Investment banker - operations

Investment bank operations staff job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

The vast majority of banking processes utilise sophisticated IT solutions, and a key task for operations staff is to develop and implement new IT systems. Typical responsibilities of the job include:

• supervising a team of clerks
• liaising with clients and other bank divisions
• collating and analysing systems information
• troubleshooting problems
• pinpointing ways of improving and developing systems
• ratifying data flows and ensuring accuracy (operations control)
• helping to maximise efficiency and bank profitability
• ensuring that transactions are cleared and settled correctly
• managing day-to-day banking processes
• managing projects
• checking daily transaction reports
• co-ordinating systems testing.

Investment banking provides high levels of responsibility, good promotional opportunities and respectable financial rewards.

Typical employers of operations staff

Investment banking is a very popular career choice and graduate vacancies are highly sought after. Most opportunities occur within global investment banks and private equity fund institutions in London and other major UK and international cities.

Vacancies are advertised by careers services, via the internet, in newspapers including The Financial Times and The London Evening Standard, and in publications such as Business Week, The London Financial News, Investors Chronicle, The Economist, and The Banker.

Sector or company research, attending presentations, networking and speculative applications are essential. Applications for vacancies should be made as early in the academic year as possible.

Qualifications and training required

A good honours degree (min 2.1) in any subject is acceptable for entry into the profession. A business studies, management, finance, mathematics or economics qualification can be helpful, as can an MBA or similar professional qualification.

Relevant paid or voluntary experience gained via job shadowing, vacation work and placements can be beneficial.

Key skills for operations staff

• motivation
• ambition
• determination
• adaptability
• good IT skills
• analytical skills
• team working skills
• numerical skills
• problem-solving skills
• communication skills.