Chicago, IL
About Northern Trust
Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889.
Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world's most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world's most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.
The Opportunity
In this highly engaging and competitive role, the Senior Consultant on the Investment Operations Outsourcing (IOO) Client Service team serves as a lead member of the team, by providing comprehensive, in-depth consulting and support. Responsibilities are balanced between high level operational execution and implementation of strategic initiatives. The Senior Consultant also plays a critical role ensuring service quality and is seen as a key advisor on significant business decisions. This may include representing and advocating for IOO in internal or client discussions without the Manager present.
The Senior Consultant has broad, in-depth knowledge of the asset management operations business and is expected to have strong interpersonal and self-initiative skills to work effectively and independently with both internal and external stakeholders.
About Investment Operations Outsourcing
Northern Trust (NT) IOO offers our Asset Manager clients full middle-office and component solutions for a complex range of products, markets and asset types. We provide end-to-end solutions to service all of our clients' post-trade needs. Our global, pass-the-book operating model means client portfolio information is seamlessly transferred across regions, time zones, custodians and third parties.
Combined with a single application for aggregating data, analyzing risk and performance, valuing assets and managing reporting, NT IOO offers a consistent experience that helps balance risk, quality and cost for each of our clients.
IOO's success is tied not only to the efforts of employees within the department, but also on our effective partnerships with multiple global support teams across Northern Trust, including Reconciliations, Corporate Actions, Income, Performance, Derivatives Operations, and Pricing, to name a few.
The Impac
t (Primary daily responsibilities)
- Operations Management
- Responsible for providing client service through oversight of daily functions and tasks, including but not limited to cash processing, custodian reconciliations, front office reconciliations, client reporting, client fee billing, as well as general client inquiries regarding NT-provided data
- Cross train on all functions as assigned, and serve as back-up for peers as necessary
- Reinforce usage of NT, IOO or client best practices within IOO and its support teams
- Responsible for multiple projects of various complexities
- Able to identify opportunities for process or service quality improvement, while acting as a liaison across the enterprise to drive execution
- Understand and enhance procedures and controls to mitigate operational, financial or reputational risk to the client and NT
- Client Service Management
- Responsible for understanding client's business needs and deliverables
- Lead team and/or client discussions as assigned
- Responsible for providing timely responses to client and internal stakeholder queries without manager input
- Drive the engagement of other partners as appropriate to promptly resolve and remediate client inquiries/issues
- Serves as a key subject matter expert on the IOO Operating Model, as well as the end-client's business
- Play a lead role in the development and rollout of process changes necessary to align with client support needs and/or best practices
- Understand current Service Level Agreements (SLAs) which outline roles and responsibilities between NT and the client
- Relationship Management
- Act as a main point of contact and be accessible to other internal partners and teams supporting the client relationship
- Independently build relationships with internal and teams,
- and be able to effectively use collaboration, persuasion or influence skills to solve client issues or improve client service
- Serve as a key subject matter expert and mentor to junior level employees
The Minimum Qualifications
- 8+ years of relevant work experience supporting Financial Industry Operations, with 3+ years of this experience within an Asset Management Investment Operations environment.
- Knowledge of trade lifecycle and the various counterparties within the operating model with proven ability to serve as a subject matter expert and/or trainer to others
- Examples of process efficiencies that have been implemented in prior roles
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize and multi-task, and complete work with a sense of urgency that matches the client/issue
- Strong Analytical, attention-to-detail and problem solving skills
- Moderate Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot, etc.) and other MS Office application skills
The Ideal Qualifications
- A college or university degree
- Direct investment management operations experience
- Previous exposure to / experience with business process and/or technology enhancement initiatives
- Experience with PowerBI or other data visualization applications
Working with Us
As a Northern Trust partner, greater achievements await. You will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture in an organization where financial strength and stability is an asset that emboldens us to explore new ideas.
Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to assisting the communities we serve! Join a workplace with a greater purpose.
We'd love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of the world's most admired and sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today. #MadeForGreater
Reasonable accommodation
Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at
We hope you're excited about the role and the opportunity to work with us. We value an inclusive workplace and understand flexibility means different things to different people.
Apply today and talk to us about your flexible working requirements and together we can achieve greater.