IFDSI - Investor and Distributor Services, Senior Associate

Who we are looking for:
Provide supervision and direction of the team and its resources in order to ensure internal and external client deliverables are met and quality customer service is maintained. Assisting your Officer in the hiring, training, motivating, appraising and retention of staff to achieve individual/department goals. In addition a focus is required on change management and risk management.

Why this role is important to us
The team you will be joining is a part of International Financial Data Services (IFDS). IFDS is a world-leading provider of outsourcing and technology solutions to the financial services industry. With its global headquarters in Toronto, IFDS services over 240 financial organizations around the world, providing solutions to a wide range of global asset managers, wealth managers, banks, and insurance companies. IFDS is present in North America, EMEA and APAC. Join us if making your mark in the financial services industry from day one is a challenge you are up for.

Responsibilities:
LEADERSHIP

• Actively participate in the performance appraisal process with Associates
• Monitor individual and team performance and with the support of your Officer provide regular feedback throughout the year to Associates
• Actively contribute to department staff planning, including recruitment and succession planning and remaining within budgeted staff numbers
• Promote a positive working environment and good levels of team morale

CLIENT RELATIONSHIP

• Develop and maintain strong client relationships
• Handle and resolve complex/unusual client queries
• Ensure that procedures, policies and processes are adhered to so that a high quality service is delivered to the customer.
• Propose and/or implement procedural changes to improve processes

COMMUNICATION

• Attend and contribute to operational, client, risk, audit and regulatory meetings as required
• Communicate relevant information as appropriate up and down the line and escalate where necessary
• Attend and actively participate in all team meetings, ensuring communication is open

RISK & REGULATORY

• Ensure compliance as appropriate with regulatory requirements and with the relevant short, medium and long-term goals, objectives and values of the organization
• Understand the risk environment within the team & manage appropriately
• Ensure avoidance of IDD's is discussed with the team on a regular basis.
• Monitor the development and implementation of appropriate procedures to meet internal control and external compliance/regulatory requirements

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Manage resources to ensure all queries and tasks are resolved in a timely manner
• Work as an effective team member with other internal providers to meet our key deliverables
• Act as a point of escalation for team members/internal providers with challenges or concerns relating to the IDS team and manage these issues to resolution, with consideration for the internal escalation policy
• Assist in the resource management of the team, including the planning and management of holiday leave, training days and sick leave
• Ensure the team procedures are operationally sound with an emphasis on risk reduction and compliance issues, that they are in place for all tasks and that they are adhered to
• Foster an environment where team members are developed, trained, coached and mentored to bring them to a high standard of knowledge and quality, making use of the Training Pathways provided.
• Focus on development opportunities for your Associate 2's with Staff and ensure that time is made available to focus on non-operational management aspects of role through the delegation of tasks where appropriate.
• Work with your Officer to develop and assign team goals and objectives which are in line with overall organizational goals
• Support and champion team integration within the department along with interdepartmental and organizational integration

Education & Preferred Qualifications

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE / PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

• Ensure that specialist knowledge relating to the team is kept current and disseminated as appropriate and be aware of possible future developments and trends
• Proactively identify and act on opportunities to improve current processes to meet the changing requirements of our clients, to improve efficiency, or to reduce risk
• Ensure an awareness of and adherence to the key TA controls at all times
• Ensure team participation in the completion and implementation of department wide projects as required and to lead local team initiatives
• Participate in data review, including checking and sign-off of work, where controls require Senior Associate sign-off

What we value

Core Requirements:

Regulatory:

• To exercise due care and diligence, ensuring the areas the role is responsible for are organised and controlled;
• To comply with the regulatory regimes in which IFDS operates, with particular consideration given to relevant Client Asset, Data Protection and Financial Crime Prevention regulations, as appropriate to the above role.

Quality:

• All employees are accountable for the delivery of a Quality service, driving for excellence in all their work activities:
  • To be quality driven, aiming for 100% accuracy and timeliness of delivery;
  • To effectively plan the way services are delivered so that all activity is directly related to providing quality services and meeting the expectations of the customer (internal and external);
  • To continuously review processes and practices relating to the role and act as a catalyst for change and improvement in individual and team performance;
  • To observe proper standards of market, business and personal conduct, demonstrating integrity in the execution of duties;
  • To communicate and promote the values which reinforce and support a consistent quality culture.
  • To adhere to company values of Professional, Accountable, Client Focused, Excellence and Leadership (PACE&L) in all tasks and interactions

Education & Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge and Competency Requirements
Specific knowledge, skills and qualifications needed to achieve required performance standards in a role.

Essential

• Detailed understanding of procedural, technical and product requirements within Transfer Agency business
• Excellent administrative and business support skills, with the ability to multi-task and to work calmly under pressure.
• Excellent working knowledge of MS Office suite including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong written & verbal communication skills
• Excellent organisational, planning and co-ordination skills.
• Ability to work accurately to tight deadlines
• Proactive and able to work independently and as part of a team
• Flexible
• Personable and Enthusiastic

Desirable

• Typically candidate will have approximately 5 years' experience in a similar environment, including at least 1-2 years' experience in a management/supervisory capacity .
• Experience within Transfer Agency
• We require the following language skills in priority order - German, French, Italian, Spanish