Operations - Executive Director - Trade Settlement

131 Morgan Stanley Advantage Svcs; India; On-site; INR 23,764,000 - 38,023,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan Stanley Asia is seeking an Executive Director to serve as Asia Head of Security Settlements in SSBO, overseeing settlement functions across markets and depositories and partnering with Trading, Risk, Compliance and Technology to deliver scalable, resilient operations.

Lead a diverse team, strengthen controls, and drive automation and data-led process improvements to improve efficiency and client outcomes while maintaining rigorous risk governance.

Qualifications

• Broad understanding of settlement processes, systems and markets.
• Strong risk and control mindset with sound judgement.
• Exceptional organisational and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong communication to translate complex processes across stakeholders.
• Role model for team motivation and development.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Asia Security Settlements function.
• Lead and develop the Asia organization, including talent development and succession planning.
• Drive settlement performance with regional and global stakeholders across teams.
• Maintain a strong risk and control environment; oversee issue remediation.
• Drive process improvements through automation and data-driven initiatives.

Skills

Broad understanding

Risk and controls mindset

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Leadership and mentorship

Job description

Asia Head of Security Settlements, Shared Services & Banking Operations – Executive Director

We're seeking someone to join our team as the Asia Head of Security Settlements in Shared Services Banking Operations (SSBO) to provide oversight of settlement functions in Asia, as well as Asia based teams supporting other regional activities. One of the largest divisions in the Firm, Operations is the first line of defense for Morgan Stanley's financial and reputational well-being and essential in delivering value. Operations is responsible for correctly settling and recording millions of transactions per day, identifying and mitigating operational risk, developing strong client relationships and partnering with technology to realize the full potential of IT and Automation. Operations has a premier team of creative and dedicated professionals, with a unique vant... The Operations Senior Management team is passionate about our people development and providing top-notch employee opportunities through an inclusive, forward-looking environment defined by open communication, collaboration, learning and dedicated career management. This is an Executive Director level position within the Shared Services Banking Operations’ Global Security Settlements team. The Asia Head of Security Settlements is responsible for leading and ensuring timely support in the settlement of Equity, Fixed Income, and other securities transactions across multiple markets and depositories – inclusive of both Morgan Stanley teams, as well as working in close partnership with our vendor partners. They will act as the Global Head of Securities Settlements’ delegate when it comes to Asia markets, support any Global programs or initiatives, and partner with Trading, Sales, Technology, Risk, Compliance and external market participants to deliver a scalable, resilient and best-in-class settlement operation.

What you will do in this role:

Provide strategic leadership for the Asia Security Settlements function, setting direction and priorities to ensure the timely, accurate and controlled settlement of securities transactions while delivering operational excellence across all supported markets and products. Act as the senior escalation point for significant settlement issues, market events and operational incidents, ensuring timely resolution and appropriate management of financial, regulatory and reputational risk. Partner closely with regional and global stakeholders across GSS Fleet, SSBO, Operations, Technology, Risk, Compliance and the business to drive settlement performance, support business growth and execute strategic, regulatory and market-driven change initiatives. Lead and develop the Asia Security Settlements organization, with responsibility for talent acquisition, performance management, employee development, succession planning and building a high-performing, engaged and diverse team with high retention. Represent Asia GSS across regional and global Operations, Business, Risk and Governance forums, providing leadership on operational risk, controls, regulatory matters and key business initiatives. Maintain a strong risk and control environment by identifying emerging risks, strengthening controls, overseeing issue remediation and ensuring adherence to regulatory, audit and firm requirements. Drive process improvement and transformation initiatives across the settlement lifecycle, leveraging automation, technology and data to improve efficiency, scalability, resiliency and client outcomes. Build and maintain strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including Front Office, Finance, Treasury, custodians, agent banks and market infrastructures, to support effective execution and deliver commercial objectives. Establish and oversee key performance, risk and control metrics, providing transparent reporting and insights to senior management while driving accountability and continuous improvement across the function.

What you will bring to this role:

Broad understanding across settlement processes, systems, and markets in addition to detailed subject matter expertise of various key products/processes; as well as an understanding of the Firm, operations, market landscape, relevant topics, and development. Sound risk and control mindset and excellent judgement without compromising control; ability to prioritise against competing demands and prioritization asks. Exceptional organisational and stakeholder management skills. Strong communication skills; ability to translate complex working processes, workflows, risk related analysis and impact into clear, tailored communications across stakeholders; strong interpersonal skills to build cross-divisional relationships. Ability to deliver on plans, complete next steps and resolve issues in a timely manner. Role model that advocates for your team, motivates and engages staff to achieve vision and inspire respect; supports and promotes the Firm's vision and values.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work. To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices into your browser. Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents. Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences. For more information, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/people-opportunities/eeo. At Morgan Stanley, we advise, originate, trade, manage and distribute capital for people, governments and institutions, always with a standard of excellence and guided by our core values. Morgan Stanley is dedicated to providing first-class service to our clients, in a way that reflects our commitment to creating a more sustainable future and fostering stronger communities around the world. In each line of business, we strive to demonstrate our belief in the power of transformative thinking, innovative strategies and leading-edge solutions—and in the ability of capital to work for the benefit of all society.