Operations Specialist- Transaction Processing Group- AVP

Job description

Job Description: Employer: DWS Group Title: Operations Specialist- Transaction Processing Group- AVP Location: Madrid Job Code: placeholder for LinkedIn job wrapping About DWS: Today, markets face a whole new set of pressures – but also a whole lot of opportunity too. Opportunity to innovate differently. Opportunity to invest responsibly. And opportunity to make change. Join us at DWS, and you can be part of an industry-leading firm with a global presence. You can lead ambitious opportunities and shape the future of investing. You can support our clients, local communities, and the environment. We’re looking for creative thinkers and innovators to join us as the world continues to transform. As whole markets change, one thing remains clear; our people always work together to capture the opportunities of tomorrow. As investors on behalf of our clients, it is our role to find investment solutions. Ensuring the best possible foundation for our clients’ financial future. And in return, we’ll give you the support and platform to develop new skills, make an impact and work alongside some of the industry’s greatest thought leaders. This is your chance to achieve your goals and lead an extraordinary career. This is your chance to invest in your future. Read more about DWS and who we are here. Team / division overview The COO Division is a key enabler for DWS and is integral to the future success of the company by delivering world-class services across a set of key functions. It covers essential Technology and Operations capabilities to deliver a platform which is efficient, scalable, resilient and agile. The Transaction Processing Group (TPG) is a core Operations function responsible for supporting the full trade lifecycle across asset classes and regions, ensuring timely trade capture, matching, settlement support, exception management and operational control. The function operates closely with Portfolio Management, Trading, Front Office, Technology, Risk, Compliance and other Operations teams to ensure that trade processing activities are completed accurately, transparently and within a robust control framework. The role forms part of the Smart Middle Office agenda, which brings together deep operational expertise, technology enablement and practical AI capability to make processes more scalable, controlled and insight-driven. Within TPG, this means strengthening the bridge between investment teams and Operations, reducing manual intervention, improving exception transparency and enabling more proactive, data-driven decision-making across the trade lifecycle. As part of this agenda, the successful candidate will be expected to contribute actively to automation, AI-enabled process improvement, smart workflow design, stronger data-driven controls and sustainable remediation of operational pain points, while ensuring that risk management, auditability and sound governance remain embedded in everything the team delivers. Your responsibilities – As our AVP – Transaction Processing Group – Operations Specialist you will: Own and continuously strengthen day-to-day TPG trade processing controls across the trade lifecycle, ensuring timely trade capture, matching, settlement support, exception management, escalation handling and operational transparency. Serve as the escalation point for complex trade processing and operational issues - leading deep-dive investigations, identifying root causes and driving swift, sustainable remediation in partnership with Front Office, Portfolio Management, Technology, Risk, Compliance and other Operations teams. Drive operational excellence across RTB and CTB activity by identifying process inefficiencies, recurring breaks, failed trades, manual touchpoints and control gaps, and by translating these into clear improvement actions and technology requirements. Contribute to the Smart Middle Office agenda by strengthening connectivity between investment teams and Operations, improving end-to-end process ownership, enhancing exception transparency and enabling more proactive operational decision-making. Identify opportunities to apply AI, machine learning, workflow automation and data analytics to reduce manual intervention, improve break prioritisation, strengthen predictive controls and increase transparency across trade processing workflows. Translate operational pain points into clear automation or AI use cases, working with Technology, transformation partners and operational SMEs to shape practical solutions that are controlled, scalable and aligned to business priorities. Maintain a robust risk and control framework across trade processing activity, including clear ownership of controls, escalation paths, incident management, remediation actions, KPI/KRI monitoring and audit readiness. Support global standardisation, process simplification and follow-the-sun operating models across APAC, EMEA and US teams, ensuring consistent service quality and clear handovers across time zones. Build strong stakeholder relationships and represent TPG in cross-functional initiatives linked to platform enhancements, operating model changes, automation, AI use cases and Smart Middle Office development. We are looking for: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. 5+ years of experience in financial services, with strong expertise in trade processing, middle office, investment operations or a comparable asset management operations environment. Deep understanding of the trade lifecycle across multiple asset classes, including trade capture, matching, settlement support, exception management, reconciliations and break resolution. Strong understanding of operational risk, controls, governance frameworks and audit expectations, with the ability to evidence ownership and drive sustainable remediation. Proven ability to untangle complex operational issues, perform root-cause analysis and drive resolution end-to-end with minimal oversight. Comfortable operating in a global, matrix environment - communicating clearly, influencing stakeholders and building strong partnerships across Operations, Front Office, Portfolio Management, Technology, Risk and Compliance. Experience with platforms such as Aladdin or comparable trade processing, investment management or operations systems is a plus. Strong analytical skillset, with advanced Excel capabilities and practical experience using data to identify trends, operational risks, process inefficiencies and improvement opportunities. Practical understanding of AI, automation and data analytics concepts, with the ability to identify meaningful use cases in an Operations environment and partner with Technology to deliver them responsibly. Experience with process automation, workflow design, digital tooling, Python, Power Automate, SQL, data visualisation tools or similar technologies would be highly beneficial. Ability to influence stakeholders and drive outcomes across a matrix, global organisation. Proven ability to leverage AI tools to enhance productivity, optimise workflows to solve business problems, while applying critical judgment to ensure responsible and ethical use of data and AI outputs Ability to bridge operational subject matter expertise with technology and AI teams, translating business requirements into pragmatic, controlled and measurable solutions. What we’ll offer you: At DWS we’re serious about diversity, equity and creating an inclusive culture where colleagues can be themselves and it’s important to us that you enjoy coming to work - feeling healthy, happy and rewarded. At DWS, you’ll have access to a range of benefits which you can choose from to create a personalised plan unique to your lifestyle. Whether you’re interested in healthcare, company perks, or are thinking about your retirement plan, there’s something for everyone. DWS’ Hybrid Working model is designed to find the right balance between in-person collaboration and engagement in the office, which is core to our working culture, and working from home. Each business group varies on the split between time spent in the office and at home, but this will be discussed and made clear as part of your application and interview process. We will continue to review and evolve our working environments and methods to ensure that we are working in the best way possible for our people. If you require any adjustments or changes to be made to the interview process for any reason including, or related to a disability or long-term health condition, then please contact your recruiter and let them know what assistance you may need. Examples of adjustments include providing a change to the format of the interview, or providing assistance when at the DWS office. This will not affect your application and your recruitment team will discuss options with you We at DWS are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, one that embraces dialogue and diverse views, and treats everyone fairly to drive a high-performance culture. The value we create for our clients and investors is based on our ability to bring together various perspectives from all over the world and from different backgrounds. It is our experience that teams perform better and deliver improved outcomes when they are able to incorporate a wide range of perspectives. We call this #ConnectingTheDots.