Reconciliations Team Leader

AJ Bell

Salford

Hybrid

GBP 35,000 - 46,000

Full time

8 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Pension with matched contributions

Discretionary bonus

Share schemes

Health Cash Plan

Free onsite gym

Enhanced family leave

Travel and bike loan

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

AJ Bell is recruiting a Reconciliations Team Leader to run the day-to-day Reconciliations function and serve as the technical lead for reconciliation systems. You will coach and develop the team while ensuring regulatory obligations and customer outcomes are met, with a focus on automation and process improvement.

The role covers Client Money, Safe Custody and SIPP reconciliations, KPI delivery, risk management and collaboration with Technology to enhance platform capabilities.

Qualifications

Experience leading, coaching and developing operational teams.
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to prioritise workloads and manage competing deadlines.
Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Effective planning, organisation and time management.

Responsibilities

Oversee accurate and timely completion of reconciliation activities in line with regulatory requirements.
Lead, coach and develop the Reconciliations team to achieve objectives.
Act as technical owner for reconciliation systems and controls, driving improvements.
Monitor exceptions and risks, ensuring timely investigation and escalation.
Ensure KPIs, SLAs and control standards are met across reconciliation and funding activities.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Prioritisation

Decision making

Planning

Job description

Reporting to the Reconciliations Manager, the Reconciliations Team Leader is responsible for leading the day-to-day operation of the Reconciliations function whilst acting as the technical lead for the firm's reconciliation systems and controls. The role supports the reconciliation manager by leading, coaching and supporting to the Reconciliations team, ensuring operational objectives, regulatory obligations and customer outcomes are achieved whilst supporting business growth through automation, process improvement and effective risk management.

Key responsibilities:

Operational Delivery & Control Oversight

Ensure the accurate and timely completion of all reconciliation activities in accordance with regulatory requirements, internal policies and operational procedures, including:
- Client Money reconciliations, including the Internal Client Money Reconciliation (ICMR);
- Safe Custody Asset reconciliations; and
- SIPP Trustee bank account reconciliations.
Oversee the accurate and timely execution of CASS funding and SIPP rebalancing activities, ensuring all requirements are met within defined control standards.
Monitor reconciliation exceptions, break trends and funding exposures, ensuring aged items, high-value breaks, potential breaches and emerging risks are appropriately investigated, escalated and resolved.
Ensure agreed KPIs, SLAs and control standards are achieved across all reconciliation and funding activities.
Act as the primary escalation point for technical and operational reconciliation matters, providing guidance and support to the wider team.
Perform reconciliation reviews, checking activities and technical oversight as required to maintain operational resilience and effective control coverage.
Lead, manage and develop team members through effective performance management, coaching, mentoring and development planning.
Conduct regular one-to-one meetings, performance reviews and development discussions to support employee engagement and capability growth.
Provide technical leadership and coaching to Administrators and Senior Administrators, ensuring appropriate knowledge sharing and development across the team.
Manage attendance, annual leave, workload allocation and resource planning to ensure service objectives are achieved.
Maintain appropriate succession planning, cross-training and contingency arrangements to support operational resilience.

Reconciliation System Ownership & Technical Leadership

Act as the technical owner and subject matter expert for the firm's reconciliation platform and associated automated controls.
Design, build, test and implement new reconciliations, automation solutions and control enhancements to support business growth, operational efficiency and regulatory requirements.
Configure, maintain and optimise reconciliation rules, matching logic and exception management processes to ensure effective control operation.
Proactively manage reconciliation platform performance, ensuring agreed service, availability and performance standards are maintained.
Investigate system and reconciliation issues, identify root causes and implement effective corrective and preventative actions.
Work collaboratively with Technology, Change teams, and third-party suppliers to deliver system enhancements, resolve issues and maximise platform capability.
Identify and deliver automation and process improvement opportunities that enhance efficiency, strengthen controls and reduce operational risk.
Maintain effective oversight of reconciliation controls, ensuring control activities are performed, evidenced and operate as designed.
Support the maintenance of risk and control assessments, ensuring emerging risks, control weaknesses and regulatory impacts are identified, escalated and addressed appropriately.
Ensure reconciliation-related controls, risks and issues are appropriately documented, reviewed and escalated in line with governance requirements.

General Responsibilities

Ensure all reconciliation system configuration changes are documented, tested, approved and implemented in accordance with the firm's change management framework.
Maintain accurate and up-to-date process documentation, system documentation, procedures and operating guides relating to reconciliation activities and systems.
Analyse management information, operational data and exception trends to identify opportunities for process improvement, control enhancement and efficiency gains.
Support internal and external audit activity, including the provision of evidence, walkthroughs, issue remediation and management actions.
Support business change initiatives through requirements gathering, impact assessments, testing and implementation activities.
Foster a positive, collaborative and high-performing team culture aligned to AJ Bell values and behaviours.
Build and maintain effective working relationships with key internal stakeholders, Technology teams, external suppliers and auditors.
Ensure all activities are conducted in accordance with FCA requirements, Consumer Duty obligations, internal policies and regulatory expectations.
Continuously seek opportunities to improve customer outcomes, operational efficiency and control effectiveness.
Undertake any other reasonable duties as required by the Reconciliations Manager or wider management team.

Competence, Knowledge and Skills

Leadership & Communication

Experience leading, coaching and developing operational teams.
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to prioritise workloads and manage competing deadlines.
Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Effective planning, organisation and time management.

Reconciliation & Regulatory Knowledge

Detailed understanding of reconciliation methodologies, break management and exception management.
Understanding of FCA CASS requirements, particularly CASS 6, 7, 8 and 10.
Understanding of operational risk and control frameworks within a regulated financial services environment.

Technical Skills

Ability to perform root cause analysis on reconciliation issues and control failures.
Experience producing and interpreting MI and trend analysis.
Other relevant financial services qualifications including CII qualifications considered advantageous.

About AJ Bell

At AJ Bell, we believe investing should feel good. Whether you're looking for an ISA, pension or dealing account, whether you want to invest with the help of a financial adviser or do it yourself, we have easy-to-use solutions to suit people from all walks of life.

We're one of the UK's fastest-growing investment platform businesses, trusted by everyone from professional financial advisers to first-time investors.

Today, over 762,000 customers trust us to manage more £121.5 billion of assets. By continually striving to make investing simpler and more accessible, we're helping more people take control of their financial futures.

We're proud to be recognised as one of the UK's Best 100 Companies to Work For for six consecutive years, and a Great Place to Work in 2025 and 2026, a reflection of our supportive and collaborative culture.

What we offer