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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Trading Assistant

💰 $65,000 - $95,000

FinanceTradingAsset ManagementInvestment BankingOperations

🎯 Role Definition

Are you a highly numerate and detail-obsessed professional with a passion for the fast-paced world of financial markets? This role requires an exceptional Trading Assistant to join our front-office team. In this pivotal role, you will be the backbone of the trading desk, providing essential support to traders and ensuring the seamless operation of the entire trade lifecycle. You will be responsible for everything from trade entry and booking to position reconciliation and risk reporting. This is a unique opportunity to gain direct exposure to trading strategies, market dynamics, and sophisticated financial instruments while working alongside seasoned industry professionals.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Financial Operations Analyst
  • Middle Office or Back Office Specialist
  • Recent Graduate (Finance, Economics, STEM)

Advancement To:

  • Junior Trader / Trader
  • Trade Support Manager
  • Portfolio Implementation Analyst

Lateral Moves:

  • Risk Analyst
  • Quantitative Analyst
  • Compliance Officer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Monitor and manage the complete trade order lifecycle from execution to settlement to ensure timely and accurate processing.
  • Perform daily, multi-asset class reconciliation of trades, positions, and cash balances against broker statements, prime broker data, and internal systems.
  • Proactively investigate, document, and resolve trade breaks, settlement failures, and other discrepancies by liaising with brokers, custodians, and internal teams.
  • Assist traders with the accurate and timely booking of trades, allocations, and confirmations across various asset classes including equities, fixed income, FX, and derivatives.
  • Prepare and distribute daily Profit & Loss (P&L) reports, risk exposure summaries, and other critical analytics for the trading desk.
  • Act as a primary point of contact for brokers, custodians, and clearinghouses to resolve any trade-related inquiries or issues.
  • Maintain the integrity of trading system data, including the setup and maintenance of security master files, pricing information, and counterparty details.
  • Generate and analyze post-trade reports to measure execution quality (TCA - Transaction Cost Analysis) and identify opportunities for process improvement.
  • Support the onboarding process for new brokers and counterparties, ensuring all system connections and documentation are correctly established.
  • Ensure all trading activities adhere to internal compliance policies, market regulations, and best execution standards.
  • Provide real-time, active support to traders during market hours, including sourcing market data, managing communication channels, and responding to ad-hoc requests.
  • Manage the full lifecycle of derivative trades, including confirmations, novations, resets, and expiration processing.
  • Calculate, verify, and process margin calls, collateral movements, and interest payments with various counterparties.
  • Contribute to the user acceptance testing (UAT) and implementation of new trading software, system upgrades, and trading platforms.
  • Develop and maintain complex spreadsheets, macros, and other analytical tools for market analysis, position tracking, and ad-hoc reporting.
  • Monitor and process corporate actions (e.g., dividends, stock splits, mergers, tender offers) and ensure their correct application to trading positions.
  • Assist in the preparation of materials for regulatory filings and respond to inquiries from internal/external compliance and audit teams.
  • Coordinate with Operations, Technology, and Risk departments to streamline front-to-back office workflows and resolve cross-departmental issues.
  • Analyze trading costs, broker commissions, and execution performance to provide actionable feedback and reports to the trading team.
  • Keep abreast of market developments, economic news, and global events that could impact trading strategies and portfolio positions.

Secondary Functions

  • Support traders and portfolio managers with ad-hoc data requests and exploratory market analysis.
  • Contribute to projects aimed at improving trading desk technology, data infrastructure, and reporting capabilities.
  • Collaborate with technology and operations teams to translate trading desk needs into system enhancements and functional requirements.
  • Participate in cross-functional projects and meetings to represent the interests and needs of the trading desk.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • High proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including complex formulas, pivot tables, macros, and VBA is essential.
  • Experience with financial market data platforms such as Bloomberg Terminal or Reuters Eikon.
  • Knowledge of Order Management Systems (OMS) and Execution Management Systems (EMS), such as Charles River, Aladdin, or Fidessa.
  • Strong understanding of the trade lifecycle, from pre-trade analytics to post-trade settlement and reconciliation.
  • Familiarity with a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, foreign exchange (FX), and derivatives (options, futures, swaps).
  • Basic SQL skills for querying databases and performing data extraction and analysis is highly preferred.
  • Exposure to a programming language like Python or R for data manipulation and automation is a significant plus.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy, especially when working under pressure.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a talent for quickly identifying and resolving complex discrepancies.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective collaboration with traders, brokers, and internal teams.
  • Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure, and collaborative team environment.
  • A proactive mindset with a strong sense of urgency, ownership, and personal accountability.
  • Superior organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to multitask and prioritize a demanding workload.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's Degree in a quantitative or financial field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Finance
  • Economics
  • Mathematics
  • Computer Science
  • Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1-4 years of relevant experience in a trade support, middle office, or financial operations role.

Preferred:

  • Direct experience supporting a trading desk within an investment bank, hedge fund, or asset manager.
  • Demonstrable experience with trade reconciliation, settlements, and P&L attribution processes.
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