Team Lead, Reference Data Operations

Job Purpose

We are looking for a qualified team leader to manage our team and provide effective guidance. Team Leader will be responsible for supervising, managing and motivating team members on a daily basis.

As a team leader, you will be the contact point for all team members and an effective communication would be a key skill set. You should also be able to act proactively to ensure smooth team operations and effective collaboration with teams located globally. You should lead by setting a good example and engage the team to achieve goals.

Responsibilities

• Team Lead is accountable for end‑to‑end reference data delivery, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timeliness across Equity asset class.
• Oversee creation, validation, and maintenance of reference data (instrument static data, exchange details, identifiers, classifications) across internal platforms
• Ensure high‑quality data delivery to downstream consumers such as pricing, index operations, and other reporting systems
• Manage SLA adherence and data readiness for market openings, IPOs, corporate actions, and index changes
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of enthusiastic analysts and build a cohesive unit.
• Allocate work, monitor productivity, and balance volumes across BAU and event‑driven workloads.
• Conduct performance reviews, goal setting, training, and succession planning.
• Foster a strong quality, control, and ownership mindset within the team.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, audit requirements, and regulatory standards.
• Review root cause analysis (RCA) for data incidents and ensure corrective actions are implemented and tracked.
• Serve as point of contact for all the stakeholders like product team, Business Analysis team, Client support team and others.
• Identify opportunities to streamline, standardize, and automate reference data workflows
• Partner with technology teams to define functional requirements, UAT scenarios, and post‑implementation validation.
• Drive reduction in manual touchpoints, error rates, and processing times.
• Support strategic initiatives like coverage expansions, adding new data items etc.

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in one of the following:
  • Finance
  • Business Administration
  • Economics
  • Accounting
  • Statistics / Engineering (acceptable with strong markets experience)
• Post‑graduate qualifications (preferred, not mandatory)
  • MBA (useful for senior or regional team lead roles)
  • Master’s in Finance / Financial Engineering
• 8+ years experience in:
  • Equity Operations
  • Reference / Instrument Data
  • Securities Services
  • Trade lifecycle or post‑trade operations
• 2+ years in a people‑management or lead role:
  • Managing analysts / associates
  • Handling escalations, performance reviews, and coaching
• Strong exposure to:
  • Equity instruments (cash equities, ETFs, ADRs)
  • Corporate actions impact on static data
  • Market identifiers (ISIN, SEDOL, CUSIP, Ticker)
• Core Functional & Technical Skills:
  • Equity & Reference Data Knowledge
  • End‑to‑end instrument data lifecycle
  • Market data sourcing & validation (exchanges, vendors)
  • Experience with corporate actions, listings, suspensions
• Controls & Risk Mindset:
  • Operational risk
  • Data quality controls
  • Audit & regulatory readiness
• Proven people leadership:
  • Coaching, mentoring, attrition management
  • Handling multi‑cultural teams (often Singapore + offshore)
• Stakeholder management:
  • Product Team, Client Services team, Challenge resolution team, vendors
  • Clear communication with global counterparts
• Process improvement & automation mindset:
  • Driving efficiency in the process
  • Experience partnering with tech or AI initiative