Investment Application Support Manager

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

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an Investment Systems Run Manager to lead a team supporting critical applications across investment management. This role involves managing technical support for both in-house and vendor SaaS applications, ensuring high-impact support for trading floor teams. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in incident management and ITIL practices, with a focus on continuous improvement and operational excellence. Join a collaborative and mission-driven culture that values flexibility and in-person learning opportunities, contributing to long-term client success.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of business processes and systems.
• Experience managing a client-facing trading floor environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage IT operations and support for investment management applications.
• Oversee third-party relationships and ensure compliance with IT policies.

Skills

Incident Management

ITIL Practices

Team Leadership

Business Process Understanding

Education

Undergraduate Degree

Job description

We are looking for an Investment Systems Run Manager who will take on production ownership of a wide ranging and complex set of applications and processes.

This role involves managing and leading a team of technical support staff supporting both in-house and vendor SaaS applications used across the Investment Management and Finance Organisations in Vanguard. The manager will provide first-line, high-impact support to UK trade floor teams (including Equity Index, Fixed Income Index, Fixed Income Active, Stock Lending & Capital Markets) and teams supporting the investment process on the floor (Investment Strategy, Investment and Operational Risk). Additionally, the role supports all teams across the middle and back office environments in Europe that serve the Investment management team and Funds. The manager will also oversee batch processing for US start-of-day systems to ensure all systems complete their processes timely for the business day.

Core Responsibilities

1. Hire, evaluate, and support team members, providing guidance and training to develop their skills. Set performance standards, review performance, and make compensation decisions following HR policies.
2. Manage IT operations across all systems owned and delivered by our IT division (Global Investment and Financial Systems - GIFS).
3. Collaborate with other global Run Managers to provide 24/7 support to distributed teams in Melbourne, London, Dublin, Philadelphia, and Scottsdale.
4. Act as the voice of the client, ensuring pain points and technology feedback are communicated to senior leaders within the UK and GIFS teams.
5. Represent Vanguard’s interests to BSPs and SaaS providers alongside business owners.
6. Oversee third-party relationships, including intragroup third and fourth-party vendors managed from the US but serving UK and EU teams.
7. Work with management to develop staffing and operational plans for the UK team and contribute to department goals as part of the GIFS UK leadership.
8. Monitor and report on service delivery metrics and overall performance to business partners, compliance, risk, and business continuity teams.
9. Implement policy and procedural changes to meet evolving business needs, identify continuous improvement opportunities, and lead quality initiatives to enhance service levels.
10. Participate in budgeting processes, review expenses, and ensure operations stay within budget.
11. Ensure staff compliance with IT and information security policies, verifying that deliverables meet requirements.
12. Maintain awareness of industry and regulatory changes impacting technology and business processes.
13. Lead Major Incident Management efforts, ensuring timely resolution and service restoration, and communicate effectively with senior leadership during incidents.

Qualifications

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

How We Work

Vanguard employs a hybrid working model that combines flexibility with opportunities for in-person collaboration and learning. Our mission-driven, collaborative culture supports long-term client outcomes and enriches the employee experience.