Global Markets Operations Associate

Responsible for ensuring corporate actions and other post-trade investment activity are completed accurately, on time and in line with procedures. Corporate actions will be a key focus of the role. You will manage events through their lifecycle, working with investment teams, custodians and other counterparties to communicate event information, process instructions and resolve exceptions. You will also support the wider trade lifecycle across Equities, Fixed Income, FX and Derivatives. Previous experience in these areas is beneficial but not essential, as the successful candidate will be supported in developing this knowledge within the role. The role also supports client onboarding and investment activity, manages operational risk and controls, and contributes to process improvement and automation. Due to the nature of the role, the team currently operates a shift pattern that allows for occasional flexibility in start times, with the earliest start being 7am. Further details will be discussed during the interview or can be provided in advance upon request. This position has been deemed a Certified role within the FCA's Senior Managers and Certification Regime. As a result, the role holder's details will be displayed on the FCA Register, and initial and annual fitness and propriety assessments must be completed.,

• Manage corporate action events through their full lifecycle, ensuring activity is completed accurately and within market and custodian deadlines.
• Review and interpret event terms, key dates, options and potential portfolio impacts, communicating relevant information clearly to investment teams.
• Process corporate action elections and entitlements, ensuring instructions are submitted accurately and on time.
• Investigate and resolve corporate action-related cash, stock, instruction and reconciliation exceptions, working with custodians and other counterparties where required.
• Maintain oversight of upcoming events and deadlines, proactively identifying risks, missing information or potential issues.
• Support the end-to-end trade lifecycle, including trade capture, matching, instruction and settlement.
• Monitor and resolve settlement breaks, cash movements and other operational exceptions.
• Work with investment teams, trading teams, custodians, brokers and counterparties to resolve issues and support investment activity.
• Support client and counterparty onboarding, portfolio transitions and other investment initiatives.
• Follow operational procedures and controls, ensuring risks, incidents and errors are identified, escalated and reported appropriately.
• Identify opportunities to improve corporate actions and wider operational processes, controls and efficiency through automation and technology.
• Share knowledge and contribute to the continued development of the wider team.
What Success Looks Like
• Strong corporate actions delivery: Corporate action events are managed accurately from announcement through to completion, with deadlines, elections and entitlements understood and controlled and the impact on portfolios and clients clearly considered.
• Reliable technical delivery: Wider post-trade activity is completed accurately and on time, with a clear understanding of dependencies across the investment lifecycle.
• Good judgement when issues arise: Corporate action and other operational exceptions are investigated thoroughly, the wider context and risk are understood, and appropriate options or recommendations are considered before escalation.
• Clear, outcome-focused communication: Investment teams, custodians, brokers and other stakeholders receive concise information, understand the implications of events or issues and know what action is required.
• Broader operational awareness: Knowledge extends beyond individual tasks to include upstream and downstream impacts, the wider investment lifecycle and the consequences of operational errors.
• Knowledge that benefits the team: Learning is applied in practice, corporate actions expertise is shared and colleagues are supported as the function continues to evolve.
  Hands-on corporate actions experience within financial services, investment operations, asset servicing, custody, middle office or another relevant post-trade environment.
• Experience interpreting corporate action event information, managing deadlines and processing elections or entitlements.
• Experience investigating operational exceptions and working with internal and external stakeholders to resolve them.
• Strong awareness of operational risk and controls, with good judgement around escalation and incident reporting.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain accuracy when working to market deadlines.
• Confident communication skills and the ability to build effective relationships with investment and trading teams, custodians, brokers, counterparties and internal stakeholders.
• A continuous improvement mindset, with an interest in improving processes, controls and automation.
• The willingness and ability to build knowledge across the wider trade lifecycle and additional asset classes.
• Experience supporting trade matching, instruction and settlement (Preferred)
• Knowledge of Equities, Fixed Income, Spot FX or Derivatives. (Preferred)
• Experience supporting client onboarding, portfolio transitions or investment initiatives. (Preferred)
• Exposure to Private Company transactions. (Preferred)
• Experience using data, workflow tools or automation to improve operational processes. (Preferred)
Qualifications
• Investment Operations Certificate, or IOC, preferred.
The Type of Candidate We're Looking For You will have practical, hands-on corporate actions experience and be comfortable taking ownership of events from announcement through to completion. You will be confident interpreting event terms, managing competing market deadlines, processing elections and entitlements and investigating discrepancies or exceptions. You will combine strong attention to detail and technical reliability with sound judgement, clear communication and an understanding of the wider impact corporate action events can have on portfolios, clients and other operational processes. You will investigate issues proactively, escalate appropriately and work confidently with investment teams, custodians and other internal and external stakeholders. Experience across Equities, Fixed Income, FX, Derivatives or wider trading operations would be advantageous, but it is not required. You will be supported in building this broader knowledge as you develop in the role. You will also be open to change, willing to share knowledge and interested in improving how corporate actions and wider operational activity are completed through better processes, technology and automation. Critical Skills
• Adaptability
• Enabling others
• Improvement mindset
• Team working
  At Baillie Gifford, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful culture in which each of our colleagues can thrive and develop. We believe that our clients are best served by a diverse workforce with the experiences, ideas and perspectives that this brings.