The opportunity
A leading international investment bank is looking for a Valuation Control Analyst to join its Fixed Income team in London on a 12-month contract.
Valuation Control is a global, second-line control function that independently verifies, analyses and reports on the market parameters used to value the bank's trading positions.
You will take ownership of a monthly cycle of independent price verification (IPV) reviews across a range of products and business lines.
This is a hands-on role with direct exposure to the front office, Risk, Finance and auditors.
Key responsibilities
- Independently own and deliver a set of allocated monthly IPV (MAP) reviews to tight deadlines
- Investigate the drivers behind valuation differences and escalate issues to the appropriate teams
- Engage with the front office, Risk, Finance, auditors and management on issues and improvements
- Produce accurate and timely KPIs, highlighting IPV coverage and results
- Ensure accurate submissions to an external consensus pricing provider
- Maintain clear and accurate standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Challenge existing processes and recommend improvements that strengthen control and efficiency, then implement them once approved
- Learn and support other processes to provide team coverage
- Deliver medium-sized projects and contribute to larger team initiatives
- Build strong working relationships with Product Control, Front Office, Middle Office, Finance and Risk
About you
Essential
Experience in Valuations, IPV, P&L or Risk teams within financial services
Solid understanding of Fixed Income products and their associated risks
Strong Excel skills, particularly formulas, with the ability to understand and debug complex spreadsheets
Ability to open, read and understand VBA code, and to debug and enhance it where needed
Confidence interacting with the front office and challenging them credibly, using their language and understanding the risks they run
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage at all levels
Excellent attention to detail under pressure and tight deadlines
Able to pick up a process, understand it quickly and work independently, as well as part of a team
Practical, solutions-focused approach, able to find quick workarounds
Desirable
Finance-based degree, ideally with a strong mathematical background
Python skills
Strong grounding in financial mathematics and market practice
Exposure to asset classes beyond Fixed Income