VTRAC Consulting Corporation
“Intelligent Resources”
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Subject: Investment Data Management Analyst (Contract); JOB: 21-00018; Attention: [email protected] or call
416-366-2600 Ext. 227
Position No.: 21-00018
Title: Investment Data Management Analyst (Contract)
Type: 18 Months Contract
No. of Positions: 1
Location: Toronto, ON
Background:
A global financial organization, that offers a suite of financial products across a range of asset classes, investment
styles and geographies.
Description:
The Data Management Analyst is generally responsible for providing first line client support, product support as well
as data, project & process integrity support. The incumbent primarily focuses on one of the four functional areas
within GPS Support Services and is expected to spend no less than 70% of his/her time in the assigned focus area and
up to 30% in the other three areas.
In general, an Analyst is expected to be self-motivated, works independently with very minimal supervision, escalates
issues when appropriate to provide Security Master and Portfolio Support to the firm’s internal business partners
globally. The incumbent liaises and works jointly with team members in global locations (Toronto, Houston, Atlanta,
London, Louisville, Hong Kong and Hyderabad) to provide 6×24 support coverage, participates in research and
analysis of non-standard GPS related data concerns (e.g. security master, new instruments implementation,
reconciliation, portfolio position / cash) and acts as first point of contact on data reconciliation issue resolution
escalation. The Analyst exercises business focused judgment while researching and resolving time critical and risk
sensitive issues and appropriately involve others for guidance as needed. Furthermore, the Analyst II acts as data
steward to ensure data standard, quality and integrity are maintained as well as data is reconciled. The Analyst II
recommends and participates in automation & continuous improvement of daily operational processes as well as
share knowledge within the global team.
Responsibilities:
General Responsibilities
• Build strong, long-term business relationship and develop a close-working partnership with other
business units.
• Proactively follow up on queries and requests received, coordinate within GPS groups and ensuring
resolutions.
• Take initiative to raise issues where appropriate, suggest possible solutions and knows when to escalate.
Proactively contribute ideas, support the building of business case, document & present
recommendations and participate in continuous improvement initiatives.
• Participates in analysis, User Acceptance Testing and rollout support on new business
requirements/projects (e.g. upgrade/enhancement of applications used).
• Act as the first point of contact for queries from business partners. Share knowledge with global
colleagues and will be recruited to train other team members from time to time on subjects that the
Analyst II is familiar with.
• Continue to learn and acquire knowledge required (e.g. Complex Financial Instruments and Investment
Strategies, Fund of Fund Process, Cash Management Process, Canadian Lapping, Industry Regulatory
Changes, etc.)
• Maintain and update documentation on Support Services global and regional operational procedures
First Line Support
• Support internal business partners such as portfolio managers, traders, compliance globally by executing
tasks outlined in the Global Data Operations Service Catalogue as well as the North America Portfolio
Support Service Catalogue.
• Setup, maintenance, review and validation of security master, brokers and various reference data
elements. Deliver production support tasks accurately and in a timely manner that meet established SLA.
Participate in data reconciliation process between various internal systems.
• Participate in the research and analysis of GPS related data (e.g. security master, new instruments,
portfolio position, investible cash) in support of the creation/maintenance of the firm’s specific data
elements. Ensure data provided fits the firm’s global needs.
• Validate and ensure data override requests conform to the firm’s Data Standard; conduct
research/analysis and escalate issue within Support Services as well as to appropriate Data Governance
bodies as needed.
• Take ownership, with some guidance (if needed), on complex escalated position, cash, coupon payment
and security master related reconciliation breaks requiring non-standard research and problem-solving
abilities to solve outages.
• Maintain an overall understanding of the assigned investment strategy, i.e. cash weights, financial
instruments within the portfolio, cash management, etc.
• Responsible for cash management support by calculating / verifying current day and net investable cash
in multiple currencies for portfolio managers and resolve discrepancies within established deadlines.
Resolve all escalated position exceptions prior to market open and informs the investment teams.
Product Support
• Participate in the analysis of the characteristics of new instruments to determine the associated data
requirements and support procedures across all relevant systems. Support the end-to-end testing of the
data and process flow required for the new instrument. Contribute to new instrument response and
testing within Support Services.
• Participate in Product Shelf changes (e.g. new fund launch, new institutional mandates, portfolio
manager change, fund name change, etc.) related activities within Support Services.
• Continue to learn and enhance knowledge in complex instruments (e.g. derivatives, money market and
fixed income). Document complex instrument support procedures, share knowledge and train global
team on complex instruments.
• Participate in new data requests and data standard change requests. Analyze new data needs,
recommends new and adjustment to data standards. Contribute to the research and analysis of GPS
related data (e.g. security master, new instruments, portfolio position / cash) in support of the
creation/maintenance of specific data elements. Ensure data provided fits the firm’s global needs.
