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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Trading Coordinator

💰 $65,000 - $95,000

FinanceOperationsTradingAsset Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Trading Coordinator is the operational backbone of the trading function, ensuring the seamless and accurate processing of trades from the point of execution through to final settlement. This role serves as a vital link between front-office traders, portfolio managers, and back-office operations, as well as external counterparties like brokers and custodians. A successful Trading Coordinator is a detail-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, mitigating operational risk and ensuring the integrity of the firm's trading activities across various asset classes. They are problem-solvers, communicators, and guardians of process, critical to the firm's daily operational stability and efficiency.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Operations Analyst
  • Fund Accounting Clerk
  • Recent Graduate (Finance/Economics)

Advancement To:

  • Senior Trading Coordinator / Team Lead
  • Trade Operations Manager
  • Middle Office Specialist

Lateral Moves:

  • Compliance Analyst
  • Portfolio Implementation Analyst
  • Counterparty Risk Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage the complete trade lifecycle for various financial instruments, including equities, fixed income, derivatives, and FX, ensuring timely and accurate processing.
  • Perform daily and intra-day reconciliation of trades, positions, and cash balances against custodian, prime broker, and fund administrator records, meticulously investigating and resolving discrepancies.
  • Monitor trade settlement progress across global markets, proactively identifying and addressing potential fails to minimize risk and financial impact.
  • Liaise directly with executing brokers, custodians, and other external counterparties to resolve trade-related issues, confirm trade details, and manage relationships.
  • Process and validate trade affirmations and confirmations through platforms like DTCC, CTM, and SWIFT to ensure all parties are in agreement post-execution.
  • Handle all aspects of corporate action events (mandatory and voluntary), including notification, election submission, and processing of entitlements in coordination with portfolio managers.
  • Accurately book and confirm new trade executions in the Order Management System (OMS) or Portfolio Management System in a timely manner.
  • Calculate and verify daily profit and loss (P&L) for trading desks, attributing changes to market movement and trading activity, and resolving any valuation discrepancies.
  • Monitor and process collateral and margin calls with counterparties, ensuring appropriate collateral is moved and recorded accurately.
  • Support cash management activities by providing accurate forecasts of settlement-related cash flows and managing currency funding requirements.
  • Assist traders and portfolio managers by providing operational support, answering queries on trade status, and delivering ad-hoc reporting.
  • Ensure all trading activities adhere to internal compliance policies and external regulatory requirements by performing pre- and post-trade compliance checks.
  • Maintain and update static data within trading and operations systems, including security master files, counterparty information, and settlement instructions.
  • Act as a primary point of contact for resolving complex trade breaks and settlement failures, coordinating with internal teams and external parties for swift resolution.
  • Prepare and distribute daily, weekly, and monthly operational reports to management, highlighting key metrics, volumes, and any outstanding issues.
  • Support the onboarding of new funds, markets, instruments, or brokers by setting up systems and establishing operational workflows.
  • Investigate and resolve exceptions related to foreign exchange (FX) trades, including spot, forward, and swap transactions.
  • Participate in the documentation and continuous improvement of operational procedures and workflows to enhance efficiency and strengthen controls.
  • Assist with internal and external audit requests by providing necessary trade documentation, reports, and explanations of operational processes.
  • Collaborate with the technology team to troubleshoot system issues, test new software enhancements, and improve systematic processes.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory analysis for portfolio managers and the risk team.
  • Contribute to cross-functional projects aimed at enhancing operational infrastructure and mitigating risk.
  • Assist in the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive knowledge base and procedural documentation for the trading operations team.
  • Participate in industry working groups and stay current with market structure changes and regulations that may impact trade operations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Trade Lifecycle Knowledge: Deep understanding of the end-to-end trade lifecycle across multiple asset classes (equities, fixed income, derivatives).
  • OMS/EMS Platforms: Proficiency with Order Management Systems (e.g., Charles River, BlackRock Aladdin) and Execution Management Systems.
  • Reconciliation: Strong skills in performing complex position, cash, and trade reconciliations.
  • Microsoft Excel: Advanced proficiency, including VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, pivot tables, and macros for data analysis and reporting.
  • Financial Market Utilities: Experience with industry platforms such as DTCC, CTM, and SWIFT messaging.
  • Bloomberg Terminal: Competent in using Bloomberg for trade lookups, security information, and communication (MSG).
  • Settlement Processes: In-depth knowledge of settlement processes and conventions in major global markets (DVP, RVP).
  • SQL: Basic to intermediate SQL skills for querying databases and extracting data is highly desirable.

Soft Skills

  • Attention to Detail: Meticulous and precise in handling large volumes of data and complex processes to prevent errors.
  • Problem-Solving: Ability to independently investigate issues, identify the root cause, and implement effective solutions under pressure.
  • Communication: Clear, concise, and professional written and verbal communication skills for liaising with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Time Management: Exceptional ability to prioritize tasks, manage deadlines, and work effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure trading environment.
  • Teamwork & Collaboration: A cooperative and collaborative mindset, able to work effectively within the team and across departments.
  • Proactivity: A forward-thinking approach to identifying potential issues and a drive to improve processes without waiting for instruction.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field of study.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Finance
  • Economics
  • Business Administration
  • Mathematics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2-5 years of experience in a trade support, middle office, or investment operations role within the financial services industry.

Preferred:

  • Experience at an asset management firm, hedge fund, or investment bank is strongly preferred. Direct exposure to a multi-asset class trading environment.
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