Full-Time
Investment Operations Manager
Posted on 5/8/2025
AJ Bell
501-1,000 employees
Online investment platform for managing portfolios
Compensation Overview
£50k/yr
Senior
Manchester, UK
Minimum of 50% of working time must be spent in the office.
- Minimum 5 years Investment operations experience
- Preferable with investment management/wealth management experience, including experience of working with a portfolio management system
- Investment compliance & risk experience desirable
- Experience of fund management lifecycle (i.e. custodian, fund administration, transfer agency, ACD) an advantage
- Relevant Level IV QCF Qualification (i.e. IMC) desirable
- Project management experience, qualification desirable (i.e. PRINCE 2, 6 Sigma)
- Highly numerate
- Excellent analytical & problem solving skills
- Ability to independently manage a complex workload
- Highly innovative
- Interpersonal & communication skills
- Report writing skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office
- Investment Operations, including portfolio implementation and monitoring
- Ensuring compliance with relevant UCITS, MiFID II and investment mandates
- Manage projects to implement business initiatives
- Day-to-day Management of third party relationships, including the authorised corporate director (“ACD”) to the AJ Bell Fund range
- Oversight of the development and production of Investment Management MI
- Provide reporting to and involvement within Departmental committees
- Oversight and management of daily investment operational activities are completed in an accurate and timely manner
- Investment compliance & risk experience desirable
- Relevant Level IV QCF Qualification (i.e. IMC) desirable
- Project management experience, qualification desirable (i.e. PRINCE 2, 6 Sigma)
AJ Bell offers an online investment platform that allows customers and financial advisers to manage investment portfolios through various accounts such as SIPPs (Self-Invested Personal Pensions), ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts), and Dealing accounts. The platform provides a wide range of investment options and is designed for low-cost delivery, making it accessible for users. AJ Bell stands out from its competitors by combining extensive online functionality with high-quality customer service, ensuring that users have the support they need to make informed investment decisions. The company's goal is to help individuals effectively manage their investments while maintaining a strong growth trajectory, as evidenced by its large customer base and significant assets under administration.
Company Size
501-1,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Salford, United Kingdom
Founded
1995
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- AJ Bell can capitalize on the rise of robo-advisors by enhancing digital platforms.
- The growing popularity of fractional shares presents an opportunity for AJ Bell.
- Increased interest in sustainable investing could boost AJ Bell's ESG product offerings.
What critics are saying
- Government ISA reforms could disrupt AJ Bell's product offerings and customer retention.
- High withdrawal charges on Lifetime ISAs may deter potential AJ Bell customers.
- Increased competition from fintech startups could erode AJ Bell's market share.
What makes AJ Bell unique
- AJ Bell's Dodl app provides unique insights into Premium Bond holder statistics.
- AJ Bell's Gilt MPS offers a low-cost solution for investing in UK gilts.
- AJ Bell's platform business achieved record assets under administration in Q1 2025.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Flexible Work Hours
Remote Work Options
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Sabbatical Leave
Hybrid Work Options
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Performance Bonus
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Relocation Assistance
Parental Leave
Fertility Treatment Support
Childcare Support
Professional Development Budget
Conference Attendance Budget
Wellness Program
Mental Health Support
Gym Membership
Phone/Internet Stipend
Home Office Stipend
Legal Services
Employee Discounts
Company Social Events
Company News
One-fifth (19%) of non-retirees have no private pension, according to the latest FCA Financial Lives surve, meanwhile two-fifths (41%) are not currently contributing to a pension“Many individuals appear to be setting themselves up for a nasty shock later in life by not putting enough money away for the future,” says Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell.“The FCA’s Financial Lives survey implies that a lot of people will be too reliant on the state pension to pay the bills and support their lifestyle once entering retirement. The full state pension currently adds up to £11,973 a year and while that should help keep a roof over your head, it doesn’t leave much left over for any of life’s luxuries.A lot of people use a combination of the state pension, workplace pensions and personal pensions to fund their retirement, together with cash savings and ISA investments. Unfortunately, not everyone is in a position to draw from a range of accounts. Some might only have a tiny nest egg by the time they retire. The FCA’s survey shows that one third of adults have less than £10,000 saved in their pension, which is worrying. That’s not such an issue if they’re in their twenties or early thirties and have decades ahead to put money away, but it’s troubling if someone who is in their forties, fifties or early sixties is in this situation
