Investment Operations Analyst (12-Month Ftc)

Rory Mackie & Associates; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 450,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

Rory Mackie & Associates in Cape Town seeks an Investment Operations professional to oversee cash and stock reconciliations carried out by external service providers within an asset management framework.

You will focus on timely resolution of breaks, liaise with internal and external stakeholders, and help maintain robust procedures. Experience with AI platforms to boost efficiency is beneficial.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in commerce or CA(SA) with relevant operational experience.
• Understanding of operational aspects of asset management.
• Ability to identify reputational and financial risk.
• Familiarity with data management and external service providers.

Responsibilities

• Oversee reconciliations by external providers and identify breaks.
• Take ownership of resolution timelines and drive prompt clearance.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders about breaks impacting funds.
• Liaise with external stakeholders to improve efficiencies across processes.
• Query, challenge and resolve discrepancies with service providers.
• Escalate unresolved or high-risk breaks to senior stakeholders.
• Maintain up-to-date procedures for the reconciliation oversight process.

Skills

Reconciliation oversight

Risk awareness

Data management

Stakeholder liaison

Analytical thinking

Education

B.Com / B.Bus Sci or CA(SA)

Tools

AI platforms (Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT)

Job description

About the team:

The Investment Operations Team is responsible for overseeing the operational activities performed by our client's external service providers and ensuring that client assets are managed in accordance with the terms of the Investment Management Agreement. The team are responsible for defining operational requirements for the implementation, embedding and maintenance of new products or service requirements.

This role entails close collaboration with various stakeholders across the organisation and requires a candidate who is committed to teamwork.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee the cash and stock reconciliations produced by our external service providers, ensuring that they perform their functions including that breaks are identified, investigated and escalated in a timely and controlled manner. Break categories could include but not limited to, failed trades, non-receipt of income, OTC (Over-the-Counter) , Collateral and Corporate Actions
• Take ownership of resolution timelines and driving prompt clearance in line with agreed service standards
• Liaise proactively with internal stakeholders, to communicate reconciliation breaks that may impact their respective Funds or Mandates, ensuring they are appropriately informed and able to act
• Liaise proactively with external stakeholders - to establish relationships and ensure efficiencies are achieved across underlying break types and related interconnected processes
• Partner with external service providers to query, challenge and resolve discrepancies, maintaining a clear audit trail of break investigations and outcomes
• Escalate unresolved or high-risk breaks to senior stakeholders, flagging potential operational, reputational or financial risk where appropriate
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date procedures documentation relating to the reconciliation oversight process, supporting consistency and resilience across the team

Requirements:

• B. Comm / B. Bus Sci or other similar degrees with relevant industry and operational experience of liaising with individuals at all levels and across business
• OR newly CA(SA)
• Understanding of the operational aspects of an Asset Management organisation
• Ability to understand and identify possible areas of reputational and financial risk
• Understanding third party service providers and data management
• Experience leveraging AI platforms (e.g. Microsoft Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT) to improve efficiency and decision-making would be beneficial

Attributes we look for in a person are:

• The ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships
• The ability to 'approach and own' and continuously look for opportunities to develop
• Ability to recognise and embrace change
• Intellectual curiosity
• Ability to analyse, interpret and assimilate information