Data Integrity
• Liaise with other GPS functions to ensure integrity of portfolio related data (position, cash, security
master, pricing, corporate action, FX, derivatives, etc.) via reconciliation resolution oversight,
coordination and escalation globally.
• Act as the escalation point for critical reconciliation breaks. Monitor and identify critical reconciliation
breaks assigned to all GPS functions. Contribute to the coordination and cross-functions discussions to
ensure reconciliation breaks pertaining to GPS are resolved timely and accurately. Engage in discussions
with internal and external parties to expedite resolution on critical reconciliation items.
• Contribute to the production of management reports and executive level commentaries on the health of
GPS reconciliation and other issues resolution. Escalate and keep GPS Support Services Leadership Team
informed of any critical reconciliation breaks and data issues globally.
• Work closely with GRS and GPS function teams to identify opportunities to streamline the overall
reconciliation resolution process globally. Participate and contribute to cross-function discussions on
reconciliation resolution process improvements identified.
• Responsible for daily cash and claims management oversight. Inform stakeholders (e.g Investment,
Compliance) on critical data integrity issues that impact them in a timely manner.
• Support reconciliation and audit process for specific accounts (e.g. Mortgage Corporate – IVR accounts)
as per SLA defined.
Project & Process Integrity
• Contribute ideas to process integrity and effectiveness enhancement opportunities and participate in
delivering the enhancements. Participate in the development of new ways to identify and alert us of data
quality issue preemptively.
• Participate in the prioritization, organization and monitoring of business requests for Support Services
globally. Engage in process improvements and project coordination globally within Support Services.
• Contribute to the definition and delivery of efficiency and data quality measurements. Monitor and keep
Support Services Leadership Team inform on these measurements regularly. Work with Support Services
Leadership Team to identify and address root cause if measurement not meeting defined targets.
• Responsible for operation reviews and controls. Initiate and ensure completion of data override regular
reviews. Monitor the completion of manual new security master set up and double-checking
documentation evidence globally. Escalate to First Line Support managers if required documentation is
incomplete.
• Train global Support Services teams on new support / operational procedures.
Must Have Technical Skills:
• Minimum 3 years' financial services industry experience in a data analysis capacity
• Strong knowledge of investment products and global security markets is required
• Knowledge of market data services such as Bloomberg and Reuters is required
• Must have previous knowledge and work experience with data management applications (e.g. CADIS,
Eagle PACE), order management systems (e.g. Charles River, Aladdin), portfolio administration
applications (e.g. Eagle STAR, FMC), fund accounting applications (e.g. PAS, Eagle STAR), reconciliation
tools (e.g. TLM), and data warehouse platforms (e.g. Eagle PACE)
• Must have a solid understanding of the end-to-end investment services processes including but not
limiting to trade entry, trade process, settlement, security master set up/maintenance, valuation,
corporate action processing, fund accounting and reconciliation resolution.
• Must have a good understanding of a financial firm’s and/or investment firm’s data flow and the impact
of different characteristics of GPS owned data (e.g. positions, cash, security master, prices etc.) have on
downstream data consumers and business functions (e.g. compliance, risk, performance, portfolio
management, etc.)
• Good Microsoft Office skills – in particular Excel, Access, Word, PowerPoint, Project and Visio.
• Understands of the firm’s marketplace and global reach, and is mindful of the global nature of our
business when conducting day to day activities. Understands the firm’s primary product sets and
operating model.
• Demonstrated ability to process and assimilate data and information into meaningful management and
reporting information.
• Require a University degree in Accounting, Finance, Math or business area of concentration (or an
equivalent combination of education, training, experience that would provide the knowledge, skills and
ability required)
• MBA an asset
• Certify Financial Analyst (CFA) or Professional accounting designation (CMA, CGA, CA, CPA) an asset
Working Conditions:
• Rotating support coverage is required for international markets that are open during statutory holidays
• Participate in Business Recovery testing on an as-needed basis as defined by manager
• Overtime, off hours support and travel may be required
• Staggering shift work is required on a rotational basis and as defined by manager to provide global
business coverage
• Current hours of business coverage for the North America Team (subject to change to fit global
operations coverage needs):
– Mondays to Thursdays: Eastern Time 7:00a.m. – 8:00p.m.
– Fridays: Eastern Time 7:00a.m. – 6:00p.m.
– Sundays : Eastern Time 4:00p.m – 8:00p.m.
We thank all candidates in advance. Only selected candidates for interviews will be contacted. For other exciting
opportunities, please visit us at www.vtrac.com. VTRAC is an equal opportunity employer.
Toronto . New York . Houston . Palo Alto