Senior Specialist: Business Analyst (Front Office Support) at Liberty Group South Africa

Job Summary

• This role is integral to a buy-side investment asset management firm. It focuses on supporting and driving the adoption of the BlackRock Aladdin enterprise platform. The Front-Office Support Specialist will collaborate closely with portfolio managers to understand and deeply enhance the investment process through the efficient use of Aladdin.
• We are looking for individuals for whom we can offer the opportunity to train (certify) on the BlackRock Aladdin platform.
• Individuals that are keen to grow in the Investment Asset Management space.

Key Responsibilities

• Aladdin Platform Expertise: Serve as the primary support specialist for the BlackRock Aladdin enterprise platform, becoming an expert in its functionalities and workflows.
• Portfolio Manager Collaboration: Work closely with portfolio managers to understand their needs and challenges, ensuring that Aladdin’s capabilities are fully leveraged in the investment process.
• Platform Adoption: Lead the drive to adopt the Aladdin platform across the front office, demonstrating its benefits and efficiencies to all users.

Workflow Support and Enhancement: Support key Aladdin workflows including but not limited to:

• Portfolio management and optimisation
• Risk analytics and reporting
• Compliance monitoring
• Trade execution and order management
• Data management and integrity
• Performance attribution and reporting
• Training and User Support: Develop and deliver training programs for Aladdin users, offering ongoing support and advanced troubleshooting.
• Process Improvement: Identify opportunities for process improvement within Aladdin workflows, ensuring alignment with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with various stakeholders, including IT, risk management, compliance, and back-office teams, to ensure a cohesive approach to using Aladdin.
• Feedback and Customization: Gather user feedback and collaborate with BlackRock and internal IT teams to customise and enhance the Aladdin platform.
• Regulatory and Compliance Oversight: Ensure the platform’s use adheres to all relevant regulatory standards and internal compliance policies.
• Change Management: Lead change management initiatives related to Aladdin, ensuring smooth transitions and minimal disruption to the investment process.

Minimum Experience

• 3 - 5 years experience in a similar environment, of which 1 -2 years at a junior specialist level

Preferred Skills

• Prior experience in a role requiring close interaction with portfolio managers.
• Familiarity with programming languages for data analysis and process automation.
• Strong project management and organisational abilities.
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to drive change effectively.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas [NQF Level 07] in Finance Economics and Accounting or Information Technology and Computer Sciences

Additional Minimum Qualifications

• Proven experience in a role supporting investment life-cycle and financial instrument valuations.
• Understanding of investment processes and financial instruments.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Finance

• Adhere to financial controls, governance and compliance policies and processes throughout an area of specialisation, contributing to cost efficiency.

Learning and Growth

• Contribute positively to human capability improvement, related to knowledge optimisation and associated with area of specialisation.

Governance

• Comply to risk and governance policies, implement and provide subject matter input to the development of related processes, applicable to the area of specialisation.

Behavioral Competencies

• Professional/Technical learning (Intermediate)
• Analytical Thinking (Proficient)
• People Management and Empowerment (Intermediate)
• Interpersonal Effectiveness (Intermediate)
• Problem Solving and Analysis (Intermediate)
• Teamwork and Cooperation (Intermediate)
• Communicating with Impact (Intermediate)
• Relationship Management and Networking (Intermediate)
• Customer Orientation (Intermediate)