Investment Operations Manager

Hollybank Trustees Ltd; Rough Hills; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced pension scheme

Hybrid working

Employee wellbeing support

Cycle to work scheme

Professional development support

Company events

Job summary

LGPS Central (LGPSC) Ltd is seeking an Investment Operations Manager to lead middle and back-office delivery, coordinating with the Director of Investment Operations to ensure robust, efficient processes that underpin our £100bn+ assets. You will oversee outsourced vendors and help design frameworks for new funds across asset classes.

You will develop procedures, drive risk controls, and provide governance reporting while maintaining a strong service culture and continuous improvement to support

Qualifications

• Significant experience in middle and back-office operations within asset management or fund administration.
• Strong working knowledge of multiple asset classes including Equities, Fixed Income, Derivatives OTC/ETD, Private Equity/Debt, and Property.
• Experience managing third-party service providers with performance oversight and SLA management.
• Ability to communicate clearly with senior management and across organisational levels.
• Analytical, detail-oriented, and able to prioritise by risk and business impact.
• Leadership or supervisory experience in a regulated investment environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily and periodic middle and back-office functions, ensuring compliance with internal policies and regulatory standards.
• Act as a key escalation point for operational matters with timely, transparent communications to senior management.
• Manage relationships with outsourced vendors including Custodian, Fund Accountant, Transfer Agent, and Middle Office providers.
• Participate in service reviews and oversight meetings to ensure SLA adherence and drive continuous improvement.
• Help design and implement operational frameworks for new funds, products, and asset classes.
• Develop and maintain departmental procedures reflecting system, process, and product changes.
• Identify, analyse, and mitigate operational risk through robust controls and sign-off processes.
• Lead the preparation of management information and operational reporting for senior management and governance committees.
• Promote a service quality mindset and propose process/model improvements to support strategic goals.

Skills

Strong communication

Risk management

Analytical skills

Leadership experience

Regulatory understanding

SLA management

Vendor relationship management

Strategic thinking

Education

IOC (Investment Operations Certificate)

Degree-level education

Tools

Fund accounting

Custody & Depositary knowledge

Transfer Agency operations

Job description

Join LGPS Central at a pivotal moment, where investment meets long term impact.

The Investment Operations Manager will work closely with the Director of Investment Operations to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of all operational activities that support LGPS Central’s investment functions.

This role will lead on key middle and back-office processes, oversee third-party service providers, and ensure that the operational infrastructure underpinning our £100bn+ (and growing) assets is robust, efficient, and aligned with our strategic objectives.

What you’ll be doing:

• Support the Investment Operations team in achieving operational targets for assets managed by LGPS Central Limited.
• Oversee daily and periodic middle and back-office functions, ensuring compliance with internal policies and regulatory standards.
• Act as a key point of escalation for operational matters, ensuring timely resolution and transparent communication with senior management.
• Manage relationships with outsourced vendors including Custodian, Fund Accountant, Transfer Agent, and Middle Office providers.
• Participate in service reviews and oversight meetings, ensuring SLA adherence and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of operational frameworks for new funds, products, and asset classes.
• Develop and maintain departmental procedures, ensuring documentation remains current and reflective of system, process, and product changes.
• Proactively identify, analyse, and mitigate operational risk through robust controls and sign-off processes.
• Lead on the preparation of management information and operational reporting for senior management and governance committees.
• Drive a service quality mindset across the team and recommend process and model improvements to support strategic goals.

About us

LGPS Central (LGPSC) Ltd is the FCA regulated asset manager for fourteen local authority pension funds across the Midlands. LGPSC is jointly owned on an equal shares basis by those Partner Fund, and it is responsible for managing £100bn+ of their assets. It is one of six Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) asset pools in the UK.

LGPS Central’s Partner Funds are:

• Suffolk County Council

The Company is committed to responsible investment and has made responsible investment a core part of the investment process in every asset class.

LGPS Central offers a friendly and diverse, hybrid working environment with a range of employee benefits. The Company moved to new premises at i9, Wolverhampton Interchange in January 2022, close to local transport links.

Our objective is to be a leading investment management company working with and for our Partner Funds. With a focus on value for money and performance we want to aspire to be one of the best because this is how we will deliver the superior investment returns and low costs for our Partner Funds

Requirements

• Significant experience in middle and back-office operations within asset management or fund administration.
• Strong working knowledge of several asset classes, including Equities, Fixed Income, Derivatives (OTC & ETD), Private Equity/Debt, and Property.
• Strong understanding of Transfer Agency, Fund Accounting, Custody, and Depositary functions.
• Proven ability to manage and influence third-party service providers, with experience in performance oversight and SLA management.
• Excellent judgement and the ability to escalation issues appropriately.
• Clear, confident communicator with experience engaging at all organisational levels.
• Analytical and detail-oriented, with strong prioritisation skills based on risk and business impact.
• Some supervisory or leadership experience, ideally in a regulated investment environment.
• Knowledge of pension fund structures and investment administration is highly desirable.
• Strategic and tactical thinker who can balance long-term goals with day-to-day delivery.
• Committed to maintaining professional development.

Qualifications:

• IOC (Investment Operations Certificate) or equivalent.
• Degree-level education preferred.

What do we offer?

We are proud to provide our people with a premium and exclusive benefits package and we are continually improving the rewards we offer. Here are a few of the valuable rewards that you will enjoy:

• An enhanced and generous Pension Scheme
• An extra paid Company Day in addition to paid holidays
• Welfare and Family friendly policies
• Enhanced pay for new parents
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme 247 Health & Wellbeing Support
• Vitality Private Medical Insurance
• Hybrid Working
• Company Service Awards
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Company Electric Vehicle Scheme
• Winner of the Cultural Awareness Initiative of the Year FT Advisors Diversity in Finance Awards 2023
• Winner of Diversity and Inclusion Award LAPF In Investments Award 2023