Equity Derivatives Middle Office - Associate

Job title: Equity Derivatives Middle Office

Corporate Title: Associate

Location: London

Company overview

Nomura is an Asia-based financial services group with an integrated global network spanning over 30 countries. By connecting markets East & West, Nomura services the needs of individuals, institutions, corporates and governments through its three business divisions: Retail, Asset Management, and Wholesale (Global Markets and Investment Banking). Founded in 1925, the firm is built on a tradition of disciplined entrepreneurship, serving clients with creative solutions and considered thought leadership. For further information about Nomura, visit www.nomura.com

Department overview:

The Equity Middle Office team, part of Global Middle Office, consists of two key product groups:

1. Equity Finance, Delta-1 and Cross Asset: Where Middle Office supports desk offering single stock and basket swaps to clients seeking long or short exposure using Total Return Swaps (TRS) to equity underlying assets. Offering services to the clients & broker dealers. The team provide direct, client aligned services to Hedge Fund clients, Prime Finance trading teams and offer operational and analytical support to other Global Market teams including Sales and Client service.
2. Equity Solutions: Providing Middle Office support to desk helping clients build new equity positions. Equity Financing, including Equity-linked instruments and Margin Loans providing funding against clients' new/existing equity stakes. Supporting clients to exit equity investments & delivering strategic solutions to clients

The team are supported by a team in Mumbai where other Middle Office support activities are performed.

Role description:

With a growing business diversifying all the time, a cash and OTC product scope and synergies of the same HF clients and Delta-1 business contacts the role will be challenging and varied. It will offer exposure to all areas of the business including Operations divisions, Finance, Risk and Front Office sales and trading. It is a client facing role and the successful candidate will have direct exposure to clients. Over time the successful applicant will develop an excellent understanding of how the Delta-1 division operates. Good analytical, risk awareness and communication skills, together with an aptitude to learn, are equally if not more important than direct experience or background.

Key objectives critical to success:

• Daily support to the trading & sales desk, answering queries and liaising with Client Service to ensure client trades and economics are correctly reported through the system architecture.
• Provide regional and global coverage, managing the client's transactional portfolio and taking calculated steps to ensure that the client and Nomura are not exposed to financial or reputational risk
• Monitoring of clients reports on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Meeting with Client Service and drive forward change to improve efficiency, cost and control
• On-boarding of new clients and ensuring that SSI's and all data integrity is accurately loaded
• Facilitating high-value deals
• Resolution of breaks in a timely and accurate manner; liaising with trading, sales, Technology, Middle office and Core Operations team
• Processing and support of lifecycle events
• Oversight of trade operations managed by offshore Middle Office team in Mumbai
• Assisting with business growth & mitigation of operational risk through process improvements, testing and implementation of new products
• Work closely with Product Control for accurate daily P&L capture

Cross Product Responsibilities

• Be involved in projects, regulatory changes, change initiatives and UAT in a rapidly growing business. Contribute to maintaining strong control framework of Risk & Control, Front Office Supervision, Key Risk Indicator infrastructure
• Key conduit between Business, Technology and Operations to be first point of delivering premium client service to the Hedge Fund clients
• Work in partnership with the other regions and drive forward global consistency with the follow the sun model

Skills, experience, qualifications and knowledge required

• Basic knowledge of investment bank products and markets
• Preferred Equity products knowledge
• Good understanding of operational risk and an ability to pro-actively manage risk
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft office needed. PowerPoint and Word would be helpful
• Attention to detail, excellent administration, organisational and prioritisation skills
• Highly motivated team player able to demonstrate an ability to prioritise daily work effectively
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, ability to present complex subjects in an accessible manner
• Ability to build relationships and work with others through influence (rather than authority)
• Ability to interact confidently with senior management and clients

Nomura competencies

Trusted Partner

• Understand clients' needs and issues, and respond with high-quality proposals
• Acquire capabilities to perform one's responsibilities and contribute to being a Trusted Partner

Entrepreneurial leadership

• Produce new ideas that might challenge the status-quo or oneself

Teamwork

Collaboration

• Seek advice from senior colleagues and utilize it for improved results
• Collaborate with members from relevant departments

Influence

• Contribute to the success of the organization both quantitatively and qualitatively, and act with awareness of the impact on others
• Serve as role model and provide guidance to junior employees

Integrity

• Have a good understanding of corporate philosophy, professional ethics, compliance, risk management, and code of conduct, and make decisions and take actions accordingly

Right to Work
The UK Government have taken steps to reduce net migration to the UK by limiting the number of overseas workers coming