A leading global investment institution is seeking an experienced Operations Lead to oversee day-to-day activities supporting capital markets operations in a back-office setting. This leadership role is ideal for a senior operations professional with deep domain knowledge in financial markets and a strong background in trade support, settlements, corporate actions, and reconciliation functions. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing a local team and ensuring alignment with global processes, risk controls, and operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide hands-on leadership and daily oversight of back-office operations staff, including team mentoring, performance management, and engagement
- Serve as the primary escalation point for complex operational issues, risk events, and business continuity coordination
- Act as the local subject matter expert (SME) across capital markets back-office functions such as Trade Support, International Settlements, Corporate Actions, and Control & Reconciliation
- Develop a deep understanding of end-to-end trade flows and support the team with issue resolution, guidance, and knowledge sharing
- Liaise regularly with global operations leaders in North America and Europe to ensure operational alignment, transparency, and issue escalation
- Monitor key performance metrics and produce daily reporting on open/unmatched trades, settlements, and escalated items
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives by identifying process inefficiencies, supporting automation efforts, and contributing to change management projects
- Promote cross-training within the team to ensure knowledge redundancy and support business continuity during absences or increased workloads
Required Experience & Skills:
- 10+ years of progressive experience in capital markets operations, ideally within a global financial institution
- Strong product knowledge across equities, fixed income, derivatives, and/or international settlements
- Proven leadership experience managing back-office teams or functions in a high-volume, regulated environment
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to liaise confidently across local and international teams
- Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving capabilities; able to work under pressure and navigate complex operational issues
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Finance, Business, or a related field
Additional qualities:
- Proactive mindset with a passion for driving operational excellence
- Detail-oriented with a structured and organized approach to task management
- Collaborative leadership style and experience mentoring junior staff
- Familiarity with global market infrastructures, custodians, and trade life cycle systems