The posting
Job Description
Help keep investing moving smoothly.
At AJ Bell, we believe investing should feel good. For our customers and Custody Solutions clients, that means knowing their investments are being handled accurately, efficiently and with care.
As a Collectives Dealer, you'll play an important role in making that happen. You'll be responsible for the accurate and timely execution and contracting of Collective Investment Scheme trades across our investment platforms and for our Custody Solutions clients.
You'll work closely with fund providers, transfer agents, custodians and internal teams to make sure trades are placed, contracted and settled correctly. You'll also investigate exceptions, resolve queries and help keep the dealing process running smoothly when things don't go to plan.
It's a hands-on investment operations role where accuracy, deadlines and customer outcomes matter. It's a great opportunity for someone with experience in collective investment dealing, fund operations or investment operations who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and taking ownership of getting things right.
What you'll do
Keep trades moving accurately
You'll play a key role in making sure fund trades are placed and contracted correctly, meeting the deadlines and service levels that our customers and clients rely on.
- Monitor STP dealing channels and manage trades requiring manual placement or exception handling.
- Ensure fund trades are placed accurately and within relevant fund cut-off times and service levels.
- Complete trade contracting accurately and within agreed SLAs.
- Process trade amendments accurately and promptly.
- Process Private Placing trades in line with relevant procedures and regulatory requirements.
- Process FX transactions to support currency fund trading and internal trade requirements.
Investigate and resolve exceptions
When something doesn't look right, you'll investigate the issue, work with the right people to understand what has happened and take ownership through to resolution.
- Investigate and resolve dealing and operational queries, taking ownership through to resolution.
- Monitor daily reconciliations, investigate breaks and ensure these are resolved within agreed timescales.
- Work with external counterparties including fund providers, authorised corporate directors, transfer agents, Clearstream, Aegon, EMX and Calastone.
Work across the investment operations journey
You'll collaborate across teams to make sure the wider trade lifecycle works effectively, from fund set-up and pricing through to settlement.
- Work closely with our Platform Investments team to ensure funds are set up correctly, with accurate pricing and static data.
- Support the Market Settlements team with the timely settlement of fund orders.
- Deliver a consistently high standard of service to internal and external customers.
Help us improve how we work
You'll contribute beyond day-to-day dealing, helping the team improve its processes, systems and ability to maintain a high standard of service.
- Support system testing, process improvements and operational change across the team.
- Provide cover across the wider team where required to maintain service levels.
What we're looking for
We're looking for someone with a good understanding of collective investments and the trade lifecycle, combined with the accuracy, judgement and ownership needed to work in a fast-moving operational environment.
Essential
- At least one year’s experience within a front-office, middle-office or similar investment operations environment.
- Experience of processing or dealing in Collective Investment Schemes.
- A good working knowledge of collective investments and the associated trade lifecycle.
- Experience of working to fund cut-off times, operational deadlines and service levels.
- Strong numerical skills and excellent attention to detail.
- Confidence investigating discrepancies and resolving operational issues.
- Good Excel skills, with the ability to analyse and interpret operational data.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- The ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining accuracy.
Desirable
Experience working with custody clients, fund providers, transfer agents or dealing counterparties would be advantageous, as would exposure to STP dealing, trade contracting, reconciliations, exception management or systems testing.
About AJ Bell
At AJ Bell, we believe investing should feel good. Whether you're looking for an ISA, pension or dealing account, whether you want to invest with the help of a financial adviser or do it yourself, we have easy-to-use solutions to suit people from all walks of life.
We're one of the UK's fastest-growing investment platform businesses, trusted by everyone from professional financial advisers to first-time investors.
Today, over 762,000 customers trust us to manage more than £121.5 billion of assets. By continually striving to make investing simpler and more accessible, we're helping more people take control of their financial futures.
Behind that experience is a huge amount of operational expertise. From placing and contracting trades to resolving exceptions and supporting settlement, our teams help make sure customers' investments keep moving as they should.
We're proud to be recognised as a Great Place to Work® for the past two years, building on six consecutive years as one of the UK's Best 100 Companies to Work For. It's recognition we're proud of and a reflection of the supportive and collaborative culture we strive to create for our people.
What we offer
- Salary from £35,000
- 25 days holiday, increasing with service + buy/sell scheme + bank holidays
- 6% Pension with matched contributions
- Discretionary bonus scheme
- Share schemes (including free shares and BAYE)
- Health Cash Plan and discounted private healthcare
- Free onsite gym
- Enhanced family leave (subject to qualifying criteria)
- Travel and bike loan schemes
- Employee Assistance Programme
Life at AJ Bell
- Regular social events including summer and Christmas parties
- Learning and development opportunities tailored to you
- Casual dress code
- Friendly, supportive team environment
Our ways of working
We offer hybrid working, with a minimum of 50% of your working time per month spent in the office.
For new starters, there’s an initial period of full-time office working to help you settle in and build relationships.
Inclusion & diversity
We’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and able to be themselves at work.
We welcome applications from all backgrounds and make hiring decisions based on skills, experience and potential.
Your application, reviewed by people
We believe great hiring starts with people. That's why every application is reviewed by a member of our Recruitment team, rather than screened by AI. It may take us a few days to get back to you, but please be assured that your application will be given the time and attention it deserves.
Agency information
This vacancy is being managed exclusively by our in-house Recruitment team. We are not partnering with recruitment agencies on this opportunity and will only accept applications submitted directly by candidates.
