Middle Office Private Market Credit Specialist, Asset Management (London / Edinburgh) - #1759965

Job Description

We are pleased to announce an incredible opportunity to join us here at Phoenix Group as a Private Markets Credit Specialist to join our Middle Office team, part of the Asset Management function. This role will suit someone who has strong experience in Asset Management Private Markets particularly pre-compliance, trading activity and trade lifecycle. The ideal candidate will have extensive knowledge across investment products.

Job Type: Permanent

Location: This role will be based in either our London / Edinburgh office (3 days per week), with some time working between the office and home. There will be some travel between our Phoenix offices. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process.

You can read more about Phoenix Flex here.

Salary and Benefits: £50,000 – £70,000 (subject to experience) + bonus, excellent pension scheme, private medical insurance, electric vehicle scheme, 38 days holiday incl. Bank Holidays (pro-rated), plus 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more!

Who are we?

We want to be the best place that any of our 6,600 colleagues have ever worked.

We’re Phoenix Group, we’re a long-term savings and retirement business. We offer a range of products across our market-leading brands, Standard Life, SunLife, Phoenix Life and ReAssure. Around 1 in 5 people in the UK has a pension with us. We’re a FTSE 100 organisation that is tackling key issues such as transitioning our portfolio to net zero by 2050, and we’re not done yet.

Team Context

Middle Office is a key support function for the Asset Management Front Office. It has wide ranging accountability ensuring operational control of investment activities, supporting the Group and AM governance framework, and delivery of investment reporting.

The current Public and Private Middle Office teams create a multi-asset class Middle Office team. This offers new joiners the chance to learn front to back management of a wider asset set.

Phoenix Group is expanding into direct origination of funds starting with bonds, derivatives and private debt deals. In this new business, Middle Office will have an increased role pre-execution to support the business. As a result, Phoenix will need a number of new skills including knowledge of electronic trade affirmation platforms, Aladdin Enterprise, trade support, the setup of new instruments, KYC and CDD on new clients. The Middle Office roles and responsibilities are constantly evolving therefore we need colleagues who embrace and thrive with change.

We provide dedicated product support for the various Front Office functions, including Markets & Products, and the Private Markets Credit team on trade execution and post trade lifecycle activities. Additionally, supporting Portfolio Implementation and Manager Oversight on a day-to-day basis, providing key operational input and guidance.

The Role

Reporting directly to the Private Markets Credit Team Leader, the role involves private debt/investment reporting and post trade lifecycle management across the Capital Markets currently managed under external and internal mandates.

A key focus of this role will be to ensure accurate and timely capture and reporting of investments through internal systems requiring coordination of activities amongst internal functions and key outsourced service providers. In particular, the role will require overseeing private debt trade capture, settlement, lifecycle management, counterparty onboarding, AML due diligence, investor and regulatory reporting.

The role will also span to focus on process improvement, automation and operating model enhancements to achieve industry leading systems and controls across asset and fund classes. Concentration required in implementing and documenting processes enhancing the control framework within MO.

Key Responsibilities

Core

• Middle Office and Trade Life Cycle activities across Private Markets
• Demonstrated experience in middle office, fund operations, or investment support within private markets.
• Strong understanding of private equity, private credit, or real asset investment structures.
• Familiarity with systems like eFront, Investran, Aladdin, or similar.
• Strong understanding of private equity, private credit, or real asset investment structures.
• Advanced Excel skills; experience with data tools (e.g., Tableau, Alteryx) and programming (e.g., Python) is advantageous.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Build and manage relationships with a range of stakeholders
• Internal Functions: Markets & Products, Portfolio Implementation, Private Markets Front Office, Asset Management Manager Oversight, Cash Management, Investment Operations, Risk Management, Product Control, Credit Risk Management & InVista Development Team
• External Parties: External Portfolio Managers, Third Party Administrators, Platform Service Providers, Custodians, Clearing Brokers
• Provide data with particular focus on MI (management information) expertise to enhance outward reporting
  

Additional

• As key SME, support integration of new business lines emanating from closed book acquisitions, open book, and BPA activity
• Assist team lead to develop functional processes and controls in line with internal policies, good market practice, and regulatory guidelines
• Assistance in preparation of presentation materials, creating customised analysis and presentations covering both market and strategic developments for the range of audience in a time sensitive environment
  
  

What are we looking for?

Personal Attributes & Skills

• Diligent working style with attention to detail and high standards for quality
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with holistic financial thinking
• Excellent organisational and project management skills
• Agility and vision to adapt processes in an ever-changing environment
• Good communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across a wide range of stakeholders and maintaining effective relationships
• Self-starter and independent worker with strong sense of ownership, capable of delivering, driving and shaping results and to meet deadlines under pressure
  
  

Experience / Knowledge

Essential (minimum criteria)

• Experience in Private Markets within Asset Management and understanding of Middle office activities
• Understanding of pre-trade governance – strategy / investment guidelines / mandates
• Trading activity – execution, trade capture and lifecycle
• Operational activity – transaction reporting, settlement, reconciliations and operational controls
• Demonstrated internal and external stakeholder management experience
• Functional knowledge of end-to-end investment management technology / operating models, and downstream consumers / value chain
• Strong data analytical skills – Power BI, SQL, VBA preferred. Strong Excel skills i.e. Intermediate-Advanced level
  
  

Desirable

• Experience of KYC and CDD
• Experience of data management, reporting and delivering MI that adds value to the business
• Skilled in preparing well-structured, clean, consistent and client focussed presentations and management information reports
  
  

We Want To Hire The Whole Version Of You.

We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you.

If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best.

Find out more about

• Guide for Candidates: thephoenixgroup.pagetiger.com/guideforcandidates
• Find or get answers from our colleagues: www.thephoenixgroup.com/careers/talk-to-us