Assistant Manager, Settlement & Operations

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee and execute the end-to-end settlement and clearing of US equities, ETFs, and foreign securities across US depositories (DTC) and global custodian networks.
• Conduct trade matching, allocation, and fails management; investigate and resolve trade discrepancies, failed trades, and settlement exceptions promptly with executing brokers, counterparties, and custodians to minimize operational and buy-in risks.
• Lead daily stock and cash position reconciliations between internal trading/back-office systems, US clearing brokers, and sub-custodians to ensure accurate client asset records.
• Manage and oversee US and foreign market corporate actions (e.g., dividends, stock splits, tender offers, proxy voting, and US tax/W-8BEN withholding workflows) within strict market cut-off times.
• Serve as the primary operational liaison with US clearing agents, global custodian banks, and execution brokers to optimize operational efficiency, cut-off windows, and service delivery.
• Lead operational workflow improvements, system automation projects, and API/SWIFT integration initiatives to enhance straight-through processing (STP) for global equities.
• Ensure all settlement procedures adhere to Hong Kong SFC regulations (Client Money Rules & Client Securities Rules), US market rules (T+1 settlement cycles), SEC/FINRA standards, and internal risk management controls.

Requirements & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Operations or related discipline.
• 5–8 years of solid hands-on experience in securities settlement operations, with a strong focus on US equities and global markets within securities firm, investment bank, or custodian bank in Hong Kong.
• In-depth knowledge of US market trading hours, US T+1 settlement cycles, DTC clearing mechanisms, and foreign tax processing.
• Operational experience or exposure to Middle Eastern markets is a strong advantage though not strictly required.
• Hands-on experience with back-office trading and settlement systems and clearing broker portals.
• Advanced MS Excel skills (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, Macros) for reconciliation analysis.
• Solid understanding of SFC Client Money Rules, Client Securities Rules, and US market clearing/settlement frameworks.
• Willingness and flexibility to travel or undertake overseas business trips as required to support custodian management, operational integration, and cross-border project initiatives.
• Professional fluency in English and Mandarin (written and spoken) is required. Fluency in Cantonese is a strong advantage.