Reference Data Operations Sr Analyst

About the Job

We are seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented Reference Data Operations Sr Analyst to support the quality, maintenance, and governance of critical reference data across the firm. This role is central to ensuring that trading, risk, operations, settlements, and reporting functions are supported by accurate and timely referential data.

This position will work closely with data that has impacts to global stakeholders across front office, middle office, back office, risk, compliance, finance, and technology. The role requires a strong operational mindset, curiosity, and the ability to manage daily production responsibilities while also contributing ideas and enhancements to improve data quality, controls, and workflow efficiency. Although it is expected the candidate will be able to work independently, they will have the support of team leads and the other reference data ops analysts.

The ideal candidate will bring hands-on experience in security master and reference data operations within financial services, along with the ability to investigate data issues, support business users, work with external vendors, and partner with technology teams on process improvements and automation opportunities.

Role Summary

As a Reference Data Operations Sr Analyst, you will be responsible for supporting the highest quality reference data used across trading, risk, and operational workflows. The role includes the creation, maintenance, validation, and reconciliation of security master and other referential data domains, as well as researching and resolving exceptions that impact business processes.

You will develop expertise in interpreting the impact of corporate actions on the firm and on trading activity, while also supporting Risk and Financial Engineering teams in the modeling of referential data for analysis and downstream consumption. The role covers a broad set of instruments and data domains, including but not limited to Equities, Bonds, Interest Rate Swaps, Credit Default Swaps, Listed Options, Forwards, and Exotic Derivatives, as well as other firm-wide master data such as Account Master, Broker Master, and Charge Management-related reference data.

This role also requires close collaboration with vendors, outsourced operations partners, traders, and internal technology teams to resolve data issues, answer business queries, and improve operational capabilities.

In Your Role, You Will

• Drive high-quality reference data for trading, risk, and operations through strong data quality controls, validation techniques, and exception management.
• Create and maintain security set-ups across multiple asset classes, including equities, fixed income, listed options, CDS, IRS, forwards, and exotic derivatives.
• Develop and apply expertise in understanding the impact of corporate actions on firm positions, trading activity, and downstream systems.
• Investigate, analyze, and resolve data quality exceptions, breaks, and reconciliations in a timely and controlled manner.
• Support Risk and Financial Engineering teams in the modeling and interpretation of referential data used in analysis and reporting.
• Maintain and support firm-wide referential data elements such as security master, account master, broker master, and charge management-related data.
• Respond to trader and stakeholder queries related to positions, P&L, and security or reference data appearing in firm-wide systems.
• Work closely with external data vendors to challenge data, open and track queries, and resolve issues as needed.
• Partner with the firm's operations outsourcer on corporate action and security master-related queries and issue resolution.
• Collaborate with IT and development teams to enhance workflows, streamline daily operational processes, and build new capabilities.
• Ensure effective handoffs, communication, and escalation across team members and global stakeholders.
• Contribute ideas and enhancements to improve security master processes, data controls, and automation opportunities.
• Document workflows, controls, and issue-resolution steps to support operational consistency and scalability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience in reference data, market data operations, securities operations, or a related financial services function.
• Mandatory hands-on experience with heavy data entry and maintenance of static/reference data, primarily focused on security master data.
• Minimum 3 years of experience maintaining security master data across instruments
• Minimum 3 years of experience maintaining organizational master data (Accounts, Legal Entities, Agreements, etc..)
• Minimum 3 years of experience maintaining Corporate Action data across instruments
• Minimum 3 years of experience resolving data quality exceptions and performing reconciliations.
• Minimum 1 year of experience using JIRA or a similar issue-tracking tool.
• Strong curiosity and self-starter mentality, with a demonstrated ability to identify ideas and enhancements to improve security master and reference data processes.
• High degree of ownership, organization, and accountability, with the ability to balance daily production work and ad hoc initiatives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to manage handoffs and escalations effectively across teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a passion for researching and resolving data issues using a variety of tools.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with stakeholders across risk, compliance, technology, front office, middle office, and back office.

Technical Skills

• Excel: At least 3 years of experience using Excel with financial services data, including VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, Counts, and search functions; Pivot tables to join, organize, and analyze datasets
• SQL: At least 1 year of experience using SQL or a SQL editor with financial services data, including (SEARCH, JOIN, ORDER BY, GROUP BY)
• Bloomberg Terminal proficiency: Researching and analyzing Bloomberg data points, pulling data into Excel using Bloomberg formulas, and Understanding Bloomberg tools and capabilities that support automated security master processes
• Interest in, or experience with, leveraging AI and automation tools to improve operational workflows is a plus.