Equities Derivatives – Desk Assistant

An exceptional, trading support position has become available in direct support of an EQD trading team.

This position would suit an operations, trade support or middle office professional who has previous experience with a global investment bank and seeking to support a high-performing team of traders. Strong derivatives knowledge required!

The ideal applicant would have previous experience for a few years within equity derivatives / options in a direct trade support, P&L support or desk support capacity. 

The trading teams will often be direct in their communication, so it’s important that the Trader Assistant is familiar with the trading floor environment. A good understanding of the interaction with prime brokers would be useful, as well as some decent experience on Excel and Access would be helpful too.

This position will support one of the Aussie market trading desks based in Sydney, with support for a diverse range of trading activities from EQD, index trading, futures and options trading. In addition, the Trader Assistant will often be required to support other trading desks during if other trading teams need desk coverage.

The team is responsible for close liaison with other trading teams as well as interaction with domestic and offshore divisions to facilitate timely and accurate settlement, reconciliations with the ASX/SFE, plus accurate books and balances and trade booking functions.

Responsibilities:

• Work with EQD traders, operations and external Prime Brokers to ensure trading system parity
• Co-ordinate and facilitate resolution of trade discrepancies (liaison with desk, IT)
• Complete Equity and Derivative trade bookings as needed
• Act as liaison between desk traders and other dealers, traders or brokers
• Compile/reconcile data from electronic trades
• Examine electronic transactions generated from clearing firm
• Resolve erroneous and broken trades
• Assist with maintaining position, P&L and information exchange
• Update and manage all post computer screens including exchange trading systems, proprietary trading applications, and excel spreadsheets
• Execute orders per the request of traders

We are looking for high calibre people who possess the following competencies:

• Around 2+ years’ experience in a middle office / trade support capacity at a global investment bank in Australia
• 2 years’ experience working with sales/traders
• Ability to work with colleagues in offshore locations, maintain communication and build rapport with these colleagues
• Good understanding across Options and P&L delivery for traders
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Previous experience in financial services industry and completion of finance/investment related course work a plus
• Thorough knowledge of equity and equity derivatives
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, specifically Excel
• Strong communication skills (verbal and written); ability to interact effectively with all levels of the organization
• Detail oriented; ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast paced environment
• Must be a self-starter, a quick learner, and resourceful in solving problems
• Ability to move throughout the trading floor as needed
• Maintain composure under pressure

This is an exceptional opportunity to work in support of an EQD trading team, in a high-quality firm. Please kindly