Manager - Trade Operations

Job Description Position: Manager Trade Operations Job Overview: The Manager Trade Operations oversees the entire post-trade function, ensuring operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and high-quality service delivery across all custodial and trading relationships. This leadership role drives process automation, reduces operational risks, enables T+1 readiness, and partners closely with clients, custodians, and technology teams. Key Responsibilities and Duties Trade Lifecycle Management - Manage daily trade operations across equities, fixed income, and optionsfrom trade capture to final settlement. - Ensure trades are entered correctly in Charles River, validated against compliance rules, and properly routed. - Oversee allocations, confirmations, and affirmations in coordination with custodians and brokers. Custodian & Prime Broker Coordination - Act as the main point of contact for our custodians (Pershing, Fidelity, Schwab, Goldman Sachs). - Coordinate prime brokerage and trade-away settlements, ensuring all trades are booked and reconciled accurately. - Proactively investigate and resolve any failed trades, mismatched instructions, or settlement issues. DTCC and Industry Process Oversight - Manage the DTCC confirmation and affirmation process to make sure trades are affirmed and settled on schedule. - Monitor exceptions and resolve trade discrepancies before settlement deadlines. - Stay current on industry changes, such as T+1 settlement and other post-trade updates. Process Improvement & Automation - Identify areas where automation can streamline workflows or reduce manual touchpoints. - Partner with technology and trading teams to implement smarter settlement and reconciliation tools. - Keep our SOPs up to date to ensure consistency and clarity across processes. Reconciliation & Risk Control - Perform daily reconciliations of trades, cash, and positions between internal systems and custodians. - Maintain the accuracy of trade blotters and custodial records. - Resolve discrepancies quickly and document resolutions for audit and compliance purposes. Team Collaboration - Work closely with the trading desk, portfolio management, compliance, and finance to ensure seamless trade flow. - Share your expertise during new custodian setups or system integrations. - Mentor junior team members and help strengthen overall operational knowledge across the team. Qualifications Mandatory Qualifications - Minimum of 10 years in trade operations within an RIA, asset manager, hedge fund, or broker-dealer. - Hands-on experience with Charles River (CRIMS) and custodian platforms (Pershing, Fidelity, Schwab, Goldman Sachs). - Deep understanding of trade settlement, clearing, and custody operations, including DTCC and Omgeo workflows. - Strong working knowledge of equities, fixed income, and options trade lifecycles. - Proven ability to troubleshoot settlement issues and reduce breaks through process improvements. - Comfortable working with data and systemsadvanced Excel skills and familiarity with automation tools are a plus. - A proactive mindset, strong attention to detail, and the ability to stay calm under tight deadlines. Preferred Qualifications - Experience leading or supporting T+1 settlement readiness or other industry initiatives. - Familiarity with SWIFT messaging, FIX trade flows, or other electronic trading protocols. - Prior experience managing vendor relationships or system integrations. - FINRA licenses (Series 7 or 99) are preferred but not required. Performance Metrics - Settlement accuracy and timeliness. - Reduction in settlement breaks and operational exceptions. - Successful implementation of process improvements and automation. - Quality of internal documentation and SOPs. - Effective collaboration across teams and external partners.