Senior Operations & Settlements Manager - Dublin

Senior Operations & Settlement Manager- Dublin Role Purpose

Senior Manger Operations & Settlements is responsible for the end-to-end oversight, control, and management of settlement and transactional activities for both retail and institutional clients, across all investment activities within a MiFID-regulated environment.

The role ensures accurate and timely settlement of trades, robust reconciliation and asset protection controls, effective management of settlement risk, and full compliance with MiFID II, CBI, and internal governance requirements. This role plays a critical first-line role in safeguarding client assets and supporting the firm's operational resilience. This role requires flexibility, with involvement in other operational responsibilities as the business evolves. In addition to core responsibilities, the manager will support and lead project-related initiatives from time to time.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage daily settlement activities for fund trades and trading transactions across multiple asset classes (equities, fixed income, funds, FX, derivatives, DCM where applicable).
• Oversee trade matching, confirmations, SSI maintenance, and settlement instruction processing with custodians, brokers, clearing brokers, and fund administrators.
• Ensure timely settlement of primary and secondary market trades, including DVP/RVP and FOP settlements.
• Proactively monitor settlement fails, aged items, and suspense accounts, ensuring prompt investigation, resolution, and escalation where required.
• Coordinate settlement activity across fund structures (UCITS / AIFs where relevant) and segregated discretionary portfolios.
• Responsible for ensuring all trades are processed and reported in line with Regulatory expectations Transaction Reporting requirements.
• Willingness to continuously develop AI and digital skills as tools and ways of working in a manner that protects the integrity of the business
• Contribute to the responsible and ethical use of AI within the team.

Fund Operations & Asset Protection

• Ensure settlement processes align with fund dealing cycles, NAV deadlines, and administrator cut-offs.
• Work closely with teams to manage cash flows, subscriptions/redemptions, and corporate action impacts.
• Support client asset safeguarding obligations, including segregation, record-keeping, and oversight controls.
• Maintain strong controls around ownership records, custody positions, and client entitlements.

Controls, Risk & Regulatory Oversight

• Oversee and maintain all operational procedures, process maps, and risk & control documentation.
• Responsibility for Operations Risk Control Assessment including identification, mitigation and measurement of risks including settlement, counterparty, liquidity, and operational risks.
• Act as first-line owner for settlement-related operational risk events, issues, and breaches.
• Support internal audits, regulatory returns, regulatory inspections, and risk assessments, including provision of evidence and remediation actions.
• Ensure compliance with MiFID II operational requirements and Central Bank of Ireland expectations.
• Provide operational support for payment and controls to support client transactions

Reconciliations & Management Information

• Oversee daily cash and stock reconciliations across custody, broker, and internal records.
• Ensure reconciling items are resolved within agreed timelines and root causes identified.Produce and review settlement MI, KPIs, and exception reporting for senior management and governance forums.
• Escalate material risks, trends, or breaches in a clear and timely manner.

Stakeholder & Third-Party Management

• Act as the key operational contact for custodians, clearing brokers, fund administrators, and trading counterparties.
• Monitor third-party service provider performance against SLAs and KPIs, addressing service issues proactively.
• Build strong internal relationships with Front Office, Fund Operations, Risk, Compliance, Finance, and Change teams in Ireland and US.
• Provide strong leadership for the Operations & Settlements team, fostering a strong control culture and accountability mindset.
• Allocate workloads, manage capacity, and ensure appropriate segregation of duties within the team.
• Support recruitment, performance management, and succession planning.

Change & Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiencies, client experience by leveraging resources, technology and Group capabilities where sensible
• Participate in system implementations, platform migrations, and regulatory-driven change initiatives.
• Contribute to operational resilience planning, including BCP and contingency arrangements.

Key Skills & Experience

• Over 10years experience in settlements or post-trade operations within a MiFID-regulated investment firm.
• Hands-on experience across both fund operations and investment management settlements across all asset classes
• Strong understanding of the end-to-end trade lifecycle and settlement infrastructure.
• Proven experience managing settlement risk, controls, and reconciliations.
• Previous people management or team leadership experience.
• Strong analytical skills with a high attention to detail.
• Proven track record in implementing positive change initiatives.
• Ability to prioritise effectively and work under regulatory and market-driven deadlines.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Familiarity with CBI supervisory expectations and operational risk frameworks.
• Experience overseeing outsourced settlement or fund administration providers.
• Exposure to settlement platforms, reconciliations systems, and automation initiatives.
• Experience using AI-enabled tools to enhance efficiency, insight, or decision-making.

Education & Professional Qualifications

• Third-level qualification in Finance, Business, Accounting, Economics, or a related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Relevant professional qualifications (e.g. IOB, ACCA, ACA modules, or similar) are advantageous.
• Client Asset Protection Mindset
• Leadership & Accountability
• Regulatory Awareness
• Stakeholder Collaboration