Investment Platform Implementation Lead

Job Summary

Our client has recently launched an exciting, multi-year strategy to build a modern and digital technology platform.  As part of our evolution, we are on a journey to modernize our investment systems environment with touchpoints throughout front, middle and back office processes. 

As a leader within the Investment Platforms technology team, the Investment Platform Implementation Lead is responsible for the oversight, installation, implementation and deployment of industry-leading vendor products designed for investment management.  The candidate has an understanding of capital markets, business goals, investment and operational processes, and has experience leading a team that has successfully implemented large scale vendor products in the finance industry from a technology perspective. 

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead an internal team to drive forward modern investment platform implementations, including system configuration, quality engineering, testing and change management activities
• Liaise with vendor’s implementation team and provide strong leadership for our client's relationship
• Gain an in-depth knowledge of vendor product functionality and workflows to ensure internal stakeholders take full advantage of application tools and capabilities
• Interpret investment and operational processes for a variety of asset classes, including fixed income, structured products, equities and private debt; translate those designs into vendor platform configurations and workflows
• Deliver phased product implementations on a regular, prescribed cadence using agile methodologies and tools
• Work closely with the project management office to ensure the execution of plans correspond to what is being promised throughout the project or product lifecycle
• Interface directly with vendors to administer the implementation project plan, as well as the coordination of resources across multiple teams both internally and with the vendor
• Engage vendors’ product development teams to advocate for application enhancements needed internally for our client
• Consult with internal Platform Transformation, Enterprise Architecture and Investment platforms support teams to ensure implementation plans adhere to our client's goals overall
• Help facilitate training and creation of documentation to support internal users after implementation is complete
• Guide transition from implementation activities into an appropriate support model

Qualification

• Proven track record implementing investment management systems (portfolio management, trading systems, etc.)
• Experience leading implementation teams capable of executing large scale projects on time and successfully
• Development experience with no code and low code platforms; development experience with APIs, SQL, ETL tools, XML/XSLT and/or C# a plus
• Minimum of 8 years of experience within information technology and 5 years of experience in financial industry
• Familiarity with industry leading vendor investment management platforms such as BlackRock Aladdin, State Street Alpha (Charles River) and alternative asset management platforms
• Strong knowledge of asset management industry, specifically fixed income, private debt, and public equity asset classes
• Understanding of the investment lifecycle, including asset origination, underwriting, order management, trade execution and portfolio management
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Management, Financial Management, or equivalent
• Creative, analytical thinker with exceptional problem solving skills
• Working experience with agile methodologies, tools and processes; experience with Azure Boards is a plus
• Well organized with excellent written communication and presentation skills