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- Tasks: Drive operational excellence in complex trade initiatives and optimise the Aladdin platform.
- Company: Join Standard Life, a leader in retirement savings with over 200 years of experience.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, private medical cover, 38 days annual leave, and more.
- Why this job: Make a tangible impact on high-profile investment activities in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in derivatives lifecycle and strong analytical skills are essential.
- Other info: Flexible hybrid working model and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The predicted salary is between 52300 - 52300 ÂŁ per year.
If you’re an experienced Operations Specialist who has expertise in ensuring operational excellence in the delivery of strategic and complex trade initiatives, Aladdin platform optimisation and proactively collaborating with the wider Middle Office and Front Office teams, then our Middle Office Structured Trade Operations team would love to meet you.
Job Type: Permanent
Location: Edinburgh, London, Telford or Birmingham (hybrid working 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home). We will discuss what is important to you.
Salary and Benefits: From ÂŁ52,300 (subject to experience) + bonus, private medical cover, 38 days annual leave, excellent pension, 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more.
Who are we? We’re Standard Life, a retirement specialist focused entirely on retirement savings and income. We champion the belief that everyone’s journey to and through retirement can be better, and for more than 200 years, we’ve been helping our customers plan and prepare for their financial futures.
The Team: The Structured Trade Lifecycle Operations Specialist will play a pivotal role in shaping how our business delivers its most complex and strategic investment deals. Within Retirement Solutions & Asset Management (RS&AM), our Middle Office Structured Trade Operations team sits at the heart of major trading activity. We partner closely with investment, governance and delivery teams to ensure every strategic, structured and high‑value trade is seamlessly executed, fully controlled, and operationally ready from day one.
The Role: In this role, you’ll take ownership of the operational design and delivery for some of our most sophisticated transactions, often involving multi‑leg derivative packages and a wide spectrum of asset classes. You’ll work side by side with trading teams to understand upcoming deal pipelines, assess our operational capabilities, and shape the processes needed to support them. This includes managing trade booking and set‑up activities such as novations and bilateral amendments, and engaging with clearing brokers and counterparties where required. A key part of your remit will be enhancing and configuring our investment platform (Aladdin) to ensure it’s optimised for new, complex deal structures.
Beyond structured trades, you may also support wider middle‑office activity, including confirmations, income events and post‑trade operations, ensuring derivative data is accurately captured and resolving any lifecycle breaks or trade flow issues. You’ll also contribute to onboarding new systems with third‑party providers and help the business meet its regulatory obligations.
As our operational subject matter expert, you’ll bring deep understanding of trade lifecycle events, strong cross‑asset knowledge, and proven experience delivering change at pace. You’ll influence process improvements, shape our operating model, and help embed new controls, systems and platforms across the function. Your work will directly contribute to building industry‑leading operational capabilities across RS&AM.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast‑moving environment, enjoys solving complex operational challenges, and wants to make a tangible impact on high‑profile investment activity.
The Role Interacts Frequently With The Following Parties:
- Internal Functions: Public and Macro trading teams, Portfolio Implementation, Middle Office, Cash Management, Investment Operations & Risk Management
- External Parties: External Portfolio Managers, Third Party administrators, Platform Service Providers, Custodians, BRS, Clearing Brokers & Trading Counterparties
What are we looking for?
Knowledge & Experience (Essential):
- End‑to‑end life cycle knowledge of derivatives, and managing derivative processes in either Middle or Back Office
- Experience of various derivative product types and collateral models
- Detailed product knowledge across asset classes, focus being on complex derivatives structures
- Experience of the Aladdin platform, detailed understanding of product set up, life cycle process and configuring new products
- Experience of delivering new operational capability under set timelines
- Excellent organisational, prioritisation skills, with agility and vision to adapt processes in an ever‑changing environment
Skills & Personal Attributes:
- Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills with holistic financial thinking
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to develop, translate and present complex information, reports or presentations tailored to a variety of stakeholders
- Proficient use of MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint and ideally the Aladdin platform
- Acts with initiative and ownership, confidently driving work forward and delivering strong outcomes, even when priorities shift or timelines are tight
We Want To Hire The Whole Version Of You. We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you. If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best.
Middle Office Structured Trade Operations Specialist in London employer: Standard Life plc
Contact Detail:
Standard Life plc Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Middle Office Structured Trade Operations Specialist in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, especially those already working at Standard Life. A friendly chat can give you insights and maybe even a referral!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of derivatives and the Aladdin platform. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with the operational excellence they’re after.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your problem-solving skills during interviews. Share specific examples of how you've tackled complex operational challenges in the past – they love that kind of stuff!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the team.
We think you need these skills to ace Middle Office Structured Trade Operations Specialist in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the role of a Middle Office Structured Trade Operations Specialist. Highlight your expertise in derivatives and operational excellence, as these are key to catching our eye!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how your background makes you the perfect fit for our team. Don’t forget to mention your experience with the Aladdin platform!
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills: In your application, give examples of how you've tackled complex operational challenges in the past. We love candidates who can think critically and adapt to changing environments, so let us see that side of you!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands and shows us you’re serious about joining our team at Standard Life!
How to prepare for a job interview at Standard Life plc
✨Know Your Derivatives Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your end-to-end life cycle knowledge of derivatives. Be prepared to discuss various derivative product types and collateral models, as well as how they relate to the operational processes in both Middle and Back Office.
✨Familiarise Yourself with Aladdin
Since experience with the Aladdin platform is essential, take some time to understand its functionalities. Be ready to explain how you've configured new products or enhanced operational capabilities using this platform in your previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your analytical and problem-solving abilities. Think of specific challenges you've faced in trade operations and how you successfully navigated them, especially in fast-paced environments.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Strong communication skills are key for this role. Practice explaining complex information in a straightforward manner, as you'll need to present ideas to various stakeholders. Tailor your responses to show how you can bridge gaps between technical details and business needs.