Platform Manager, Investment Services Platform Team

Job Description

Who were looking for We are looking for a Platform Manager to work within the Investment Services Platform Team. About Schroders Were a global investment manager. We help institutions, intermediaries and individuals around the world invest money to meet their goals, fulfil their ambitions, and prepare for the future. We have around 5,000 people on six continents. And weve been around for over 200 years, but keep adapting as society and technology changes. What doesnt change is our commitment to helping our clients, and society, prosper. The base We moved into our new HQ in the City of London in 2018. Were close to our clients, in the heart of the UKs financial centre. And we have everything we need to work flexibly. The team The Investment Services Platform Team reports to the Investment COO with a global remit. The team provides support to the Investment teams and other groups operating on the investment platform. Investment Services Platform Team works with teams across Schrodersto support both business-as-usual operations and change. Aladdin by BlackRock Solutions (BRS) is a critical part of the investment platform. Ensuring effective communication with and governance of the relationship with BRS is a central responsibility of theInvestment Services Platform team What youll do

• Provide assistance to the Multi Asset teams operating on the investment platform, with primary focus on Aladdin. This involves establishing a deep knowledge of Aladdin functionality used by Multi Asset and working closely with Global Technology, Operationsand BRS to provide comprehensive solutions.
• Define operating requirements for BAU, new products, instruments,
• Connect Multi Asset with the operational functions to deliver platform requirements across Operations, Technology and other teams.
• Support resolution of any relevant operational issues with other process owners (both upstream and downstream) as they arise
• Manage the escalation of support issues with BRS and internal teams.
• Oversee and report performance against agreed service levels.
• Provide input into strategic platform enhancements and target operating model definition.
• Challenge thinking and innovate - identify potential efficiency gains deriving from process re-engineering/process automation & org structure/best use of resources
• Promote consistency and reduce complexity across mandates and processes with a view to streamlining and reducing exceptions
• Work in partnership with Technology Teams and Multi Asset business teams on the development of any in-house built technology/decommissioning of legacy systems
• Maximise the benefits available in Aladdin and clearly communicate enhancements/roadmap development items where there are gaps in Aladdin capabilities which are being fulfilled through user defined tools and operational processes

The knowledge, experience and qualifications you need

• Experience working in an asset manager or similar organisation, with experience working directly with Multi Asset Investment teams (i.e. Fund Managers, Implementation Teams, Risk and Compliance teams).
• Strong understanding of Investment Workflows (Portfolio Construction and modelling , Target Management, Order Management and Execution).
• Appreciation of Portfolio Compliance and Risk functions and processes.
• Understanding of Investment Performance and attribution.
• Experience of BlackRock Aladdin platform or similar.
• Experience working with external vendors / third party suppliers also beneficial.

• Confidence to engage in discussions with colleagues across the investment, operations, change and technology functions. It is important to be able to challenge and direct discussions as part of this.
• Strong understanding of business processes, technology and data management as part of the investment lifecycle.
• Problem solving ability within a complex environment.
• Ability to define and document business requirements to a high standard. Experience with the appropriate methods and tools (i.e., BPML/UML hosting workshops, process flows, Visio).
• Ability to negotiate pragmatic solutions that meet conflicting business requirements.
• Good technical knowledge and ability to translate between IT and the business.
• Awareness of full project life cycle including defining user requirements, defining test scenarios and user acceptance testing.
• Strong inter-personal and organisational skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to operate under pressure and deliver to demanding deadlines.

What youll be like Manage the Investment Platform services provided to the Multi Asset Investment teams.

• Partner closely with the Multi Asset Investment business, including investment, risk and product teams.
• Establish a deep knowledge of how Multi Asset use the Aladdin platform and other technology.
• Understand investment business requirements and propose solution options that allow the investment desk to extract the greatest value from Aladdin.
• Work in partnership with Technology teams to define and deliver functionality outside Aladdin where specific requirements / services levels cannot be met by Aladdin
• Participate in project initiatives ensuring that changes to the Investment platform and associated business processes are carefully understood and implemented.
• Drive scalability and efficiency improvements, reducing cost and complexity in the operating model
• Focus on data quality - ensure processes are aligned to maintain appropriate standard
• Reduce operational risk by leveraging usage of Aladdin platform

Were looking for the best, whoever they are Schroders is an equal opportunities employer. Youre welcome here whatever your socio-economic background, race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious belief, age or disability.