Investment Operations Middle Office Analyst - Associate

The Investment Operations Middle Office professional is responsible for performing investment-related financial analysis work. The incumbent will perform analysis and reconciliation of investment data, manage workflows, prepare reports, support investment platforms, and participate in or lead strategic initiatives and process improvement projects. This position will proactively work with the Middle Office team, IMD staff, and agency employees. This position reports to a Manager of Investment Operations.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Portfolio Management Services
• Participates in data modernization and transformation projects to implement investment platforms and improve system integration between internal and external applications or other software. 
• Facilitates cross-organization resolution of investment data, benchmark, valuation, liquidity, and reporting issues by coordinating with internal and external teams, counterparties, investment managers, custodians, and service providers.
• Actively researches and identifies areas for improvement and automation for data quality control, workflows, business processes, operations, reporting, and investment systems.
• Updates and maintains operational documentation and procedures.
• Has knowledge of data governance, models, and database navigation.

Data Analysis and Reconciliation
• Monitors, verifies, reconciles, and reports investment master data, valuations, liquidity, benchmarks, and performance information, including prices, reference data, holdings, exposures, notional values, gains and losses, collateral balances, cash balances, returns, and trade life cycle events using systems including but not limited to internal applications, SQL databases, Excel, PowerBI, SimCorp, My State Street, and Bloomberg.
• Analyzes market data, pricing, trading information, corporate actions, and other issues that affect portfolio valuation, performance, risk, compliance, and regulations.
• Researches and explains the causes of discrepancies on investment data on a daily, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, including conferring with internal and external teams and vendors.
• Engages in investment communications between front office and trade operations and takes appropriate action to ensure accurate data flow between parties, including internal and external investment systems.
• Understands investment risk management.
• Has knowledge of compliance rules and data governance.
• Manages data quality control, synthesizes data, and integrates analytics for investment decision making.

Reporting
• Compiles detailed periodic and ad hoc reports on data reconciliation, portfolio valuation, holdings, fees, expenses, and other investment information using report writing, database, spreadsheet, and other software, for use by agency management, Investment's staff, the legislature and vendors, and to provide information requested under the Open Records Act.
• Prepares, generates, and analyzes data for investment decision- making including master data, reference data, exposures, portfolio views, performance, benchmarks, risk, liquidity, fees, Management Committee and Board Reporting.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING:

Required Education
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in business administration, finance, accounting, operations, math, information technology, liberal arts or a related area.
• A Master’s degree in a related area may substitute for a year of the required experience.

Required Experience
• None (Analyst).
• Three (3) years of full-time investment operations, data management, accounting, financial analysis, trade settlement or related experience requiring compilation, reconciliation, and/or analysis of detailed information (Senior Analyst).
• Five (5) years of full-time investment operations, data management, accounting, financial analysis, trade settlement or related experience requiring compilation, reconciliation, and/or analysis of detailed information (Associate).  

Required Registration, Certification, or Licensure
• None.


Preferred Qualifications
• One (1) to Five (5) years of full-time investment operations, data management, accounting, financial analysis, trade settlement or related experience requiring compilation, reconciliation, and/or analysis of detailed information.
• Experience with SimCorp, Bloomberg, and FactSet.
• Certification as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and/or Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) or working towards CFA/CPA/CAIA.
• Experience with software languages, database, and data visualization technology (SQL and PowerBI).
• Basic understanding of capital markets, investment securities (equities, bonds, and derivatives), and private markets (real estate or private equity).
• Basic understanding of investment accounting and investment performance measurement.

Knowledge of:
• Knowledge of investment concepts, terminology, styles, models, strategies and fundamental and quantitative investment factors.

Skills in:
• Performing complex financial analysis.
• Verifying and auditing financial data.
• Using a computer in a Windows environment with MS Office word processing, spreadsheet (including advanced Excel functions and macros), database systems, report writing and other business software.
• Conducting data searches and evaluations of large amounts of information, performing complex statistical analysis of the data, and preparing concise and accurate reports.
• Communicating complex technical information, verbally and in writing, including presenting analysis.
• Organizing and coordinating work assignments to effectively meet frequent and/or multiple deadlines, in handling multiple tasks simultaneously, and in managing conflicting priorities and demands.

Ability to:
• Establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with co-workers, agency staff, and external contacts.
• Thrive in an environment driven by change and improvement, and adapt effectively to changing requirements.
• Work effectively in a professional team environment.