Senior Business Analyst - Asset Transition Management

At M&G, 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 offer workplace adjustments to ensure you have the support you need to succeed in your role.

Function Overview:

The role of Business Solutions is to provide an analysis, design and implementation capability across Investment Management for product launches and related changes, ensuring that M&G Investment’s operating models are robust, scalable and flexible. We also provide a transition planning and execution capability to enable the safe transition of assets to and from our clients or funds during the onboarding of new mandates or closure/merger of any of our current product range. This involves scoping and assessing change across the end-to-end investment value chain. Typically the team will work closely with colleagues from across the organisation such as Investment teams, Risk, Compliance, Technology, Operations as well as with our external supplier network.

Role Overview:

Reporting to a Business Solutions Design Lead, this role is primarily responsible for developing and executing the implementation approach for asset transitions. This colleague will work with a Business Solutions Design Lead through feasibility and early planning as required, and ensure that execution aligns to the intended client outcome. This is a pivotal role that requires active participation in feasibility and assessment activities, with the ability to identify key transition risks and potential solutions at an early stage to ensure appropriate processes and mitigations are built into the implementation plan. This will cover a range of technical areas, such as portfolio realignment strategy, liquidity analysis, security and cash custody transfers, restricted market exposures, novation or transfer of derivatives, currency and cash management, accounting treatment and cost tracking. From time-to-time, the role may also require involvement in broader product change activity affecting the end-to-end operating model, such as fund launches.

Key responsibilities for this role:

• Leads the design and execution of efficient transition plans, meticulously following and enhancing established run books and adhering to agreed timelines.
• Collaborates with the investment and dealing teams to ensure any requirements for portfolio realignment are understood and delivered in the most cost-effective manner.
• Owns the end-to-end Operational Model impact analysis and design to ensure the transition approach is appropriate for the portfolios and products in scope.
• Supports the relevant Business Solutions Design Lead by providing a leading point of contact for key internal and external stakeholders for operational feasibility and implementation through all stages of the project.
• Ensures that scalability, operational risk and regulatory compliance are considered in the execution plan for every initiative.
• Manages internal and external party interaction and ensures appropriate level of engagement across all impacted stakeholders.
• Drives forward the analysis, development, testing and delivery of new transition techniques.
• Performs end-to-end set-up and ensures operational readiness activities are complete.
• Ensures procedures, processes and controls are complied with and kept up-to-date, communicating any changes effectively.
• Contributes to continuous improvement initiatives and ideas.
• Provides support and guidance to less experienced team members, through informal mentorship, on-the-job coaching and general performance guidance.

Key Skills, Competencies & Experience:Skills and Competencies

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify key areas of transition risk and complexity at an early stage and determine mitigating strategies and methodologies.
• Proactive and delivery focused with excellent planning skills and the ability to manage, recognise and prioritise deadlines, while responding with agility to live technical and high-risk issues as they arise.
• Ability to challenge the status quo and see “big picture” solutions to increase efficiency, but equally drill down to low-level detail when required.
• Takes ownership of client outcomes and drives projects forward to completion.
• Advanced Excel skills with ability to interrogate big data and simplify outputs into a digestible format suitable for different audiences.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present issues and ideas confidently to key stakeholders.
• Ability to present complex technical details at senior level and produce appropriate supporting material.
• Strong facilitation skills to elicit information or decisions from key stakeholders, both internally and externally.
• Ability to form working relationships and demonstrate credibility with internal and external stakeholders in order to facilitate outcomes and influence decisions.
• Self-starter willing to research new concepts and fill gaps in knowledge.
• Competence in delivering knowledge-sharing sessions to improve cross-team knowledge and contribute to overall best practice.
• Ability to think laterally and generate creative solutions.

Experience:

• Proven experience in asset transition management within the UK or European asset management landscape.
• Demonstrated track record of successfully planning and executing asset transitions with a focus on optimising client outcome and minimising costs.
• End-to-end understanding of the asset management operating model, and knowledge of the product and instrument types, regulatory environment and clients managed.
• Strong understanding of asset classes i.e. equities (public and private), fixed income (public and private), derivatives (ETDs and OTCs), FX and money markets.
• Understanding of transition costs and associated cost tracking methodologies.
• Familiarity with core fund accounting principles highly beneficial.
• 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.
• Broad industry awareness and familiarity with issues impacting asset management as a whole.
• Aware of ESG principles and their practical implications on day-to-day fund management activities desirable, but not essential.
• Experience in delivering continuous improvements desirable, but not essential.

What we offer:

We’re dedicated to supporting your wellbeing and helping you thrive, both at work and beyond. Our benefits are designed to help you balance your professional and personal life, and financially plan for the future.

Our UK benefits include:

• A valuable pension scheme of up to 18% (13% made up of employer contributions and 5% employee contributions).
• Access to our Share Save and Share Incentive Plan, alongside 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 five extra days. Our Time Off When You Need It policy gives you the flexibility - to balance work and personal commitments.
• Our market-leading Inspiring Families policy includes comprehensive support and paid parental leave covering maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and paternity leave - because supporting families is an important part of our inclusive culture.
• Health & Protection cover includes Private Healthcare, Critical Illness cover and Life Assurance for you, with additional family options - for peace of mind.

At M&G we strive to have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, underpinned by our policies and employee-led networks that offer networking, support and development opportunities for the diverse communities our colleagues represent. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds – across gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation and more – including neurodivergent individuals, career returners and those with military service experience.

M&G is proud to be Level 3: Disability Confident Leader under the UK Government Disability Confident employer scheme, and we welcome applications from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions. If you would like to participate in the initiative, you will have the opportunity to indicate this on your application.

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. All candidates have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments when applying. If you need any additional support at any stage, please contact us at: careers@mandg.com