Senior Business Analyst - Public Markets (12mth FTC)

Our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, we have a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions. 

Our two distinct operating segments, Asset Management and Life, work together to provide access to balanced, long-term investment and savings solutions.

Through 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 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.

This is a 12mth Fixed Term contract.

Key Work Level Accountabilities:           

Experienced Colleague

• Accountable for providing a quality service or product to customers and stakeholders, using skills/experience built through significant practical experience or training
• Works within established frameworks and procedures, with the freedom to interpret them to solve a range of problems
• Delivers outputs that are clearly defined, using discretion over how to achieve them
• Makes suggestions for improvements to the work of the team, based on previous experience and knowledge of similar situations

Key responsibilities for this role:

• 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 Skills, Competencies & Experience:

Skills and Competencies

• 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.
• Ability to form working relationships and demonstrate credibility with internal and external stakeholders in order to facilitate outcomes and influence decisions.
• Strong facilitation skills to elicit information from key stakeholders, both internally and externally.
• Self-starter willing to research new concepts and fill gaps in knowledge.
• Logical and analytical mindset with proven problem solving skills.
• Ability to see “big picture” solution but equally drill down to low-level detail when required.
• Ability to think laterally and generate creative solutions.
• Awareness of potential issues relating to scalability, operational risk or compliance of the proposed solution, and ability to propose appropriate risk mitigation approaches

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.

Recruiter: Sarah Hawkins

Job Level: Manager or Expert

What we offer:

At M&G, we’re committed to helping you thrive and supporting your wellbeing, both at work and beyond. Our benefits are designed to help you balance your professional and personal life, while planning confidently for your future. Our UK benefits include:

• As a savings and Investments firm we are proud to offer a valuable pension scheme of 18%, with 13% made up of Employer Contributions and 5% Employee Contributions. We also offer Share Save and our Share Incentive Plan, together with access to financial wellbeing and support services - to help give you real confidence to put your money to work.

• Enjoy 38 days annual leave including bank holidays, with the opportunity to purchase up to 5 extra days and additional flexibility through our Time Off When You Need It policy – to balance your work and personal commitments.  

• Our market leading Inspiring Families policy includes comprehensive support and paid parental leave covering maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and paternity leave - as supporting families is a core aspect of our inclusive culture.

• Health & Protection cover including Private Healthcare, Critical Illness cover and Life Assurance for you, with family options - for peace of mind.

To explore more about life at M&G and our full benefits offering, visit Life at M&G

We have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture at M&G, 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, or neuro-divergent conditions. 

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]