Associate Director, Derivatives Operations

Nearwater Capital; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Nearwater Capital seeks a seasoned Associate Director, Derivatives Operations to support Capital Markets with focus on the regulated swap business. The role emphasizes front-to-back operations across Fixed Income, Equity, and Derivatives and requires collaboration with desks, custodians, and risk teams.

As a leader, you will manage lifecycle and settlements, drive process improvements, mentor junior staff, and participate in firmwide projects aimed at reducing risk and enhancing controls.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of direct experience in operations within financial services.
• Knowledge of Cash Equity, Equity Swap products; fixed income knowledge desirable.
• Strong knowledge of trade lifecycle, markets, and industry tech (AcadiaSoft, Markit, Bloomberg).
• Advanced Excel; experience with data analysis/automation tools (Alteryx, Python, SQL, VBA, Power BI).
• Ability to partner with Technology to enhance systems and digitize workflows.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving abilities; able to manage multiple tasks.

Responsibilities

• Provide lifecycle management for Commercial Paper, Equities, Fixed Income, and Swap transactions.
• Manage trade settlements focusing on TRS and repo transactions, including confirmations and reconciliations.
• Oversee trade, position, and cash reconciliations across custody, administrator, and prime broker accounts.
• Ensure proper booking of corporate actions.
• Manage IM/VM processes and end-of-day balance validation.
• Coordinate monthly reporting with Compliance and Administrator teams.
• Handle trade capture, allocation, and exception management across swaps and cash hedges.
• Act as main contact for client settlement queries and escalations.
• Conduct control reconciliations between internal and external records.
• Liaise with Risk to address open exposures, fails, and disputes.
• Drive process improvements, automation opportunities, and control refinement.
• Mentor junior staff and support a culture of accountability and risk awareness.
• Participate in firmwide projects to streamline workflows.

Skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Self-motivated

Team player

Risk awareness

Tools

AcadiaSoft

Markit

Bloomberg

Enfusion

Excel

Alteryx

Python

SQL

VBA

Power BI

Job description

Nearwater Capital is seeking a seasoned operations professional to join our growing team as Associate Director, Derivatives Operations to support the firm’s Capital Markets business with a primary focus on the regulated swap business.

The ideal candidate will have deep expertise across the trade lifecycle for Fixed Income, Equity, and Derivative products, a strong understanding of front-to-back operations, and the ability to collaborate across departments to enhance workflows and controls. This role will serve as a main point of contact for operational inquiries, working closely with the Director of Operations and engaging with internal trading desks, counterparties, and custodians.

What You'll Do

• Provide lifecycle management support for Commercial Paper, Equities, Fixed Income, and Swap transactions
• Manage trade settlements with a focus on Total Return Swaps (TRS) and Repurchase Transactions, including trade confirmation, broker and custodian communication, reconciliation, and issue resolution.
• Oversee trade, position, and cash reconciliations across custody, administrator, and prime broker accounts.
• Ensure proper booking of corporate actions.
• Manage initial and variation margin (IM/VM) processes and validate end-of-day balances.
• Coordinate monthly reporting with the Program Compliance team and Administrator.
• Handle trade capture, allocation, and exception management across swaps and cash hedge securities.
• Act as a key point of contact for client settlement queries and operational escalations.
• Conduct control reconciliations to ensure booking accuracy between internal systems and external records.
• Liaise with Risk teams to address open exposures, settlement fails, and margin disputes.
• Drive operational improvements by identifying process enhancements, automation opportunities, and control refinement.
• Participate in firmwide and departmental projects aimed at streamlining workflows and reducing operational risk.
• Mentor and provide guidance to junior operations staff, supporting a culture of accountability, risk awareness, and continuous improvement

What We're Looking For

• 7–10+ years of direct experience in a financial services organization performing operations activities across Settlements, Lifecycle Management, Reconciliations, Trade Support, and related functions.
• Demonstrated high-level knowledge and understanding of the Cash Equity and Equity Swap product. A general knowledge of Equities/Fixed Income/Securities Lending is highly desirable. Knowledge of Commercial Paper is a plus.
• Strong knowledge of trade lifecycle, financial markets, and industry technology including AcadiaSoft, Markit, and Bloomberg; experience with Enfusion is a plus.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with data analysis or automation tools such as Alteryx, Python, SQL, VBA, or Power BI to improve reporting accuracy and efficiency.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with Technology teams to enhance system functionality, implement data validation checks, and support workflow digitization.
• Excellent organizational skills and superior problem-solving capabilities with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a high-volume, time-sensitive environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

How You Work

• You are a self-motivated and proactive team player who takes full ownership of your work and brings a solutions-oriented mindset to every challenge.
• You thrive in structured, high-volume, and time-sensitive environments, maintaining composure and accuracy under pressure while managing competing priorities with confidence.
• You communicate clearly and effectively across all levels of the organization, building strong working relationships with internal stakeholders and external counterparties alike.
• You are continuously looking for ways to improve processes, reduce operational risk, and leverage technology to drive efficiency — and you bring others along in that effort.

What You'll Get

• A high-impact role at the center of Nearwater's Capital Markets business.
• The opportunity to help design and build scalable operational infrastructure as the firm continues to grow.
• Direct engagement with senior leadership, trading desks, and external counterparties in a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment.
• Participation in firmwide and departmental projects aimed at streamlining workflows and reducing operational risk.