Middle Office Operations Analyst

Ambition Recruitment; Sydney; On-site; AUD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading investment management firm is seeking an experienced Derivatives Operations Analyst to act as the SME across post-trade processing for listed and OTC derivatives. The role covers lifecycle management, reconciliations, controls, and issue resolution, reporting to the Global Middle Office Lead in Sydney.

The ideal candidate will have strong derivatives operations experience, excel and VBA skills, and a solid grasp of fixed income markets.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting derivatives products within fund operations, middle office, or a related setting.
• Strong post-trade knowledge for listed and OTC derivatives in fixed income.
• Proficient Excel skills; VBA or similar programming capability preferred.
• Working knowledge of Bloomberg AIM and CASH is advantageous.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, collaborative team environment.
• Understanding ISDA/CSA workflows is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist knowledge across the full derivatives post-trade lifecycle from trade capture to settlement and reporting.
• Deliver day-to-day operational support for listed and OTC derivatives including futures, options, swaps, and forwards.
• Manage confirmations, settlements, collateral movements, cash flows, and other lifecycle events.
• Oversee control checks and workflow monitoring to ensure accurate processing.
• Complete reconciliations between front-office systems and custodian/clearer records.
• Investigate and resolve reconciliation breaks, failed settlements, and valuation differences.
• Act as a liaison with Portfolio Managers, Traders, Risk, Finance, Compliance, and counterparties.
• Support margining activities and dispute resolution where required.
• Maintain procedure documentation and governance evidence for audits.
• Contribute to new product launches and onboarding of counterparties.
• Drive automation and efficiency within the control environment.
• Apply knowledge of OTC derivatives operations, including ISDA and CSA workflows.
• Provide guidance and training to junior team members on derivatives topics.

Skills

Derivatives operations experience

Post-trade workflows

Excel

VBA / programming

Fixed income market knowledge

Team collaboration

Tools

Bloomberg AIM

Bloomberg CASH

Job description

Middle Office Operations Analyst - Fixed Income Fund Manager

About the role

We are working with a leading investment management firm to appoint an experienced Derivatives Operations Analyst to act as the subject matter expert across post-trade processing for listed and OTC derivatives. The role covers lifecycle management, reconciliations, controls, and issue resolution, working closely with internal teams and external counterparties to ensure accurate, well-controlled operations. Reporting to the Global Middle Office Lead (Sydney-based), the position also supports broader middle office responsibilities and operational projects.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide specialist knowledge across the full derivatives post-trade lifecycle, from trade capture through settlement, expiry, and regulatory or management reporting.


• Deliver day-to-day operational support for listed and OTC derivative instruments, including futures, options, swaps, forwards, and other bespoke or bilateral structures.


• Manage accurate and timely processing of confirmations, affirmations, settlements, collateral movements, cash flows, corporate actions, and other lifecycle events.


• Oversee daily control checks and workflow monitoring to ensure trades and associated events are correctly recorded and processed.


• Complete reconciliations between front-office systems and records held by custodians, counterparties, clearing brokers, fund administrators, and internal books.


• Investigate and resolve operational exceptions, such as reconciliation breaks, failed settlements, valuation differences, and booking discrepancies.


• Act as a key liaison point for Portfolio Managers, Traders, Risk, Finance, Compliance, Technology teams, administrators, prime brokers, and counterparties.


• Support margining activities, including initial and variation margin, collateral movements, and dispute resolution where required.


• Ensure all operational processes align with internal control frameworks, service standards, and regulatory or policy obligations.


• Maintain comprehensive procedure documentation, workflow guides, and audit evidence to support governance and regulatory reviews.


• Contribute to new product launches, onboarding of counterparties, system enhancements, and operational readiness for evolving strategies.


• Drive automation, efficiency gains, and enhancements to the control environment.


• Apply strong working knowledge of OTC derivatives operations, including ISDA and CSA-related workflows and complex lifecycle events.


• Provide guidance, training, and informal mentorship to junior team members and stakeholders on derivatives operational topics.

Skills:

• Demonstrated experience supporting derivatives products within fund operations, capital markets operations, or a middle office environment at an investment bank.


• In-depth understanding of post-trade workflows for listed and/or OTC derivatives, particularly within fixed income markets.


• Strong practical experience using Bloomberg, including AIM and CASH.


• Highly developed Excel skills are essential; VBA (or similar) programming capability is strongly preferred.


• Solid understanding of financial markets combined with the drive to build a long-term career in investment management.


• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-performance environment with a strong team-oriented culture and shared commitment to excellence.