Director, Institutional Operations & Transfer Agency Services

M&T Bank Corporation; Wilmington (DE); Hybrid; USD 141,800 - 236,400; Full time

Job summary

M&T Bank Corporation is seeking a Director to lead Institutional Operations & Transfer Agency Services in Wilmington, DE. You will drive bond servicing, transfer agent activities, and high-value transactions while ensuring compliance and operational excellence.

The role requires navigating regulatory examinations, mentoring managers, and partnering with executives to enhance efficiency, resilience, and client service in a high-stakes financial environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 9+ years of relevant experience in financial services or institutional operations.
• 3+ years of leadership experience managing managers or large teams.
• MBA or Master’s degree preferred.
• Extensive experience in wealth management, trust, capital markets, or institutional services.
• Direct experience with Registered Transfer Agent operations.
• Strong understanding of bond servicing, securities processing, and wire transfers.
• Experience with regulatory examinations, audits, and compliance reviews.
• Proven ability to lead through change and drive process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for multiple operational teams supporting Institutional Services and transfer agent functions.
• Oversee bond servicing including recordkeeping, payments, and security transfers.
• Lead high-value transactions with adherence to controls and SLAs.
• Coach managers and individual contributors to foster accountability and excellence.
• Serve as primary contact during regulatory and internal audits, communicating controls and remediation.
• Ensure SEC Transfer Agent compliance (and related rules) across processes.
• Monitor performance using metrics and BI tools; identify risks and improvement opportunities.
• Partner with executives to implement initiatives enhancing efficiency, scalability, and risk management.
• Drive cross-functional system enhancements and process improvements for client service.
• Manage budgets, resources, business continuity, and risk programs.
• Resolve complex issues and escalations with a client-focused approach.
• Build strong partnerships with leadership, compliance, risk management, tech, auditors, regulators.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Regulatory acumen

