Implementation Specialist and Quantitative Analyst (Prescient Investment Management)

Prescient; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Prescient Investment Management is seeking an Implementation Specialist and Quantitative Analyst to support daily cash clearing, money market dealing and asset setup across Prescient mandates. The role involves asset pricing, regulatory checks and interface with middle office operations to ensure timely, accurate settlement.

You will work on building liquidity, forecasting cash flows and negotiating with banks while maintaining data integrity in admin systems.

Qualifications

• Required experience in Asset Management Middle office support is essential, 2-6 years’ experience required.
• Strong knowledge of Financial Services Industry particularly the mechanics of Unit Trusts.
• Knowledge of Regulations is an advantage.
• Strong Coding skills – preferably in Python.
• Exposure to back-office systems and integration with Eagle.
• Research and ability to work with data.

Responsibilities

• Cash management: asset pricing and setup accuracy; price interests and derivatives; ensure admin system setup is correct.
• Money market dealing: manage daily cash sweeping; run cashflow forecasts; record transactions and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Creating assets: set up new FI assets on Eagle and Front Office; maintain static data; coordinate MTM with JSE.
• Credit ratings data: update rating databases; maintain instrument universe in Cash & Income and Compliance tools.
• Research and process improvement: automate cash management; assist quant research; support portal migration.

Skills

Python

Education

University Degree (Finance/Maths/Stats/Business Science)

Postgraduate and CFA studies preferred

Tools

Eagle

Job description

Implementation Specialist and Quantitative Analyst (Prescient Investment Management)

The role focusses on daily cash clearing, money market dealing and implementation across all Prescient’s mandates. Daily cash clearing is across all PIM portfolios ensuring investment of all liquid assets and meeting cover requirements, it will also include negotiations with banks, asset pricing, asset set-up, compliance checking and interface with middle office/investment operations. Instruments traded will include vanilla money market assets, credit instruments, structured notes, derivatives, government

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Cash Management

• Asset pricing and asset knowledge
• Understand and be able to price all interest-bearing assets.
• Understand and be able to price interest bearing derivatives.
• Know variables that are needed to price assets and maintain correct set-up in Admin system.

Money Market Dealing

• Build understanding and ability to manage daily portfolio cash sweeping.
• Run daily cashflow forecast to sweep all portfolios.
• Maintenance of investment and withdrawals log for the day.
• Know model portfolio and required/allowed assets.
• Get a sound understanding of the Regulations (Reg28, Cisca, etc.).
• Check exposure of each account and calculate trades needed.
• Ensure compliance with regulation and mandate is maintained.
• Trade required position with Banks/Issuers.
• Learn how to negotiate best rates and not accept poor deals.
• Ensure admin notification happens timely and accurately.
• Sound knowledge of STRATE settlement process.
• Check portfolios after trades to ensure assets are correctly loaded.
• Checking data capturing in software.
• Investigation and troubleshooting trade system errors and failures.
• Assistance with asset set up in software: Ensure asset set-up is 100% correct in admin system and that all fields have been entered.
• Accuracy and speed are essential in this process.

Creating assets

• New FI assets on Eagle and Front Office solution – ensuring setup is correct.
• Ensure existing set-up is correct.
• Significant experience for setting up ring-fenced structured assets that FI team have not bought.
• Static data maintenance of all assets.
• Structured note set-up.
• Maintain /updating manual Excel sheets structured notes.
• Ensuring pricing of eagle assets is correct as MTM on JSE may be incorrect.
• Liaise with JSE to correct MTM.
• Ensure FI trades MTM are correct on JSE.
• Assisting FI desk ensuring trade settlement between counter party and ADMINISTRATOR.
• FI Team liaison with ADMINISTRATOR.

Credit Ratings and Credit Data: Key contact for all rating events, updating credit rating database, maintain credit ratings in Cash & Income team as well as Compliance, front office solution and Eagle, Ensuring Cash & Income team universe of credit instruments is always updated with new issues.

Research and process improvement

• Setup processes to improve cash management.
• Assist in quant research for the Cash & Income team.
• Assist in moving cash management processes into the Prime portal.

Ad Hoc

• Check management fees and distributions at month-end.
• Check fund fact sheets.Check performances of cash funds are in line.
• Do fund attributions as and when required.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• Required experience in Asset Management Middle office support is essential, 2-6 years’ experience required.
• Strong knowledge of Financial Services Industry particularly the mechanics of Unit Trusts.
• Knowledge of Regulations is an advantage.
• Strong Coding skills – preferably in Python.
• Exposure to back-office systems and integration with Eagle.
• Research and ability to work with data.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• University Degree (Finance/Maths/Stats/Business Science).
• Postgraduate and/or CFA studies preferred.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Highly organised and good time management.
• Positive team player, highly collaborative approach.
• Accuracy is of the utmost importance.
• Keen interest to learn and develop in the role.
• Handle stress well.

WHY THIS ROLE?

This is a brilliant opportunity to apply your skills and experience in support of a dynamic, highly competent investment team and grow your understanding of the asset management environment.

Where exceptional expertise meets meticulous financial services