Fixed Income Trade Operations Analyst

Aquent; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 79,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent is seeking a Fixed Income Trade Operations Analyst in Irvine, CA for a 12-month contract. Hybrid schedule: in-office Mon–Thu, Friday remote; early shift around 6:30/7:30 AM to align with market cut-offs.

This role sits in our fast-paced Middle Office, bridging front-office traders, custodians, and internal stakeholders. You will lead daily production, trade confirmation, and settlement for Fixed Income and FX, with end-to-end post-trade workflows using BlackRock Aladdin and related

Qualifications

• Hands-on BlackRock Aladdin in a front-to-back or middle-office environment is required.
• 4+ years of specialized experience in middle-office operations, trade processing, settlements, or trade support within Fixed Income and FX markets.
• Operational familiarity with DTCC/CTM and Misys/Finastra.
• Willingness to work early morning market hours (6:30 AM / 7:30 AM start).
• Ability to work hybrid on-site in Irvine, CA (Mon–Thu in-office).

Responsibilities

• Post-Trade Execution & Settlement: Perform daily intra-day production processing, trade confirmations, matching, and settlement functions for Fixed Income and FX.
• Trader Support & “White-Glove” Service: Deliver rapid, high-touch support to traders and key internal stakeholders. Address trade discrepancies quickly to protect portfolio alpha.
• Exception Handling & Problem Solving: Diagnose, investigate, and resolve low-to-mid complexity trade discrepancies with Senior Analysts for higher complexity.
• System Operations: Drive end-to-end post-trade workflows using BlackRock Aladdin alongside core middle-office and custodian platforms.
• Stakeholder & Custodian Liaison: Coordinate with up to 30 global custodian banks to instruct settlements and resolve discrepancies before cut-offs.
• Process Optimization: Contribute to evaluating and implementing optimized trade allocation and desk coverage models across Muni, IG, and EM desks.

Skills

Aladdin expertise

Fixed Income knowledge

FX experience

Trade processing

Tools

DTCC/CTM

Misys/Finastra

Excel

PowerBI

Job description

Fixed Income Trade Operations Analyst

Location: Irvine, CA (Hybrid: Monday–Thursday in-office / Friday remote)

Schedule: Early Shift (Approx. 6:30/7:30 AM – 3:30/4:30 PM, aligned with market cut-offs)

Duration: 12-Month Contract (Opportunity for extension)

$57.62 / hourly as W2

About the Role

We are seeking a results-driven Fixed Income Trade Operations Analyst to join our fast-paced, high-performing Middle Office team in Irvine. Positioned right at the heart of post-trade execution, this role serves as a crucial bridge between front-office traders, custodian banks, and internal stakeholder groups (Legal, Compliance, and Portfolio Analysis).

In this role, you will lead daily production, processing, trade confirmation, and exception resolution across Fixed Income and Foreign Exchange (FX) products. Working as part of a global, follow-the-sun operational model (alongside teams in London and Singapore), you will apply strong technical expertise and sound business acumen to keep post-trade operations running smoothly and accurately.

Key Responsibilities

• Post-Trade Execution & Settlement: Perform daily intra-day production processing, trade confirmations, matching, and settlement functions for Fixed Income (Bonds, Muni Desk, TBAs) and Foreign Exchange (FX) transactions.
• Trader Support & “White-Glove” Service: Deliver rapid, high-touch support to traders and key internal stakeholders. Swiftly address trade discrepancies within 15–30 minute windows to protect portfolio alpha.
• Exception Handling & Problem Solving: Apply intellectual curiosity to diagnose, investigate, and resolve low-to-mid complexity trade discrepancies. Partner with Senior Analysts on high-complexity or ambiguous operational exceptions.
• System Operations: Drive end-to-end post-trade workflows leveraging BlackRock Aladdin alongside core middle-office and custodian platforms.
• Stakeholder & Custodian Liaison: Work directly with up to 30 global custodian banks, accounting units, and investment control teams to instruct trade settlements and resolve discrepancies before critical cut-off times.
• Process Optimization: Participate in evaluating and implementing optimized trade allocation and desk coverage models across various desks (Muni, Investment Grade, Emerging Markets).

Candidate Qualifications

Required Experience & Must-Haves

• BlackRock Aladdin Expertise: Hands-on experience using BlackRock Aladdin in a front-to-back or middle-office environment is required.
• Fixed Income & FX Background: 4+ years of specialized experience in middle-office operations, trade processing, settlements, or trade support within Fixed Income and FX markets.
• Industry Systems Proficiency: Solid operational familiarity with key industry applications, specifically DTCC/CTM and Misys/Finastra.
• Early Market Schedule: Willingness to work early morning market hours (6:30 AM / 7:30 AM start) to meet strict market cut-off timelines and cash/SMA file deadlines.
• Commutation & Attendance: Ability to work hybrid on-site in Irvine, CA (Mon–Thu in-office). Availability to support core operational timelines through the year-end holiday season.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

• Exposure to platforms such as CLS, ALERT, and TradeWeb.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with PowerBI or data metrics reporting is a plus.
• Prior experience dealing with multi-manager system configurations or derivative trade processing workflows.
• Ability to handle high-pressure front-office requests with composure, humility, clear communication, and urgency.

Team Culture & Why Join Us?

You will be joining a collaborative, tight-knit team of ~20 operations professionals who take pride in mutual support, team cohesion, and high standards. We foster a supportive environment that values intellectual curiosity, professional autonomy, and proactive problem solvers who love getting to the root cause of complex operational challenges.