Middle Office Manager

A trading team is a bit like a rugby team.
The middle office managers are the scrum-halves.
They liaise between the front and back offices,work out the right tactics...
in short, the brains behind the team.
— Ready?
Skip pass!
You guys, you’re not paying attention!
[Experience my job
as a Middle Office Manager]
The middle office manager’s main role is to oversee the day-to-day processing of front-office operations in trading rooms,and ensure a smooth handover to the back office.
To do the job well, you have to be versatile, be familiar with the market and products,understand financial and regulatory issues,and, most importantly,have good interpersonal skills when working with different teams, day to day.
You also have to be comfortable juggling lots of different tasks, which means being organized
...and quick on your feet.
That's enough, guys!
Once the front office has placed its orders, we check that they’re compliant and enter them into our system so that the back office can
confirm the operation to our clients.
We communicate regularly with the back-office teams throughout the product’s lifespan, so we can offer our clients a quality service.
The middle office has a strategic role.
In rugby, you have to adapt to the weather and your opponents.
In the office, a bond deal requires us to adapt to our clients’ needs.
— Don’t take your eyes off the ball!
On the field, we’re short on imagination, we’re short on depth...
— Why are you talking in a southern accent?
— Because I come from the south!
...of Paris.
Right, where were we?
Middle office managers use all their expertise to launch innovative products and incorporate them fully into our information system for a smoother transition with the back office.
— Let me show you the reserve pass.
They also automate certain complex financial products and optimize existing processes.
— And we all move forward together, nice and smooth.
A middle office manager also has to have a keen eye and a cool head, as they handle important deals every day.
It’s like having an opposing player watching your every move.
— Are you sure about the pricing for this client’s deal?
— 100%!
— Get this one wrong, you’ll be tackled.
— Yes, yes, I know...
...I get it!
As a central part of the team, you learn about all aspects of the market.
And you can move into operational risk, strategy, or work on compliance.
— Wait, we said "no tackles"!
Help!