Private Markets Credit Specialist

We are pleased to announce an incredible opportunity to join us here at Phoenix Group as a Private Markets Credit Specialist to join our Middle Office team, part of the Asset Management function.

Job Type:  Permanent

Location: This role will be based in either our London / Edinburgh office, with some time working between the office and home. There will be some travel between our Phoenix offices. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process. You can read more about Phoenix Flex here.

Salary and Benefits: £50,000 – £70,000 (subject to experience) + bonus (pro-rated), excellent pension scheme, private medical insurance, electric vehicle scheme, 38 days holiday incl. Bank Holidays (pro-rated), plus 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more!

Who are we?

We want to be the best place that any of our 6,800 colleagues have ever worked.

We’re the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business. We offer our 12 million customers products across our market-leading brands, including Standard Life, SunLife and ReAssure, with c.£259 billion of assets under administration. We’re a FTSE 100 organisation that is tackling key issues such as transitioning our portfolio to net zero by 2050, and we’re not done yet.

Context

Middle Office is a key support function for the Asset Management Front Office. It has wide ranging accountability ensuring operational control of investment activities, supporting the Group and AM governance framework, and delivery of investment reporting.

The current Public and Private Middle Office teams create a multi-asset class Middle Office team. This offers new joiners the chance to learn front to back management of a wider asset set.

Phoenix Group is expanding into direct origination of funds starting with bonds, derivatives and private debt deals. In this new business, Middle Office will have an increased role pre-execution to support the business. As a result, Phoenix will need a number of new skills including knowledge of electronic trade affirmation platforms, Aladdin Enterprise, trade support, the setup of new instruments, KYC and CDD on new clients. The Middle Office roles and responsibilities are constantly evolving therefore we need colleagues who embrace and thrive with change.

The role

Reporting directly to the Private Markets Credit Team Leader, the role involves investment reporting and post trade lifecycle management across the Shareholder portfolio currently managed under external and internal mandates. We provide dedicated product support for the various Front Office functions, including Markets & Products, and the Private Markets Credit team on trade execution and post trade lifecycle activities. Additionally, supporting Portfolio Implementation and Manager Oversight on a day-to-day basis, providing key operational input and guidance.

A key focus of this role will be to ensure accurate and timely capture and reporting of investments through internal systems requiring coordination of activities amongst internal functions and key outsourced service providers (see below). In particular, the role will require continued build out and support in overseeing services provided by BlackRock Solutions via the Aladdin suite of products.

The role will also span to focus on process improvement and operating model enhancements to achieve industry leading systems and controls across asset and fund classes. Concentration required in implementing and documenting processes enhancing the control framework within MO.

Key Responsibilities

Core

• Support the Middle Office Private Markets Credit team leader, ensuring tasks are performed and completed within the timelines.
• Support trade capture into internal reporting systems (InVista and Blackrock Aladdin) and downstream feed to Third Party Administrators (TPA) and Risk systems
• Review of post trade investment activities amongst internal functions and amongst external parties; External Portfolio Managers, HSBC Security Services (TPA), JPMorgan Chase, HSBC, and BlackRock Solutions
• Support Middle Office & Trade Life Cycle activities across multiple assets classes
• Collaborate with other Middle Office functions
• Provide data with particular focus on MI (management information) expertise to enhance outward reporting
• Assist team manager to develop functional processes and controls in line with internal policies, good market practice, and regulatory guidelines
• Assistance in preparation of presentationmaterials, creating customised analysis and presentations covering both market and strategic developments for the range of audience in a time sensitive environment

Additional

• As key SME, support integration of new business lines emanating from closed book acquisitions, open book, and BPA activity
• Build and manage relationships with key stakeholders:
  • Internal Functions: Markets & Products,Portfolio Implementation, Private Markets Front Office, AM Manager Oversight, Cash Management, Investment Operations, Risk Management, Product Control, Credit Risk Management & InVista Development Team
  • External Parties: External Portfolio Managers, Third Party Administrators, Platform Service Providers, Custodians, Clearing Brokers

What are we looking for?

Personal Attributes & Skills

• Diligent working style with attention to detail and high standards for quality
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with holistic financial thinking
• Excellent organisational and project management skills
• Agility and vision to adapt processes in an ever-changing environment
• Good communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across a wide range of stakeholders and maintaining effective relationships
• Self-starter and independent worker with strong sense of ownership, capable of delivering, driving and shaping results and to meet deadlines under pressure

Experience / Knowledge

Essential (minimum criteria)

• Experience in Private Markets within Asset Management, or similar
• Understanding of Middle office activities
• Understanding of pre-trade governance – strategy / investment guidelines / mandates
• Trading activity – execution, trade capture & lifecycle
• Operational activity – trade affirmation / validation, transaction reporting, settlement, reconciliations and operational controls.
• External services – custodian / clearing broker / trade counterparty interactions
• Regulatory considerations e.g. EMIR / TCF / Conduct of Business Rules
• Knowledge across investment products, which includes but is not limited to corporate debt, government debt, private debt, equities, real estate, derivatives and cash instruments, ideally in a trade support or Middle Office environment.
• Functional knowledge of end-to-end investment management technology / operating models, and downstream consumers / value chain
• Strong data analytic skills – Power BI, SQL, VBA preferred.  Strong Excel skills i.e. Intermediate-Advanced level

Desirable

• Direct Private Investments experience beneficial
• Experience of KYC and CDD
• Experience of data management, reporting and delivering MI that adds value to the business
• Skilled in preparing well-structured, clean, consistent and client focussed presentations and management information reports

We want to hire the whole version of you.

We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you.

 If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best.

Find out more about #LifeAtPhoenix

Guide for Candidates: thephoenixgroup.pagetiger.com/guideforcandidates

Find or get answers from our colleagues: www.thephoenixgroup.com/careers/talk-to-us #LI-SC1