Investment Application Support Manager

Vanguard; London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is looking for an Investment Application Support Manager to lead a dedicated team in providing top-notch support for critical investment systems. This role is pivotal in ensuring that both in-house and vendor applications run smoothly, enabling investment teams to operate effectively. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in incident management and ITIL practices, with a focus on client-facing support. Join a forward-thinking company that values collaboration and flexibility, fostering an environment where your expertise will directly impact client outcomes and enhance employee experience.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of business processes and systems.
• Proven track record in incident management within a service organization.

Responsibilities

• Manage IT operations for all systems within our IT division.
• Oversee third-party relationships and ensure compliance with IT policies.

Skills

Incident Management

ITIL Practices

Team Leadership

Client-Facing Support

Business Process Understanding

Education

Undergraduate Degree

Job description

Join to apply for the Investment Application Support Manager role at Vanguard.

We are seeking an Investment Systems Run Manager responsible for overseeing a broad and complex set of applications and processes. This role involves leading a team of technical support staff supporting both in-house and vendor SaaS applications used across Vanguard's Investment Management and Finance divisions. Key responsibilities include providing high-impact first-line support to UK trade floor teams (such as Equity Index, Fixed Income Index, Fixed Income Active, Stock Lending & Capital Markets), as well as supporting teams in the middle and back office in Europe that serve the investment teams and Funds. Additionally, the role entails managing all batch processing for US start-of-day to ensure systems complete their processes timely, enabling the investment teams to operate effectively.

Core Responsibilities

1. Hire, evaluate, and support team members; provide guidance and training; set performance standards; review performance; make compensation decisions in line with HR policies.
2. Manage IT operations for all systems within our IT division (Global Investment and Financial Systems - GIFS).
3. Collaborate with other global Run Managers to deliver 24/7 support across international teams (Melbourne, London, Dublin, Philadelphia, Scottsdale).
4. Act as the voice of the client, ensuring their pain points and technology sentiments are understood and communicated to senior leadership.
5. Represent Vanguard in communications with BSPs and SaaS providers alongside business owners.
6. Oversee third-party relationships, including intragroup and external vendors, managed from the US but serving UK and EU teams.
7. Work with management to develop staffing and operational plans; participate in setting department goals as part of the GIFS UK leadership team.
8. Monitor and report on service metrics and performance to business partners and compliance teams.
9. Implement policy and procedural changes to meet evolving business needs; lead continuous improvement initiatives.
10. Assist in developing and managing the department budget, ensuring expenses stay within guidelines.
11. Ensure staff compliance with IT and security policies, verifying deliverables meet requirements.
12. Maintain awareness of industry and regulatory changes impacting technology and processes.
13. Handle Major Incident Management effectively, ensuring timely resolution and minimal downtime; communicate with senior leadership during incidents.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience.
• Strong understanding of business processes and systems.
• Experience with ITIL practices (Incident, Request, Change, Problem).
• Proven track record in incident management within a service organization.
• Experience managing a client-facing trading floor support team.

How We Work

Vanguard employs a hybrid working model, combining flexibility with opportunities for in-person collaboration. Our culture emphasizes mission-driven, collaborative work to support client outcomes and enrich employee experience.