Client Service Manager, Direct Custody and Clearing, Securities Services

Role purpose

The Client Service Manager for Direct Custody and Clearing, Securities Services is accountable for delivering a consistent, high-quality client experience for the direct custody and clearing business in Securities Services. The role partners closely with clients, relationship managers, operations, product, technology, risk and regulatory teams to resolve issues, improve service quality and support business growth.

Key responsibilities

Client service delivery

• Own the client service model and ensure delivery against agreed service-level agreements, key performance indicators and contractual commitments.
• Build trusted relationships with institutional clients, asset managers, asset owners, banks, broker-dealers and other market participants.
• Lead client governance forums, service reviews and continuous-improvement discussions for the clients that the candidate is responsible for.
• Ensure client feedback is captured, analysed and converted into measurable service enhancements.
• Promote a consistent, client-focused experience across markets, products and service teams.

Risk, controls and regulatory oversight

• Maintain strong operational risk, control and governance standards across client service activities.
• Ensure issues, incidents, complaints and breaches are recorded, investigated, remediated and escalated appropriately.
• Partner with Risk, Compliance, Legal and Operations to meet regulatory and policy requirements.
• Oversee business continuity, resilience and crisis-management arrangements relevant to client servicing.
• Promote a strong control environment without losing sight of the client outcome.

Business and commercial support

• Support client retention, wallet growth and new-business activity through differentiated service delivery.
• Contribute to client pitches, due diligence questionnaires, tenders and solution discussions.
• Partner with Sales, Relationship Management and Product to identify client needs and market opportunities.
• Support the launch and adoption of new products, platforms and market capabilities.

Transformation and technology

• Lead or participate initiatives that simplify processes, improve transparency and reduce avoidable manual work.
• Use service data, client feedback and operational analytics to identify improvement opportunities.
• Support adoption of digital channels, workflow tools, automation and reporting capabilities.
• Ensure change programmes are implemented effectively, with appropriate client and operational readiness.
• Balance speed of delivery with sustainable controls and long-term service resilience.

Key performance indicators

• Client satisfaction and relationship health.
• Service-level agreement and key performance indicator attainment.
• Resolution time for incidents, complaints and escalations.
• Reduction in repeat issues and operational errors.
• Client retention and contribution to new-business wins.
• Control effectiveness, audit outcomes and risk-event remediation.
• Delivery of service-improvement and transformation initiatives.

Experience and qualifications

• Client facing experience in securities services, custody, asset servicing, post-trade or a related financial-services environment.
• Understanding of the securities-services lifecycle, including trade settlement, custody, corporate actions, income processing, reconciliations, cash management and client reporting or related discipline.
• Demonstrated success managing institutional-client relationships and high-impact escalations.
• Strong understanding of operational risk, controls, regulatory expectations and service governance.
• Experience delivering technology, process-improvement or operating-model change.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to connect service quality with business outcomes.

Skills and capabilities

• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder-management skills.
• Strong client advocacy and problem-solving ability.
• Ability to operate effectively across countries, cultures and organisational boundaries.
• Data-led approach to performance management and continuous improvement.
• Ability to simplify complex issues and communicate decisions clearly.
• Resilience and composure when managing incidents or competing priorities.
• Commitment to responsible decision-making, strong controls and ethical conduct.