Custodial Services Officer

Role Overview

You will be part of a Settlements team responsible for the accurate and timely processing of settlement instructions across equities, bonds, and money market instruments. Your daily focus is on ensuring all trades settle within market deadlines, managing exceptions as they arise, and answering queries from clients, Investor Services, and internal business partners. This role directly safeguards the firm's reputation by minimising settlement risk and delivering a dependable, client-focused post-trade service.

Key Responsibilities

• Receive, validate, and process settlement instructions for multiple asset classes, ensuring alignment with market cut-off times and regulatory guidelines.
• Monitor settlement queues and exception reports, taking corrective action to resolve failed trades or mismatched instructions before deadlines.
• Respond to client and internal queries via email, telephone, and SWIFT, providing clear and accurate updates on settlement status and resolving issues promptly.
• Work with Equities, Bonds, and Money Market instruments, checking trade details against counterparty instructions and escalating discrepancies when necessary.
• Liaise with custodians, brokers, and other external parties to confirm settlement terms and address any breaks or rejections.
• Identify opportunities to improve settlement processes, reduce manual effort, and enhance service quality through data analysis and continuous process improvement.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of local market rules, settlement cycles, and industry changes affecting the post-trade environment.
• Ensure all processing activities follow internal procedures and uphold the required standards for accuracy, confidentiality, and risk control.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A first degree in finance, commerce, economics, or a related discipline.
• At least 3–4 years of banking operations experience, specifically in securities or post-trade services.
• Working knowledge of the full trade life cycle for equities, bonds, and money market instruments, including settlement systems and processes.
• Demonstrated client-centric approach, with the ability to interact professionally across email, telephone, and SWIFT messaging channels.
• Strong query resolution and analytical skills, with the capacity to investigate settlement exceptions and propose practical solutions.
• Familiarity with local market settlement conventions, deadlines, and regulatory requirements.
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritise work under pressure, and meet strict timeframes.
• A collaborative mindset, comfortable working in a team and articulating information clearly to colleagues and clients.