Salary & Benefits: £50,000 - £65,000 + (subject to experience) + Asset Management bonus, excellent pension scheme, private medical insurance, electric vehicle scheme, 38 days holiday incl. Bank Holidays, plus 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more!
Job Type: Permanent
Hiring Manager : AM Operations Business Manager
Location: This role will be based in our Telford / Wythall / Edinburgh / London office, with some time spent working from home (c.2 days).
We have an incredible opportunity to join us here at Phoenix Group as a Policyholder Servicing Specialist to join our AM Operations Team in the Asset Management COO function.
Who are we?
We want to be the best place that any of our 6,600 colleagues have ever worked.
We’re the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business. We offer a range of products across our market-leading brands, Standard Life, SunLife, Phoenix Life and ReAssure. Around 1 in 5 people in the UK has a pension with us. We’re a FTSE 100 organisation that is tackling key issues such as transitioning our portfolio to net zero by 2050, and we’re not done yet.
Team Context
Located within the newly-formed Policyholder Middle Office team, the role will have responsibility for delivering support services to various functions within Asset Management and beyond in respect of the Phoenix Policyholder funds.
Middle Office is a key support function for the Asset Management Front Office. It has wide-ranging accountability ensuring operational control of investment activities, supporting the Group and AM Governance framework, and supports the delivery of investment reporting.
The Role
You will be responsible for providing key operational support, input and guidance whilst acting as a link between AM Operations and Investment Operations teams to take on activities which currently sit between the two areas.
The core responsibilities of the role include providing dedicated support for Policyholder Front Office functions, managing the operational impact of, and establishing new processes to embed new strategies and initiatives introduced by the Business.
A key focus will be on ensuring accurate setup and ongoing maintenance of Policyholder fund structuring via key internal systems, which will require working closely with Business Analysts, IT and Data Management teams to ensure effective data stewardship is maintained in INVista and Aladdin.
The incumbent will support the Head of AM Operations and Policyholder Operations Manager in designing and implementing processes in support of the overall Asset Management strategy, and acting as a “Subject Matter Expert” (SME) in relation to policyholder-related operational activities. You will contribute significantly towards ensuring the team delivers benefit to Asset Management in the form of efficiency gains and a strong risk and control environment across this important asset and fund structure.
Key Responsibilities
General
1. Accountable and responsible for the daily operational tasks supporting the Policyholder Front Office, continuous development of the Policyholder Servicing Process, and supporting teams across Asset Management to embed new policyholder strategies and initiatives.
2. Work with internal and external parties to, where necessary, challenge systems and processes to achieve delivery.
3. Establish processes to continuously monitor and identify risks and controls, escalating as required.
4. Coordinate implementation with Investment Operations, Middle Office, external asset managers and transition management service providers on behalf of Policyholder Assets team.
5. Maintain detailed documentation of Policyholder Servicing end-to-end processes.
6. Adapt to the requirements of different types of change by planning and organising effectively.
7. Keep technical & business knowledge up to date in area of expertise
Analysis
8. Appraisal - Provide operational subject matter expertise and opinion to support the onboarding new initiatives and providing support to large and small-scale projects, whilst managing stakeholder expectations throughout.
9. Support Investment Decision Making – Provides advice, challenge and operational guidance to stakeholders. Scan the horizon for emerging risks and identify early action to mitigate.
10. Manage and Interaction with internal and external stakeholders – Take on a leadership role in all areas of the Policyholder Servicing, providing specialist knowledge which will liaise with, benefit, and bridge across AM Operations and Investment Operations.
What we're looking for
Minimum Criteria -
Experience (Essential)
11. Proven experience in Asset Management or Investment Operations, with exposure to policyholder products.
12. Strong knowledge and understanding of financial markets and the Phoenix Policyholder fund structure and Asset Management practices.
13. Functional knowledge of end to end investment management technology / operating models, and downstream consumers / value chain.
14. Proven ability to identify risks and implement mitigating controls over Policyholder business.
15. Proficient use of MS Excel, Word and PowerPoint. Experience of Aladdin and INVista would be preferred.
Qualifications
16. A degree is not required to apply for this role.
Skills & Personal Attributes
17. Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate across, and influence a wide range of stakeholders, while maintaining effective relationships
18. Self-starter and independent worker with strong sense of ownership, capable of delivering, driving and shaping results and to meet deadlines under pressure
19. Able to offer sound approaches, alternatives and solutions to operationally support initiatives, as well as appreciating the benefits and risks to approaches
20. Diligent working style with attention to detail and high standards for quality
21. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
22. Agility and vision to adapt processes in an ever-changing environment with a focus on continuous improvement
We want to hire the whole version of you.
We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you.
If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best.