Custodian Operations Officer

We are seeking a CASS Reconciliations & Custodian Operations Officer to join the Operations team of a PRA- and FCA-regulated wholesale bank.

This is a hands-on, dual-function role responsible for meeting the Bank's CASS 6 safe custody reconciliation obligations while supporting the operational processing of FX, interest-rate and fixed-income products.

The successful candidate will work closely with Treasury, Finance, Compliance, Technology, external custodians and counterparties. The role is particularly suited to an operations professional with strong reconciliation experience, excellent attention to detail and a sound understanding of regulatory controls.

Key responsibilities

• Perform daily external and monthly internal reconciliations of safe custody assets in accordance with FCA CASS requirements.
• Reconcile custody-system positions and securities records against CSD, sub-custodian and accounting balances.
• Investigate, document and resolve reconciliation breaks, escalating significant issues and potential client-asset shortfalls promptly.
• Maintain complete reconciliation evidence, account records, break logs and supporting documentation for the CASS Resolution Pack.
• Prepare daily CASS reconciliation certificates in accordance with maker/checker controls.
• Support the settlement and reconciliation of cross-border UK-China OTC bond transactions.
• Process corporate actions, including coupon payments, redemptions, amortisations, calls, puts and exchange offers.
• Support FX spot, forwards, swaps and NDFs throughout the confirmation, settlement and reconciliation lifecycle.
• Manage unmatched or unconfirmed trades and prepare relevant SWIFT payment and settlement instructions.
• Perform nostro reconciliations for treasury accounts.
• Support the lifecycle management of interest-rate and fixed-income products, including cross-currency swaps and bond repos.
• Assist with applicable UK EMIR and MiFID II/MiFIR reporting requirements.
• Support CMAR preparation, internal and external audits, regulatory reviews and operational-risk investigations.
• Maintain effective four-eyes controls and accurate, audit-ready operational records.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen controls, automate reconciliations and improve operational processes.

Requirements

• A degree and a minimum of three years' experience within UK financial services.
• Three to five years' experience in CASS reconciliations, custody operations, treasury operations or a related field.
• Practical knowledge of CASS 6 and/or CASS 7 internal and external reconciliation requirements.
• Experience in securities settlement, position reconciliation and corporate-action processing within a custody or sub-custody environment.
• Experience supporting FX products such as spot, forwards and swaps, and/or interest-rate products such as IRS and cross-currency swaps.
• Knowledge of trade confirmation, settlement processing, SWIFT messaging and nostro reconciliation.
• Awareness of the SM&CR Certification Regime, UK EMIR and MiFID II/MiFIR.
• Strong numerical accuracy, analytical skills and reconciliation-break investigation experience.
• Advanced Excel skills, including lookup formulas, pivot tables and reconciliation techniques.
• The ability to work effectively with colleagues across Operations, Treasury, Finance, Compliance and Technology.
• CASS Resolution Pack preparation or CMAR submissions.
• Cross-border RMB markets and offshore CNH settlement.
• Bond Connect, CIBM Direct, CCDC or SHCH settlement.
• Professional qualifications such as the CISI Investment Operations Certificate, CASS Practitioner Certificate, FRM or an ICMA qualification.

What we are looking for

You will be a detail-focused and analytical operations professional with a strong controls mindset. You should be comfortable managing time-sensitive processes, investigating complex reconciliation differences and communicating operational or regulatory matters clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

This role falls within the FCA Certification Regime, and the successful candidate will be subject to the Bank's applicable fitness and propriety assessment.

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