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request obtained by AJ Bell’s Dodl investing app reveals that nearly two-thirds of Premium Bond holders, equivalent to just under 14.4 million people, have never won a prize. Premium Bonds are held by around 22.7 million people which makes them one of the UK’s most popular savings products, despite the majority of Premium Bond holders never winning anything. Millions more £50 and £100 prizes have been dished out since 2022, and they now make up a larger proportion of winning prizes than the lowest £25 prize. Although the number of higher value prizes has also seen a jump, the vast majority of Premium Bond prizes were worth £100 or less in 2024, meaning the chance of winning the top prizes is still very small.There is a whopping £127.7 billion sat in Premium Bonds, with the average overall holding coming in at £5,406. However, the average holding for the 5.1 million Premium Bond holders who won in the last 12 months sits at £23,397, with 80% of those winners winning more than once during that period. When you factor in that many people will have been holding Premium Bonds for decades, perhaps receiving them as gifts when they were young, that means they may have missed out on significant returns in a higher paying cash account or by investing. Source: FOI obtained from NSI by AJ Bell. *2025 figures up to 5 March 2025.Charlene Young, senior pensions and savings expert at AJ Bell, comments:“Premium Bonds have long been a popular place for savers to stick their cash and try their luck at winning a prize in the monthly draws, yet data obtained from a Freedom of Information request by AJ Bell’s Dodl investing app reveals that two-thirds of people holding these bonds have never won anything. Of the 22.7 million current Premium Bond holders, a staggering 14.4 million have never won
Rumours of Cash ISA allowance cuts sparked a rush to ISAs in March, whilst savers poured in £4.2 billion to the accounts – up 31% year-on-yearLaura Suter, director of personal finance at AJ Bell, comments on the latest Bank of England Money and Credit data:“Rumours that the government was poised to slash Cash ISA allowances in the Spring Statement sparked a rush to the tax-free accounts, with savers putting £4.2 billion in Cash ISAs in March. There’s usually a spike in people stuffing their ISAs before the tax year end, but the speculation around changes to ISAs put the rockets under that this year. The money paid into Cash ISAs was 31% higher than March last year, with an extra £1 billion paid in by the British public. “Data for the biggest month for Cash ISAs isn’t out yet, as April typically sees the biggest inflows, with savers rushing to pay money into their accounts in the final days before the deadline. Last year saw £11.5 billion paid into these accounts in April. If we saw the same 31% increase in cash paid in, that would take this April’s inflows to a whopping £15 billion. However, as the Spring Statement didn’t deliver any changes to Cash ISA allowances, that may have dampened some of the flows
Large FCA firms have to connect to the pensions dashboard ecosystem by today (30 April), unless they have arranged a later date with the FCARachel Vahey, head of public policy at AJ Bell, comments:“Getting pensions dashboards up and running has been a long-held dream of the government and pensions industry. Doing so will give people the ability to see all their pensions in one place at the touch of a button. But implementing it is no easy task, with the project so far beset by delays and restarts. However, the hope is that we are now – albeit slowly – inching our way towards a launch date. 30 April 2025 is an important milestone in this journey. The biggest pensions schemes – large FCA firms, including some SIPPs, and the bigger master trust workplace pensions – are being asked to connect to the dashboard ecosystem by today. If they hit this deadline, this starts the process of making sure most people will be able to see all their pensions
The government confirms plans to consolidate 13 million small pension pots worth £1,000 or less, long-awaited pensions dashboards could still have a huge role to play in helping people get to grips with their retirement savingsRachel Vahey, head of public policy at AJ Bell, comments:“Automatic enrolment is one of the big public policy success stories of our time. But it’s not without its flaws. People start a pension when they join an employer, but when they switch employer they often leave their old pension behind, neglected and unloved. This has created a plethora of small pension pots which are easily forgotten. “Confirmation that government will press ahead with proposals to automatically combine the very smallest lost workplace pension pots worth £1,000 or less will help to address the issue. Although there is much more still to be done. “At the centre of these proposals is the ability to automatically consolidate individuals’ pensions without them having to give permission