Business Analyst - Business Solutions

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.

Function Overview:

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.

Role Overview:

Reporting to the Business Solutions Design Lead, this role will be responsible for low-level design and implementation of operating model impacts working with the Business Solutions Design Lead through feasibility and ensuring that implementation runs according to any new operating models. This is a pivotal role that is able to both look-up into feasibility and assessment activities and manage the implementation of all aspects of the operating model.

In this role you will; Decide how best to deliver and to use resources available to deliver the work; Deliver the work by providing deep expertise, skills and knowledge, typically supported by a professional qualification; Focus on delivering the work effectively and efficiently; Will have a strong network with peers across the Organisation.

Key responsibilities for this role:

• Owns the end-to-end Operational Model analysis and impact to support the mandate/fund and responsibility for complex transition events.
• Ensures 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 the agreed model implemented.
• Responsibility for ensuring appropriate handover of new processes or operating models to Investment Operations.
• Responsibility for Client / TPA interaction on product change and client/fund onboarding activities.
• Responsibility for ensuring appropriate level of engagement with Investment Operations senior management: Covering status updates, capacity constraints, decisions on operating model changes.
• Maintains template library and up-to-date proformas, template, playbooks and blueprints, and works with Transition Analysts to keep track of new processes and codify these in the proformas / blueprints / playbooks
• Facilitates and supports set-up of complex configuration and requirements gather e.g. legal and compliance requirements as well as operational set-up across other areas of the business (e.g. Tax).
• Develops specialist knowledge and experience of complex product management events
• 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 Skills, Competencies & Experience:

Skills and Competencies

• Proactive and delivery focused with excellent communication skills and organised approach to completing activities and deliverables
• Able to confidently present ideas in order to inform and influence leadership decisions
• Strong facilitation skills to elicit information from key stakeholders, both internally and externally
• Proven and demonstrable analytical and problem solving skills
• Ability to think laterally and generate creative solutions.
• Strong stakeholder management skills
• Proactive and delivery focused attitude.
• Ability to plan, co-ordinate, recognise and prioritise deadlines.
• Attention to detail, completing tasks accurately and in a timely manner.
• Ability to form and develop an effective network.
• Demonstrate a genuine interest in the Investment Management industry.

Experience:

• End-to-end understanding of the asset management operating model, and knowledge of the products and instrument types, and clients managed
• Specialist knowledge of technical operational processes desirable
• Strong understanding of asset classes i.e. equities (public and private),  fixed income (public and private), derivatives (ETDs and OTDs) and money markets
• Specialist knowledge of complex transition management events (e.g. complex markets, transitions, investment solutions) desirable
• Experience of developing working relationships and maintaining credibility with internal senior stakeholders
• IMC  or professionally recognised qualifications are desirable
• Knowledge of the BRS Aladdin platform or similar Investment platforms.
• Knowledge of Regulatory environments and their implications on operating model set-up and delivery.
• Experience in delivering continuous improvements desirable, but not essential.
• Knowledge of PowerApps, Power Platform and Power BI is desirable.

We have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture at M&G plc, underpinned by our policies and our employee-led networks who provide networking opportunities, advice and support for the diverse communities our colleagues represent. Regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, nationality, disability or long term condition, we are looking to attract, promote and retain exceptional people. We also welcome those who take part in military service and those returning from career breaks.

M&G is also proud to be a Disability Confident Leader, and we welcome applications from candidates with long-term health conditions, disabilities, physical, mental health or neuro-divergent conditions.  We participate in the Disability Confident ‘Offer an Interview’ scheme, which means that candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions who meet the minimum criteria of a job, will be offered an interview if they 'opt in' to the scheme when applying.  These candidates are also supported to ensure they have the best opportunity to demonstrate that they can do the job.

If you need assistance or an alternative means of applying for a role due to a disability or additional need, please let us know by contacting us at: [email protected]