess and actively manage risk, trade securities and structure, as well as execute innovative transactions in the fast-paced and constantly changing global markets. 

The Firm is seeking a new member for its Contractual Terms Risk Management (CTRM) team, which is part of the Firm’s U.S. Business Control Unit (BCU) team.  CTRM is focused on the risk management of the contractual terms that reside in the Firm’s trading agreements with counterparties, including the review and escalation of negotiated terms, and the management and maintenance of structured data in Firm systems.  CTRM, as part of BCU, is a first line team which sits in FID but covers client trading documentation across all traded products.  This is not a document negotiator role, but rather a risk management role focused on client trading documentation.

Primary Responsibilities

• Coordinate preparation of meeting materials for Counterparty Risk/Credit escalation meetings.
• Liaise with members of the Firm’s Risk, Credit and Legal teams as well as the various trading desks within the Institutional Securities business unit.
• Develop a familiarity with the Firm’s suite of client trading documentation including, but not limited to, ISDA Master Agreement, ISDA CSA, Listed Derivatives and Clearing, repo, securities lending, prime brokerage and other associated trading agreements.  
• Provide support for and serve as escalation point for a variety of CTRM daily functions including, but not limited to, trading without documentation, monitoring of various contractual terms, ad hoc reviews of existing counterparty documentation, database quality control and expansion, counterparty credit ratings, custodial relationships, and ongoing engagements with external vendors.
• Participate in improving and expanding the Firm’s structured data across all client trading agreements.
• Manage responses to a variety of ad hoc risk management issues as they arise. 

Qualifications  / Critical Success Factors:

• Ability to effectively manage various projects and deadlines, including tracking and coordinating responses to internal and external requests with minimal oversight
• Desire to build relationships with senior stakeholders in the Sales and Trading business, Counterparty Risk, Credit, Legal, Compliance, Operations, and Finance, among other support functions
• Highly motivated self-starter with the ability to work under pressure and prioritize competing deadlines
• Ability to work on challenging assignments in a dynamic environment, synthesize information, gather relevant facts and reach logical conclusions
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, as well as the ability to present ideas concisely and tailor messaging to various stakeholders 
• Fast Learner with the ability to absorb new concepts and knowledge quickly
• Ability to take ideas forward and to challenge others with integrity and maturity
• Exceptional organizational skills and a high degree of attention to detail
• Strong analytical skills with an ability to understand complex workflows
• Strategic thinker with experience coordinating and collaborating with multiple stakeholder groups

Additional Qualifications:

• 2+ years’ experience in negotiating a cross section of trading agreements, including in-depth knowledge of the various provisions contained in these agreements and their negotiability.  Knowledge of and proficiency around the underlying products traded also preferred.
• Comfortable working in an open trading floor environment, including in-person discussions with senior business people and other stakeholders
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; attention to detail; ability to meet timing deadlines on multiple projects
• Knowledge of financial services s