Operations Specialist

M&G Investments Southern Africa; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 420,000 - 640,000; Full time

Job summary

M&G Investments Southern Africa is seeking an Operations Specialist to oversee investment operations across multiple products and asset classes. You will ensure accurate processing, settlements, reconciliations, and controls while partnering with custodians, service providers, and clients.

The role emphasises data integrity, risk mitigation, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement through automation and tech-enabled processes.

Qualifications

• Proven experience performing and investigating cash, scrip, unit, trade, and transaction reconciliations.
• Strong analytical ability to identify trends, investigate discrepancies, determine root causes, and resolve exceptions effectively.
• Experience maintaining data integrity and resolving complex account and transaction breaks within agreed service levels.

Responsibilities

• Execute and oversee operational processes across multiple investment products, asset classes and business functions.
• Process transactions accurately and within required service level agreements.
• Support trade settlement activities and ensure timely and accurate settlement of transactions.
• Perform daily reconciliations and investigate and resolve discrepancies and exceptions.
• Process payments and ensure accuracy and adherence to established controls.
• Maintain the accuracy and completeness of operational and investment data.
• Investigate, resolve and elevate operational exceptions and issues where required.
• Monitor and maintain effective operational controls to mitigate risk.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, regulatory requirements and operational procedures.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders, custodians, counterparties, service providers and clients to resolve operational matters.
• Identify opportunities to improve and optimise operational processes and controls.
• Contribute to the implementation of automation solutions and the adoption of emerging technologies.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, accuracy and scalability within Investment Operations.
• Contribute to a culture of operational excellence through proactive problem-solving and effective stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Cash reconciliations

Trade reconciliations

Data integrity

Exception management

Analytical skills

Trade matching

Trade settlement

Corporate actions

Reconciliations

InvestOne

Intellimatch

Bank Online

Excel

Data analysis

Reporting

Process improvement

Automation

UAT

Documentation

Governance

Regulatory compliance

Tools

InvestOne

Intellimatch

Bank Online

Excel

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented, and proactive Operations Specialist to join our Investment Operations team.

This role is responsible for the accurate and timely execution, control, and oversight of operational processes that support investment administration and business operations across multiple products, asset classes, and business functions. The successful candidate will play a critical role in ensuring operational integrity through the effective processing of transactions, trade settlement activities, reconciliations, exception management, payments processing, and operational risk mitigation.

As an Operations Specialist, you will be responsible for maintaining the accuracy and completeness of operational and investment data, investigating and resolving exceptions, supporting settlement activities, and ensuring adherence to internal controls, regulatory requirements, and service level commitments. You will work closely with internal stakeholders, custodians, counterparties, service providers, and clients to ensure seamless operational delivery and effective resolution of operational issues.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute and oversee operational processes across multiple investment products, asset classes and business functions.
• Process transactions accurately and within required service level agreements.
• Support trade settlement activities and ensure timely and accurate settlement of transactions.
• Perform daily reconciliations and investigate and resolve discrepancies and exceptions.
• Process payments and ensure accuracy and adherence to established controls.
• Maintain the accuracy and completeness of operational and investment data.
• Investigate, resolve and elevate operational exceptions and issues where required.
• Monitor and maintain effective operational controls to mitigate risk.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, regulatory requirements and operational procedures.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders, custodians, counterparties, service providers and clients to resolve operational matters.
• Identify opportunities to improve and optimise operational processes and controls.
• Contribute to the implementation of automation solutions and the adoption of emerging technologies.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, accuracy and scalability within Investment Operations.
• Contribute to a culture of operational excellence through proactive problem-solving and effective stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

Reconciliations & Exception Management

• Proven experience performing and investigating cash, scrip, unit, trade, and transaction reconciliations.
• Strong analytical ability to identify trends, investigate discrepancies, determine root causes, and resolve exceptions effectively.
• Experience maintaining data integrity and resolving complex account and transaction breaks within agreed service levels.

Investment Operations Knowledge

• Sound understanding of the investment operations lifecycle, including trade matching, confirmation, settlement, payment processing, corporate actions, and reconciliations.
• Working knowledge of operational processes across multiple asset classes, including equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, money market instruments, and derivatives.
• Understanding of trade settlement principles and settlement risk management practices.

Systems & Technology

• Proficiency in investment administration and operational platforms such as InvestOne, Intellimatch, and Bank Online (BOL) applications.
• Ability to effectively utilise operational systems to process transactions, investigate issues, manage exceptions, and maintain data integrity.
• Strong systems aptitude and the ability to learn and adapt to changing technology and operational environments.

Data Analysis & Reporting

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including data analysis, reconciliations, exception investigation, reporting, and management of large operational datasets.
• Ability to analyse operational trends, identify risks, and provide meaningful insights to support operational decision-making.
• Strong quantitative and problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong understanding of operational risk management principles, exception management processes, and control frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to identify operational risks, assess control weaknesses, implement corrective actions, and mitigate settlement and operational risk.
• Experience operating within a regulated and highly controlled environment.

Transaction Integrity & Data Governance

• Proven ability to maintain the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of operational and investment data.
• Experience applying reconciliation, validation, and control procedures to ensure a consistent and reliable source of transaction data.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data quality standards.

Change, Improvement & Automation

• Experience supporting operational and system change initiatives, including process reviews, workshops, business testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), and implementation activities.
• Demonstrated ability to identify process improvement opportunities that enhance operational efficiency, strengthen controls, and improve service delivery.
• Appreciation for automation, digitisation, and innovative ways of working within an operations environment.

Documentation & Governance

• Strong documentation skills, including preparation of incident reports, root cause analyses, failed process logs, standard operating procedures, process maps, and control documentation.
• Ability to produce clear, accurate, and audit-ready documentation aligned with governance and compliance requirements.

Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge

• Good understanding of governance practices, regulatory obligations, operational policies, and service level requirements relevant to investment operations.
• Commitment to maintaining compliance with internal controls, organisational policies, and industry best practices.

As we continue to build a modern, scalable, and technology-enabled operations function, candidates with the following skills will have a distinct advantage:

• Advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities, including complex formulas, Power Query, automation, dashboard development, and large-scale data analysis.
• Experience developing automation solutions using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) or similar workflow and process automation tools.
• Exposure to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative AI technologies, with the ability to leverage these tools to improve productivity, automate repetitive tasks, enhance reporting, strengthen controls, and support operational decision-making.
• Demonstrated interest in digital transformation, operational innovation, and technology-driven process improvement.
• Ability to identify opportunities to improve scalability, reduce manual intervention, and enhance operational efficiency through technology and automation.
• Highly organised and able to deliver against tight deadlines.
• Resilient and able to cope with pressure.
• Take initiative in improving processes and systems.
• Ability to work independently and across functions and teams to deliver complex tasks.
• Ability to engage with stakeholders in the business and attend to ad hoc requests from the business or external clients.
• Take ownership and accountability for work.
• Open to receiving constructive feedback.
• Willingness to self-study and research performance topics one may be unfamiliar with.