Process improvement

Executive communication

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Operational excellence

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or Master’s degree

Tools

TranStar

GPP

ACS

SEI

Job description

## Director, Institutional Operations & Transfer Agency ServicesApplyremote type: Hybrid Positionlocations: Wilmington, DEtime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Yesterdayjob requisition id: R88139**Overview:**Banking Services is seeking an experienced operational leader to oversee a critical function that supports our Institutional Services business within Wilmington Trust. This role leads multiple teams responsible for bond servicing operations, transfer agency activities, and the execution of complex, high-value financial transactions for institutional clients. As Director, Institutional Operations & Transfer Agency Services, you will be responsible for ensuring the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of transactions involving millions, and at times billions, of dollars. You will provide strategic and operational leadership across several specialized teams supporting bondholder recordkeeping, principal and interest payments, security transfers, high-risk wire processing, reconciliations, control reporting, and workflow administration. This is a highly visible leadership role that combines operational excellence, regulatory oversight, risk management, talent leadership, and continuous process improvement. The successful candidate will serve as a key partner to executive leadership, compliance, audit, and regulatory agencies while driving operational efficiency and maintaining a strong control environment.**Primary Responsibilities:*** Provide strategic leadership for multiple operational teams supporting Wilmington Trust's Institutional Services business and Registered Transfer Agent functions.* Oversee the timely and accurate execution of bond servicing activities, including bondholder recordkeeping, principal and interest payments, security transfers, account maintenance, reconciliations, and related operational processes.* Lead teams responsible for high-risk and high-value financial transactions, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements, internal controls, and service level commitments.* Foster a culture of operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement while developing and coaching both managers and individual contributors.* Serve as a primary contact during regulatory examinations, internal audits, and external audits, effectively communicating business processes, controls, operational risks, and remediation efforts.* Ensure compliance with SEC Registered Transfer Agent requirements, SEC Rule 17Ad regulations, and other applicable regulatory and audit standards.* Monitor operational performance through metrics, reporting, and business intelligence tools, identifying trends, risks, and opportunities for process optimization.* Partner with executive leadership to address operational challenges, recommend solutions, and implement strategic initiatives that improve efficiency, scalability, and risk management.* Lead cross-functional initiatives, system enhancements, and process improvement efforts that strengthen the control environment and enhance client service delivery.* Manage departmental budgets, resource planning, business continuity efforts, and operational risk programs.* Oversee the resolution of complex operational issues, exceptions, and escalations while maintaining a client-focused approach.* Build and maintain strong partnerships with business leaders, compliance, risk management, technology teams, auditors, regulators, and external service providers.**What Success Looks Like:**The successful leader will thrive in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment where precision, responsiveness, and sound judgment are critical. You will be comfortable balancing strategic leadership with hands-on operational involvement, helping teams navigate complex challenges while ensuring high levels of client service, regulatory compliance, and operational effectiveness. You will be a trusted advisor to senior leadership, capable of identifying risks, solving complex operational problems, driving change, and influencing decisions that strengthen the organization.**Ideal Candidate Profile:**We're seeking a leader who brings a combination of institutional operations expertise, risk management experience, and strong people leadership skills.* Strategic and operational leadership* Risk management and regulatory acumen* Process improvement and continuous improvement mindset* Executive presence and communication skills* Complex problem-solving and critical thinking* Change leadership and influence* Talent development and team engagement* Strong stakeholder management skills* Ability to perform effectively under pressure while managing competing priorities**Education and Experience Required:*** Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience* 9+ years of relevant experience (financial services, operations, or institutional services experience)* 3+ years of leadership experience (ideally managing managers and/or large operational teams)**Education and Experience Preferred:*** Advanced degree (MBA or Master's degree)* Significant experience within wealth management, trust, capital markets, or institutional services environments* Leadership experience within institutional operations, trust operations, transfer agency, securities operations, custody, wealth management, capital markets, or related financial services environments* Direct experience with Registered Transfer Agent operations* Strong understanding of bond servicing, securities processing, money movement activities, and wire transfer operations* Experience supporting or overseeing relationships with organizations such as DTCC (Depository Trust and Clearing Company) and other financial market infrastructure providers* Experience leading through regulatory examinations, audits, and compliance reviews* Proven success managing operational risk, controls, reconciliations, and exception management processes* Experience driving process improvements, operational efficiencies, and large-scale change initiatives* Demonstrated ability to use reporting, analytics, and business intelligence tools to improve decision-making and operational performance* Familiarity with systems such as TranStar, GPP, ACS, SEI or similar transaction processing and operations platforms is highly desirable**Work Location & Work Model**:* Eligible candidates must live within reasonable commuting distance to 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801* This is a hybrid role requiring four days per week in the officeM&T Bank is committed to fair, competitive, and market-informed pay for our employees. The pay range for this position is $141,800.00 - $236,400.00 Annual (USD). The successful candidate’s particular combination of knowledge, skills, and experience will inform their specific compensation.# **Location**Wilmington, Delaware, United States of America### About UsGreat companies have an enduring sense of purpose. At M&T, our purpose is a simple one: **make a difference in people’s lives and uplift the communities we serve**. M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T’s affiliates offer advice, guidance, expertise and solutions across the entire financial spectrum, combining M&T Bank’s traditional banking services with the wealth management and institutional capabilities offered by Wilmington Trust. M&T Bank has a network of over 1,000 branches and 2,200 ATMs that span 12 states from Maine to Virginia and Washington, D.C. For more than 165 years, M&T has strived to take an active role in our communities and build long-lasting relationships with our customers. We are a bank for communities—combining the capabilities of a large bank with the care of a locally focused institution.**As an employer of choice, we are proud to offer** **competitive benefits** ranging from medical and retirement to forty hours of paid volunteer time, each year. Our core values – integrity, ownership, collaboration, curiosity, and candor – drive the work we do. We seek to further build upon our record of success by bringing in top talent and fresh skill sets while continuing to support the growth and development of all our team members. ViewM&T’s Human Capital Report to learn more.**Ready to join our team?** Submit your application today!If you are unable to apply through this site due to technical issues or need an accommodation to apply, please contact us at [e-mail] for assistance.