Title:  Investment Ops Systems & Change Manager

Job Summary

To manage the production and delivery of enhancements to client core services provided across COO Investment Operations and to implement and embed the many strategic, legislative and growth opportunity projects into BAU COO Investment Operations in order to continually improve the services provided to its internal and external customers.

Work with key stakeholders to support resource allocation and sequencing decisions for a pipeline of projects in the UK COO Investment Operations division, balanced against inter-dependences, existing resource commitments and the CLUK’s business strategy.  

Responsible for the maintenance of the UK COO Investment Operations Project Road Map in conjunction with respective project managers and related resources to ensure ongoing alignment and to support regular, timely and accurate consolidated COO Investment Operations project portfolio reporting to Senior Management.

Responsible for providing technical Investment Operations support to projects and stakeholders across the organisation, whilst supporting clients (internal and external) and ensuring effective handover / support to BAU teams.  Responsible for effective and timely communication with clients to resolve issues, challenges and resource conflicts.   

Responsible for COO Investment Operations change deliverables that are aligned to IT controls / methodologies and best practices whilst assisting the Investment Operations Systems & Process Improvements Manager in communication and delivery to Senior Management and to proactively manage risks and issues through to resolution.

What You'll Do

The role is responsible for managing Investment Operations change and systems with accountability for:

Provide technical Investment Operations system & process expertise and assistance to Projects to support delivery, and to manage Investment Operations systems & process change development requirements, which include:

•                 Developing new processes and controls
•                 Implementing new systems or upgrades
•                 System triage & issue resolution
•                 Fund restructures and migrations
•                 New fund launches & fund closures (co-ordinating fund activity, run books & communication)
•                 New assets irvestment products
•                 Information/ reporting
•                 Managing change control (through JIRAs or related systems)
•                 Gap analysis
•                 Risk assessment
•                 Co-ordinate working groups to support Investment Operations activities, such as at month or quarter-ends or for ad hoc discretionary projects or related work

The role is responsible for resource allocation and sequencing across Investment Operation’s change activity, including assisting Project Managers with resource estimations, managing Investment Operations projects road map together with development of appropriate MI and timely visibility of inter-dependencies across initiatives to ensure appropriate future resource allocation decisions can be made based based on a view of capacity versus demand.

Be able to communicate concepts with regard to Investment Operations (new systems, new regulations, trade life cycle (dealing, settlement, recs, etc), general ledger frameworks) clearly to ensure all requirements are met and implemented effectively, and represent UK Investment Operations at relevant strategy / operational meetings whilst proactively managing the resolution of operational issues and challenges and communicating formally with key stakeholders.

Establish and maintain close long-term working relationships / partnerships with clients in order to help deliver and resolve issues, challenges and resource conflicts relating to Investment Operations activity. 

Communicate to Senior Management, in an appropriate manner, the impact, financial or otherwise, of various developments, investigations, recommendations and analyses. Provide the basis for recommendations to Senior Executive Team to ensure successful business operations.

Lead targeted Investment Operations process improvement projects, support analysis to ensure business needs / requirements are met and to manage a team of 5 including Business Analysts, a senior account and support staff.

Assist the System Support & Process Improvements Manager in the production of all project and auditable working papers to support all UK Investment Operation projects, developments, operational changes and decisions. 

Who You Are

•    Extensive experience of resource allocation and resource management 
•    In-depth understanding of COO Investment Operations systems including trading, settlement & fund accounting ideally in the insurance or wealth (asset management) industry. 
•    Good investment accounting and administration experience  
•    Excellent Business Knowledge – understand the complexities of the general ledger structure, finance regulations, bank accounts and other assets held by the company and their interdependencies
•    Wide ranging experience of finance systems, processes and controls 
•    Strong   technical accounting knowledge of both regulatory and statutory requirements ideally in the insurance / asset management industry 
•    Ability to work autonomously and in partnership with others to consistently achieve agreed targets for clients.  
•    Able to build relationships and gain trust and respect at all levels
•    Strong leadership skills - able to manage, develop and motivate a team of accounting and finance change staff to deliver complex tasks to time and budget
•    Ability to resolve and communicate complex accounting issues to finance and non-finance staff.
•    Demonstrates personal drive, energy, persistence and self -motivation and awareness of the part played in the wider business

Qualifications 

Note below are desired & not mandatory:

•    ACA/ACCA or equivalent
•    Qualified in a recognised project or programme management methodology