Senior Business Analyst - Private Markets - eFinancialCareers : Job Details

At M&G our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. As an international savings and investments business with roots stretching back more than 170 years, we offer a range of financial products and services through Asset Management, Life and Wealth. All three operating segments work together to deliver attractive financial outcomes for our clients, and superior shareholder returns. Through our behaviours of telling it like it is, owning it now, and moving it forward together with care and integrity; we are creating an exceptional place to work for exceptional talent. We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and also offer work place accommodations to ensure you have what you need to effectively deliver in your role. The role of Business Solutions is to provide an analysis, design and implementation capability within the COO Operations Change area for product launches and related change, ensuring that M&G Investment's operating models are robust, scalable and flexible. This involves scoping and assessing change across front, middle and back-office functions, working across internal and external stakeholders. Typically the team will work closely with colleagues from across the organisation such as Investment teams, Risk, Compliance, Technology and others. The Role:Reporting to a Business Solutions Design Lead, this role is responsible for detailed-level design of operating model impacts. This colleague will work with a Business Solutions Design Lead through feasibility/early design as required, and ensure that implementation aligns to the operating model. This is a pivotal role that requires active participation in feasibility and assessment activities with the ability to conduct detailed analysis and work collaboratively across Design and Implementation teams. This will cover a range of areas, such as product structures, trade and cash flows, interfaces with third parties. It will also entail understanding and definition of various complex transition events that can occur within the product lifecycle. Key responsibilities:

• Owns the end-to-end Operational Model impact analysis and design to support complex transition events. This includes translating high-level operating model requirements into detailed design components.
• Support the relevant Business Solutions Design Lead by providing an additional point of contact for key stakeholders (internal or external) for operational design and implementation through all stages of the product lifecycle.
• Ensure that scalability, operational risk and regulatory compliance are considered in the definition of the support model for any new mandate/fund launch.
• Ensure that the Fund Manager and Client requirements for running the mandate are captured and understood, and a viable operating model is agreed and implemented.
• Responsibility for ensuring appropriate handover of new processes or operating models to Investment Operations.
• Responsibility for Client / TPA interaction on complex product change and client/fund onboarding activities.
• Ensure appropriate level of engagement with Investment Operations senior management covering status updates, capacity constraints and decisions on operating model changes.
• Work with Implementation analysts to maintain template library and up-to-date proformas, playbooks and blueprints, for all areas of operating models.
• Assist with analysis on implementation of new requirements resulting from a non-standard product event, and define new processes where required.
• Work with external parties (Custodians, Third Party Administrators) and the relevant Design team to support the definition and implementation of operating models.
• For Operations specialists with specific domain expertise, (e.g. Derivatives), utilise SME knowledge to provide input into future operating model design as well as co-ordinate specialist set-up activities.
• Perform end-to-end set-up and complete operational readiness (configuration) activities associated with both vanilla and complex product events (e.g. product launch, product maintenance, enhancement, and closures).
• Conduct testing of successful transition set-up and any new processes.
• Perform workflow configuration and maintenance in PowerApps, Power Automate and PowerBI, e.g. changing users, tasks, SLAs and amending dependencies.
• Maintain all static and reference data in the workflow tool that is required to deliver the product.
• Provide support for process improvement initiatives where workflow needs reconfiguration.
• Ensure procedures and risk / controls frameworks are complied with and kept up-to-date.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and ideas to ensure that processes remain standardised and efficient.
• Provide support and guidance to less experienced Implementation Analyst colleagues, through informal mentorship, on-the-job coaching and general performance guidance.

Key Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

End-to-end understanding of the asset management operating model, and knowledge of the products and instrument types, and clients managed.

Experience of end-to-end operating models and change design desirable i.e. as a business analyst or subject matter expert.

Knowledge or experience of standard technology platforms and outsource services used widely in asset management, BRS Aladdin experience desirable.

Strong understanding of asset classes i.e. equities (public and private), fixed income (public and private), derivatives (ETDs and OTCs) and money markets.

Awareness of ESG principles and their practical implications on day-to-day fund management activities (preferred).

Able to demonstrate broad industry awareness and familiarity with issues impacting asset management as a whole.

Experience in delivering continuous improvements desirable, but not essential.

Knowledge of PowerApps, Power Platform and Power BI is desirable.

Delivery focused with strong planning skills and the ability to manage, recognise and prioritise deadlines.

Proactive, organised approach to completing activities and deliverables.

Strong written and verbal presentation and communication skills, with keen attention to detail.

Ability to create appropriate supporting collateral when required through the life of a project/product event

Deliver knowledge-sharing sessions to improve cross-team knowledge and contribute to overall best practice.

Ability to confidently present ideas in order to inform and influence leadership decisions.Strong facilitation skills to elicit information from key stake