Liquidity Operations Director - AVP

Morgan Stanley Investment Management Operations is seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented Liquidity Trade Support professional to join the Public Markets Middle Office and provide high-touch operational partnership to Portfolio Managers and Traders. This Director role serves as the primary day-to-day operational contact for the Liquidity trading desk, ensuring accurate trade processing, timely settlement, same-day cash readiness, strong controls, and effective resolution of issues across the trade lifecycle.

The position partners closely with MSIM Trading, Technology, Operations, Reconciliation, Compliance, counterparties, brokers, custodians and global teams to monitor transaction and cash data quality, address exceptions and manage risks that could impact funding, settlement, liquidity, and reporting. The successful candidate exercises sound judgment, takes ownership of urgent issues and remains effective in a fast-paced, high-volume and time-sensitive market environment.

As a Director, you will provide oversight of daily Liquidity Operations and supporting service providers, contribute to longer-term projects and technology enhancements, and champion operational excellence through consistent processes, preventative controls and continuous improvement.

Liquidity Trade Support Coverage

·         Provide dedicated day-to-day support to the Liquidity trading desk and Investment Teams across money market and liquidity products, including repos, reverse repos, tri-party transactions, time deposits (TDs) and commercial paper (CP).

·         Serve as the primary point of contact for Traders and Portfolio Managers; respond promptly to questions and concerns, anticipate operational needs and escalate unresolved or material issues as appropriate.

·         Ensure all daily trade support tasks are completed accurately and on time, from trade capture and confirmation through settlement, cash movements and reconciliation.

·         Monitor trading dashboards and downstream trade flows to confirm trades are captured, transmitted and processed correctly; investigate and resolve booking or interface exceptions.

·         Maintain close oversight of same-day cash availability, funding and collateral movements, critical settlement cutoffs and the accurate representation of trades and cash.

Issue Resolution, Settlement and Escalation

·         Monitor trade fails, breaks and outstanding exceptions; coordinate timely resolution, status updates and escalation with the relevant stakeholders.

·         Manage claims status, follow-up and escalation, including coordination on related settlement or cash discrepancies.

·         Work closely with Traders, Reconciliation Teams, Brokers and Custodians to ensure trades and cash are correctly reflected, reconciled and settling as expected.

·         Investigate operational issues, identify root causes and support corrective actions to minimize recurring breaks, settlement risk and disruption to the trading desk.

·         Exercise strong risk and control judgment, clearly communicating significant exposures, unresolved issues and required actions to the front office and Middle Office leadership.

Operational Oversight and Stakeholder Partnership

·         Provide day-to-day oversight of trade support operations, reconciliation teams and external vendors supporting Liquidity functions, ensuring timely and accurate service delivery.

·         Partner with global teams to maintain operational consistency, clear handoffs and adherence to established controls and procedures.

·         Build effective working relationships across geographic, organizational and functional boundaries, including Trading, Technology, Operations, Compliance and external counterparties.

Optimization and Change

·         Collaborate with IT and business stakeholders on trading dashboard enhancements, workflow improvements, testing and other technology or strategic projects as needed.

·         Identify opportunities to improve straight-through processing, reduce manual intervention, strengthen controls and improve the timeliness and quality of operational support.

·         Track and communicate key operational metrics and trends, including trade fails, aged breaks, claims and issue resolution; contribute to procedures, knowledge sharing and consistent execution.

Qualifications:

·         6+ years of experience in Investment Operations, Trade Support or Middle Office at an asset manager, bank or other financial institution, with strong knowledge of Liquidity Operations and liquidity products.

·         Hands-on experience with repos, reverse repos, tri-party transactions, time deposits and commercial paper, and a strong understanding of same-day cash requirements, funding and settlement processes.

·         Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; Finance, Economics or Accounting preferred.

·         Experience with trade capture, confirmations, settlement, cash and position reconciliations, exception management, claims and operational risk controls.

·         Knowledge of Aladdin is a plus; familiarity with trade management platforms, dashboards and downstream operational systems is beneficial.

·         Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey issues, priorities and escalations clearly to front-office and operations stakeholders.

·         Strong team player who can also work independently, demonstrate initiative, take ownership and prioritize effectively.

·         Ability to collaborate across geographic, organizational and functional boundaries and deliver accurate results in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years.  Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices​ into your browser.

Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $120,000 and $172,500 per year at the commencement of employment. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background.  Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.

Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.

For more information, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/people-opportunities/eeo.