Reference Data Associate

Make an impact by helping institutional clients run smoother investment operations. You will join a team that improves how account and market data is set up, maintained, and delivered across an end-to-end service. You will partner closely with operations, technology, product partners, and client stakeholders to drive accuracy, transparency, and continuous improvement. If you enjoy structured problem-solving and building better processes, this role offers meaningful visibility and growth.

Job summary

As a Reference Data Associate in Client Account Services in the investment operations services team, you will manage account and reference data to ensure client readiness across onboarding and ongoing maintenance. You will help strengthen the operating model through process discipline, clear stakeholder communication, and targeted automation. You will also support governance and controls expectations while improving client and operational experience.

Job responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end reference data setup and maintenance for funds, investment managers, custodians, and brokers aligned to onboarding and change deliveries
• Process daily client and internal requests such as account openings, account closures, and account change requests
• Validate data quality and completeness to support accurate and timely account and market setup
• Partner with solution design, operations, technology, and product partners to clarify requirements and deliver outcomes
• Identify and deliver automation opportunities (for example workflow automation, rule-based validation, reconciliations, and exception routing) with measurable outcomes
• Produce process documentation, training materials, and communications to support consistent adoption of changes
• Coordinate testing support, including defining business requirements, supporting user acceptance testing, and validating outcomes after release
• Maintain disciplined delivery governance, including tracking risks, actions, issues, and dependencies, and escalating decisions when needed
• Prepare and deliver reporting updates to internal stakeholders and, where applicable, external stakeholders
• Drive continuous improvement by reviewing root causes, proposing enhancements, and supporting target operating model changes
• Partner with controls and governance teams to support adherence to governance and operational risk standards

Required qualifications, capabilities and skills

• Experience in client onboarding, account setup, reference data, and/or investment operations within a financial services environment
• Experience structuring work, managing deliverables, and coordinating across multiple stakeholders in a matrix organization
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain process and data topics clearly to diverse audiences
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize competing deliverables, manage changing workflows, and escalate appropriately when risks emerge
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to break down complex operational issues into actionable steps
• Strong attention to detail and a continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to challenge and enhance current practices
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including creating clear materials and presentations for senior stakeholders

Preferred qualifications, capabilities and skills

• Experience supporting account reference data across multiple markets, products, or client segments
• Experience partnering with technology teams on change delivery and production readiness
• Familiarity with operational risk and control concepts in an operations environment
• Hands-on experience with automation and analytics tools (for example Alteryx, Tableau, Python, and optical character recognition)
• Exposure to process improvement approaches and documentation standards (for example business process methodology and business design methodology)
• Developing experience using AI-powered analytics, workflow automation, or intelligent process tools to drive efficiency gains, reduce manual effort, or improve accuracy in operational processes.