Operations Manager - Mutual Fund Reconciliation

Job Description Summary

Manage the development and implementation of processes, systems, and infrastructure to ensure a high quality and timeliness of operations in areas such as account services, international securities, transaction processing, or loan support/credit approval. Manage several departments of a processing unit or the entire unit.

Job Description

Hybrid Work Environment: 
This position follows our hybrid-friendly schedule, so you get the best of both worlds – flexibility and collaboration. In office days will be 3 per week in our Southfield, MI location.

Responsibilities:

• Independently reviews complex cash/share reconciliation issues, analyze and interpret data and determines appropriate corrective action. 
• Contacts internal and external customers as well as funds and depositories to resolve reconciliation issues. 
• Processes various complex Reconciliation related reports and utilize tools including Reconciliation related databases and 3rd party applications. 
• Performs daily follow up on programmatic balancing processes to assure completeness and accuracy. 
• Performs a daily review of aged items to insure all balancing guidelines and risk controls are being appropriately followed. Proactively scrutinizes and addresses monetary, reputational or regulatory risk situations, involving leadership as appropriate. 
• Provides leadership with both written and verbal feedback as well as periodic management reports to provide timely reconciliation updates including transaction aging, metrics and quality assurance reviews. 
• Responsible for monitoring and reporting on general ledgers/monitor Reserve accounts. 
• Works with department leadership and business consultants to improve future business processes (focusing on risk, hard and soft dollar savings, and automation). Documents current/future business processes. 
• Oversee an operational area with guidance from senior colleagues. Could involve responsibility for development or delivery (or both).
• Contribute to the development of annual and longer-term business plans; forecast performance against business key performance indicators (KPIs); develop business cases for key activities/projects; and estimate the financial and human resources required to deliver performance targets.
• Communicate the actions needed to implement the function's strategy and business plan within the team; explain the relationship to the broader organization's mission, vision, and values; motivate people to commit to these and to do extraordinary things to achieve local business goals.
• Manage and report on the performance of a substantial, diverse team; set appropriate performance objectives for direct reports or project/account team members and hold individuals accountable for achieving them; take appropriate corrective action where necessary to ensure the achievement of team/personal objectives.
• Manage day-to-day service operations, developing and/or delivering a plan and outcomes for a service operations area with guidance from senior colleagues.
• Develop medium- or long-term work schedules that enable the organization to achieve its business goals. Involves coordinating across multiple teams.
• Identify shortcomings in existing business practices, then suggest and implement improvements while developing and delivering projects or a work stream within the organization's change management program. Involves working with guidance from senior colleagues.
• Develop procedures and interpret and apply policy for area of expertise to achieve specified outputs, or advise the wider business on application of policy, then monitor implementation of those procedures within the organization.
• Recommend changes to policies, processes, standards, and practices that would improve operational support.
• Develop and/or deliver a plan for significant aspects of internal communications with guidance from senior colleagues.
• Develop and/or deliver a contingency plan for significant aspects of the risk management and/or risk control processes.
• Develop and/or deliver budget plans with guidance from senior colleagues.
• Use the organization's formal development framework to identify the team's individual development needs. Plan and implement actions, including continuing professional development specified by professional or regulatory institutions, to build their professional capabilities. Provide informal training or coaching to others throughout the organization in own area of expertise to enable others to improve performance and fulfill personal potential.
• Monitor and review performance and behaviors within area of responsibility to identify and resolve noncompliance with the organization's policies and relevant regulatory codes and codes of conduct.

Knowledge of:

• Complex investment concepts, practices, procedures and industry regulations related to Mutual Fund Reconciliation activities. 
• Intermediate mathematical skills including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages, fractions, averages and balancing sufficient to complete settlement. 
• Accounting principles. 
• Principles and practices of customer relations and communications. 

Skills:

• Identifying financial events that affect balancing and reconciliation. 
• Reconciling and correcting share/cash discrepancies. 
• Calculating percentages, balance accounts, and provide statistical data. 
• Actively participates in User Agreement Testing (UAT) for systems and new process implementation. Involved in all aspects of testing, including internal audit, troubleshooting and suggested solutions. 
• Provide guidance and training to others on planning, organizing, prioritizing and overseeing activities to efficiently meet business objectives.
• Provide guidance and training to others on developing appropriate plans or performing necessary actions based on recommendations and requirements.
• Provide guidance and training to others on developing, monitoring, interpreting and understanding policies and procedures, while making sure they match organizational strategies and objectives.
• Provides guidance and training to others while interpreting and applying comprehensive knowledge of laws, regulations and policies in area of expertise.
• Provide guidance and training to others on using clear and effective verbal communications skills to express ideas, request actions and formulate plans or policies.
• Provide guidance and training to others on analyzing data trends for use in reports to help guide decision making.
• Provide guidance and training to others on reviewing and creating relevant, lucid and effective reports.
• Provide guidance and training to others on identifying, assessing, prioritizing and managing risks.
• Uses expertise to serve as the organizational authority on meeting high customer service standards.
• Manage and apply safe systems of work while providing guidance and training to others.
• Provide guidance and training to others on how to help the organization by obtaining consensus between two or more internal or external parties who may have different interests.
• Guide and Train others on managing projects and/or programs within desired cost, time and quality parameters.
• Engage in strategic planning.
• Plan, organize, and execute the steps it takes to achieve a goal to achieve higher efficiencies.

Licenses/Certifications

• SIE required or ability to obtain within 120 days (as required by FINRA), provided that an exemption or grandfathering cannot be applied.
• Series 99 required, or ability to obtain within 120 days (as required by FINRA). Persons holding Series 6, 7, 17, 37 or 38 or those who hold principal-level registrations: Series 4, 9/10, 14, 16, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 51, and 53 would be qualified to register as an Operations Professional (Series 99) without passing the examination.

Education

Bachelor’s: Accounting, Bachelor’s: Business Administration, Bachelor’s: Finance, High School (HS) (Required)

Work Experience

General Experience - 6 to 10 years, Manager Experience - 3 to 6 years

Certifications

s99 - Operations Professional Examination - Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Securities Industry Essentials Exam (SIE) - Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)

Travel

Less than 25%

Workstyle

Hybrid

The total compensation for this position includes base salary or wages, and may include components such as additional compensation (cash or equity), discretionary bonuses, or commissions. This position is eligible for a benefits package that may include medical, dental, and vision; life insurance; critical illness insurance and accident insurance; disability benefits; retirement savings; paid time off (including vacation, holidays, and sick leave); and parental leave.  Eligibility for benefits and specific offerings may vary based on position and employment status. To view more details of the benefits offered, visit Myrjbenefits.com.

At Raymond James our associates use five guiding behaviors (Develop, Collaborate, Decide, Deliver, Improve) to deliver on the firm's core values of client-first, integrity, independence and a conservative, long-term view. 

We expect our associates at all levels to:
•  Grow professionally and inspire others to do the same
•  Work with and through others to achieve desired outcomes
•  Make prompt, pragmatic choices and act with the client in mind
•  Take ownership and hold themselves and others accountable for delivering results that matter
•  Contribute to the continuous evolution of the firm

At Raymond James – as part of our people-first culture, we honor, value, and respect the uniqueness, experiences, and backgrounds of all of our Associates.  When associates bring their best authentic selves, our organization, clients, and communities thrive. The Company is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions on the basis of merit and business needs. 

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