Investment Operations Manager

Location: Sydney
Reports to: Investment Operations, Senior Manager

Morningstar is committed to empowering investor success. One way we accomplish this is by offering independent research and great software products to financial advisers and individual investors. We believe that when the investor wins, we all win.

At Morningstar, your contributions have meaning and can drive change. We offer a place where talented, driven people can grow. Our differences are our strength; the fact that we don’t all think the same way and encourage unique perspectives helps create great products and services for our clients.

About the Role: Morningstar’s Investment Management business is looking for an Investment Operations Manager to take ownership of operational functions that keep our investment products running smoothly. This is an exciting opportunity for a team leader ready to step into a management role and make a real impact.

You’ll lead a high-performing team, drive operational excellence, and champion innovation through automation and AI integration. This role is perfect for someone who thrives on solving complex problems, improving processes, and collaborating across teams to deliver exceptional outcomes for clients.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Third-Party Oversight

• Lead and oversee day-to-day business-as-usual (BAU) activities, ensuring accuracy and efficiency across all operational workflows.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and development for onshore and offshore teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Act as the key liaison with custodians, registries, and administrators to maintain service quality and operational integrity.
• Monitor service-level agreements (SLAs), resolve performance issues, and ensure seamless data flow between internal teams and external providers.

Portfolio Implementation & Compliance

• Oversee the accurate execution of trades, rebalancing, cash movements, and transitions across Morningstar’s fund suite.
• Ensure compliance with investment mandates and regulatory requirements by monitoring pre- and post-trade activities, investigating and resolving any breaches.

Financial Management, Tax & Reporting

• Support and review quarterly and year-end trust distributions, income tax returns, and BAS returns in collaboration with custodians and tax advisors.
• Assist with annual and bi-annual trust financial statement processes, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

Client Service & Onboarding

• Manage client onboarding and transitions, ensuring accurate mandate setup and operational readiness.
• Act as the primary contact for operational client queries, working closely with relationship managers to deliver exceptional client experience.

Process Improvement, Technology & AI Integration

• Drive operational efficiency through process enhancements and automation initiatives (including RPA).
• Champion the adoption of AI and advanced analytics to streamline workflows, improve accuracy, and enhance decision-making.
• Support system upgrades and platform migrations, aligning workflows with best global practices.

Strategic Projects & Regulatory Change

• Contribute to cross-functional projects and new product development, providing operational insights to ensure scalability.
• Assist in adapting operations to evolving regulatory standards and industry best practices.

Qualifications & Skills

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field.
• Professional qualifications such as ACA, CPA, or similar, with 3-5 years of post-qualification experience.

• 5–10 years of experience in investment operations, fund administration, fund accountant role.

• Exposure to asset management, custodian services, superannuation funds, or investment platforms.

Technical Knowledge

• Strong understanding of financial instruments including equities, fixed income, derivatives, FX, and alternatives.
• Knowledge of portfolio valuation, NAV calculations, and performance reporting.
• Familiarity with fund accounting principles, corporate actions, and trade lifecycle management.

Systems Proficiency

• Experience with investment platforms such as Charles River, Bloomberg, FactSet, SimCorp Dimension, Aladdin, or HiPortfolio.
• Familiarity with custodian and fund administrator portals for reconciliation and reporting.
• Exposure to data visualisation tools (Power BI, Tableau) is a plus.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Understanding of investment mandates, operational policies, and risk controls.
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks such as ASIC, FATCA, CRS, and AML/KYC.

Soft Skills

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Analytical mindset with attention to detail and problem-solving ability.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple priorities.

Why Join Us?

• Flexibility that works for you: Enjoy a hybrid work model with the perfect balance. 4 days in-office for collaboration and 1 day remote for focused productivity.
• Be part of something big: Work alongside leading investment management and operations teams shaping the future of financial services.
• Drive innovation: Take the lead in automation and efficiency initiatives, transforming processes in a dynamic environment.
• Make an impact: Contribute to strategic projects that enhance investment operations and elevate client service delivery to new heights.

If you receive and accept an offer from us, we require that personal and any related investments be disclosed confidentiality to our Compliance team (days vary by region). These investments will be reviewed to ensure they meet Code of Ethics requirements. If any conflicts of interest are identified, then you will be required to liquidate those holdings immediately. In addition, dependent on your department and location of work certain employee accounts must be held with an approved broker (for example all, U.S. employee accounts). If this applies and your account(s) are not with an approved broker, you will be required to move your holdings to an approved broker.

Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.