Investment Operations Specialist

Momentum; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Momentum Group is seeking an Investment Operations Specialist to oversee end-to-end bulk investment operations across multiple platforms. You will drive accuracy, governance, and continuous improvement while acting as SME for corporate actions, wrap fund rebalancing, and risk management.

The role requires a minimum of 5 years in investment operations, advanced Excel and data-analytics skills, plus stakeholder management experience.

Qualifications

• Essential: Relevant tertiary qualification in Finance, Investments, Economics, Financial Services or Business Management.
• Experience in investment operations, corporate actions processing and platform administration.
• Strong analytical and data-management capabilities with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Ensure accurate and timely processing of bulk investment administration activities.
• Oversee corporate actions processing across investment platforms and wrap fund rebalancing.
• Investigate and resolve complex operational queries and ensure SLAs are met.
• Maintain operational dashboards, MI, and KPI reporting.
• Collaborate with stakeholders and drive process improvements and automation.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Power Query

Pivot Tables

Power BI

Jira Workflow Management

Operational Reporting

Data Analysis

Process Mapping

Investment Platform Administration

Corporate Actions Processing

Operational Risk Management

Education

Relevant Finance/Investments degree

BCom Finance

BCom Investment Management

BCom Economics

Business Analysis qualification

Lean Six Sigma certification

Investment-related professional qualifications

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Jira

Job description

Required Qualifications

Through our client-facing brands and our other specialist brands, Momentum Group enables business and people from all walks of life to achieve their financial goals and life aspirations.

We help people grow their savings, protect what matters to them and invest for the future. We help companies and organisations care for and reward their employees and members. Through our own network of advisers or via independent brokers and utilising new platforms Momentum Group provides practical financial solutions for people, communities and businesses.

Disclaimer As an applicant, please verify the legitimacy of this job advert on our company career page.

Role Purpose

The Investment Operations Specialist is responsible for the end-to-end oversight, administration, governance, and continuous improvement of Bulk Investment Operations activities across multiple investment platforms and products. The role serves as the subject matter expert (SME) for corporate actions, wrap fund rebalancing, bulk processing, and operational risk management.

The incumbent is responsible for ensuring operational excellence through the accurate execution and oversight of investment administration processes, while driving process optimisation, mitigating operational risk, enhancing controls, and supporting strategic business initiatives.

This role provides technical guidance within the Bulk Trading Support & Fund Administration team, acts as an escalation point for complex operational matters, and contributes to the delivery of exceptional service to internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

Essential

• Relevant tertiary qualification in:
  • Finance
  • Investments
  • Economics
  • Financial Services
  • Business Management

Preferred

• BCom Finance
• BCom Investment Management
• BCom Economics
• Business Analysis qualification
• Lean Six Sigma certification
• Investment-related professional qualifications

Required Experience

Essential

• Minimum 5 years' experience within:
  • Investment Operations
  • LISP Administration
  • Wealth Management Operations
  • Asset Management Operations
  • Platform Administration
• Proven experience in:
  • Corporate Actions Processing
  • Wrap Fund Rebalancing
  • Investment Administration
  • Operational Reporting
  • Stakeholder Management

Preferred

• 5 + years of relevant financial services operations experience.
• Experience acting as a Subject Matter Expert.
• Operational risk and control experience.
• Process optimisation and automation experience.
• Project and change management experience.
• Quality assurance and oversight experience.

Technical Skills

• Advanced Microsoft Excel
• Power Query
• Pivot Tables
• Power BI (advantageous)
• Jira Workflow Management
• Operational Reporting and Analytics
• Data Analysis and Trend Identification
• Process Mapping and Documentation
• Investment Platform Administration
• Corporate Actions Processing
• Operational Risk Management

Duties & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Investment Operations Administration

• Ensure the accurate and timely processing of all bulk investment administration activities.
• Execute and oversee corporate actions processing across various investment platforms.
• Manage and oversee wrap fund rebalancing activities.
• Investigate and resolve complex operational queries.
• Ensure all activities comply with agreed service level agreements (SLAs) and turnaround times.
• Review and approve exception processing and non-standard transactions.
• Ensure operational processes are executed in accordance with internal policies and procedures.
• Maintain high levels of accuracy and quality across all operational activities.

Oversight, Governance and Controls

Oversight Function

The incumbent will perform a first-line operational oversight function across the Investment Operations environment and be accountable for ensuring the effectiveness of operational controls and adherence to process standards.

Responsibilities include:

• Perform regular quality assurance reviews of operational activities.
• Monitor operational performance against KPIs and SLAs.
• Review exception reports and investigate operational anomalies.
• Conduct root cause analysis on recurring operational issues.
• Ensure adherence to documented procedures and governance requirements.
• Identify control weaknesses and implement corrective actions.
• Escalate operational risks and incidents appropriately.
• Support internal and external audits.
• Monitor process effectiveness and recommend control enhancements.
• Maintain oversight of corporate actions, wrap fund activities, and bulk processing functions to ensure operational integrity.

Operational Risk Management

• Identify, assess, and mitigate operational risks.
• Develop and maintain appropriate operational controls.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and governance frameworks.
• Maintain operational risk registers where required.
• Support business continuity and disaster recovery requirements.
• Promote a strong risk management culture within the team.

Process Optimisation and Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and eliminate operational bottlenecks.
• Drive automation and digitisation initiatives.
• Conduct process reviews and recommend enhancements.
• Collaborate with technology teams regarding system improvements and development opportunities.
• Lead and participate in continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain and update process documentation and operating procedures.

Management Information and Reporting

• Produce and analyse operational management information (MI).
• Prepare daily, weekly, monthly, and ad hoc reports.
• Analyse operational trends and identify emerging risks.
• Provide meaningful insights and recommendations to management.
• Develop and maintain operational dashboards and reporting packs.
• Monitor workflow volumes, capacity, and service performance metrics.

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Liaise with platform providers, fund managers, administrators, custodians, and business partners.
• Act as an escalation point for complex operational matters.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders on operational issues and resolutions.
• Represent Investment Operations in stakeholder forums and project discussions.

Projects and Change Management

• Participate in strategic business initiatives and operational projects.
• Support platform migrations, system upgrades, and product implementations.
• Perform User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for system and process changes.
• Assist with operational readiness assessments for new initiatives.
• Provide operational input into business and technology projects.
• Ensure successful implementation of operational enhancements.

Technical Leadership and Capability Development

• Act as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for:
  • Corporate Actions Processing
  • Wrap Fund Rebalancing
  • Bulk Transaction Processing
  • Investment Platform Administration
  • Operational Controls and Governance
• Mentor and support junior team members.
• Provide technical guidance and coaching.
• Assist with knowledge sharing and skills development initiatives.
• Promote best practices and operational excellence across the team.

Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Investment Operations Expertise
• Corporate Actions Knowledge
• Risk and Controls Management
• Data Analysis and Reporting
• Process Improvement
• Governance and Compliance Awareness

Behavioural Competencies

• Accountability and Ownership
• Analytical Thinking
• Attention to Detail
• Problem Solving
• Results Orientation
• Initiative
• Resilience
• Stakeholder Management
• Communication and Influencing Skills
• Sound Judgement
• Continuous Improvement Mindset
• Client Centricity