Global Head of Trading Operations

About the OpportunityJob Type: Permanent

Application Deadline: 17 January 2025

Title: Global Head of Trading Operations 

Department: Investment Management

Location: London

Reports To: Global CAO, Asset Management

About Fidelity International

Fidelity International offers investment solutions and services and retirement expertise to more than 2.5 million customers globally. As a privately-held, purpose-driven company with a 50-year heritage, we think generationally and invest for the long term. Operating in more than 25 locations and with $611.4 billion in total assets, our clients range from central banks, sovereign wealth funds, large corporates, financial institutions, insurers and wealth managers, to private individuals.

Our Workplace & Personal Financial Health business provides individuals, advisers and employers with access to world-class investment choices, third-party solutions, administration services and pension guidance. Together with our Investment Solutions & Services business, we invest $471 billion on behalf of our clients. By combining our asset management expertise with our solutions for workplace and personal investing, we work together to build better financial futures. Find out more about what we do, our history, and how you could be a part of our future at careers.fidelityinternational.com/about-us.

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We are proud of our inclusive culture and encourage applications from the widest mix of talent, whatever your age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, social background and more.

As a flexible employer, we trust our people to perform their role in the way that works best for them, our clients and our business. We are a disability-friendly company and would welcome a conversation with you if you feel you might benefit from any reasonable adjustments to perform to the best of your ability during the recruitment process and beyond.

Department Description

Investment Management is a multi-location, multi time zone environment and is responsible for all core portfolio management, trading, research and first line risk management activities. The Asset Management CAO Team is a part of the investment management team and is responsible for managing and overseeing the IM operating platform. This includes BAU operational activities, business management activities, governance and oversight support, as well as shaping and executing on strategic and regulatory change initiatives across the department. The Asset Management CAO Team works in close collaboration with stakeholders across investment management and the broader organisation to deliver Fidelity wide strategic goals.

Purpose of the Role

The Global Head of Trading Operations will lead change & supporting activities related to FIL’s overall trading capability working alongside the Equity, Fixed Income and Foreign Exchange Heads of Trading (HOTs) globally. This includes operating model changes required to support the evolution of FIL’s investment capabilities including discretionary equity, discretionary fixed income, systematic (equity & fixed income) and solutions & multi-asset. The role will also take Accountable Executive (AE) responsibility for major trading related strategic initiatives such as the evolution of our trading technology platform to scalably support growth. They will act as a representative for global trading on business and regulatory change initiatives and provide oversight of the technology budget and prioritisation of spend. They will be actively involved in managing business relationships with external vendors and platforms. In addition to these responsibilities the Global Head of Trading Operations is responsible for the overall governance of global trading ensuring all regulatory and audit requirements are met and ensuring adherence to internal trading policies and procedures. The role will have direct line management responsibility for the Trading Oversight function which supports overall governance and oversight of trading on a cross-asset basis.They will also play an important role as part of the CAO leadership team providing input and expertise across key initiatives across the investment management platform, in addition to their role as AE for trading initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Business, operating model & technology change to meet the needs of FIL’s investment capabilities across discretionary equity, discretionary fixed income, systematic (equity & fixed income) and solutions & multi-asset
• Bring and maintain a forward looking, external market perspective on market infrastructure developments and regulatory change within trading & execution across global jurisdictions to inform the future development of the trading operating model
• Work closely with the Heads of Trading to shape and execute on the evolution of the trading operating model with the goal of developing scale and efficiency in the trading process
• Trading platform development including both continuous improvement and larger scale platform upgrades or migrations (including a planned move to CR SaaS)
• Strong advocate for simplification & standardisation of processes ahead of CRD SaaS migration
• Respond to changing regulatory & business needs (e.g. growth in systematic strategies, the development of ETFs, increasing use of direct securities investments within multi-asset strategies, increasing use of derivatives across investment strategies etc.)
• Develop and maintain strong connectivity with Heads of Trading, CIOs and Operational Department Heads to ensure strong alignment on strategic developments within trading and the broader front to back operating model
• Chair the Trading Governance & Oversight Committee
• Represent trading in relevant internal business or governance forums such as the IM Change Forum or the Fidelity Canada Oversight Forum
• Strong connectivity & networks within industry associations
• Oversee and support the continued development of the Trading Oversight function
• Respond to distribution / client related requests such as RFPs or Due Diligence questionnaires to ensure cross asset consistency, liasing with HoTs where detailed practioner insight is required

Experience and Qualifications Required

• Demonstrated deep knowledge of the trading process including both high touch and electronic trading processes, broad market infrastructure and regulatory environments across jurisdictions (including securities regulation knowledge)
• Deep knowledge of trading related tools and platforms such as Charles River, Bloomberg and other platforms
• Strong external connectivity and networks with industry associations and peer organisations
• Knowledge of and experience with Charles River (on premise and SaaS) a distinct advantage
• Experience of delivering a large trading platform implementation or migration a distinct advantage
• Technical expertise in equity, fixed income, derivatives and FX markets and trading environments
• Problem Solving skills: the ability to analyse complex issues, identify solutions and make decisions based on technical knowledge, coupled with a genuine interest in the investment process and trading
• Investigative and questioning nature, analytical and a self-starter with high attention to detail
• Ability to articulate a clear strategic vision, bringing together planning, prioritisation, problem solving and organisational skills
• Ability to facilitate discussion and alignment across a broad set of stakeholders to achieve business outcomes
• Ability to lead and drive execution & delivery in a multi-stakeholder, global environment, operating in virtual cross-functional team constructs
• Proven ability to empower and develop a team of specialists
• Effective communicator, collaborator and proven ability to influence colleagues at all levels
• Versatility, adaptability and resilience
• Comfortable operating in ambiguous environments
• Some travel may be required