Operations Specialist (P&S)

About this Role

The Operations Specialist (P&S) will be responsible for day-to-day trade reconciliation, correction processing, and client service within the Purchase & Sales (P&S) department. You will analyze trade postings and reconciliations, review trade exceptions and breaks to determine root cause and resolution path, while working with internal stakeholders and external clients on trade-related inquiries and discrepancies.

The Specialist will work on trade validation, settlement exceptions and operational workflows, account reconciliation and issue resolution that adhere to SLA requirements and regulatory guidelines. The role will work closely with clearing, custody, and client service teams to provide operational metrics, trade flow updates, and process improvements.

We are looking for someone who

• Is passionate. You have a genuine passion for people and developing relationships.
• Is motivated. You're driven to be the best. You challenge yourself by setting goals, crushing them, and helping your teammates do the same.
• Is collaborative. You partner with stakeholders throughout the organization to cultivate a thriving workplace and strong cultural foundation.
• Wants to make an impact. You set high standards for your work and are dedicated to helping employees achieve greater satisfaction and superior results.
• Operates with integrity. You always conduct yourself with honesty and operate ethically. You say what you mean, and mean what you say.

Key Skills and Responsibilities

Customer Service

• Work with and offer assistance to internal and external customers with questions regarding trade postings and corrections.
• Ensure customer inquiries are completed in accordance with service level agreement (SLA) guidelines.
• Respond to inquiries in a professional and timely manner, escalating issues to management when appropriate.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with internal teams and external clients to support effective resolution of trade-related matters.

Trade Processing & Reconciliation

• Process and verify daily purchase and sale transactions across equities, fixed income products, and derivatives.
• Identify and resolve trade discrepancies, out-of-balance conditions, and posting errors in a timely manner.
• Assist with the resolution of escalations during option expiration events.
• Coordinate with counterparties and internal teams to facilitate accurate and timely trade settlement.

Supervisory Oversight & Compliance

• On a daily basis, review and complete supervisory oversight and provide updates to management as needed.
• Maintain familiarity with FINRA regulations and industry standards; identify documentation and processing irregularities and outline corrective measures.
• Operate in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and internal policies at all times.
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives by flagging recurring issues and suggesting operational enhancements.

Key Skills

• Domain Knowledge: Basic understanding of financial markets, trade processing, and clearing/custody operations, including equities, fixed income, and derivatives.
• Customer Focus: Exceptional ability to manage client inquiries professionally, meet SLA commitments, and build strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Detail-Oriented: Strong attention to accuracy in trade posting, corrections, and reconciliation to minimize errors and downstream impact.
• Communication: Clear verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex trade issues into actionable steps for clients and leadership.
• Adaptability: Ability to remain calm and effective in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with shifting priorities and high-volume workloads.
• Analytical Mindset: Ability to identify irregularities in trade processing and documentation, and propose corrective measures proactively.
• Collaborative Partnership: Comfortable working across Operations, Compliance, and Technology teams to drive issue resolution and process improvement.
• Technical Proficiency: Microsoft Office skills (Excel required); SQL experience is a strong plus.

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor's degree in related field (or equivalent practical experience) required
• 3+ years of prior work experience in a similar role
• Strong analytical and problem solving abilities
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Experience with SQL and/or advanced Excel skills advantageous
• Self motivated and able to work independently (certifications may be required within job role)

Work Environmen t

• This job operates in a hybrid office environment 3 days per week.

#operations #associate #fulltime #LI-MJ1 #APEX

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Our Rewards

We offer a robust package of employee perks and benefits, including healthcare benefits (medical, dental and vision, EAP), competitive PTO, 401k match, parental leave, and HSA contribution match. We also provide our employees with a paid subscription to the Calm app and offer generous external learning and tuition reimbursement benefits. At AFS, we offer a hybrid work schedule for most roles that allows employees to have the flexibility of working from home and one of our primary offices.