Contracts Analyst
Every day, we seek to improve financial security for people. Joining our Transfer Agent Intermediary Governance team means you will be a part of a passionate and supportive team that believes what we do matters to our clients and investors. The intermediary governance team has primary responsibility for administering governance processes related to relationship review, contracting, payments and ongoing oversight of financial intermediaries engaged in selling or supporting firms that sell our US mutual funds. The team also reviews invoices and processes the related payments to the intermediaries who are providing services under previously reviewed and approved contracts. Finally, the team provides a variety of analysis and reporting related to these activities to senior internal management as well as to the Funds’ Board.
Your Core Responsibilities:
Members of the Intermediary Governance team have primary or back-up responsibilities for the following areas of responsibility:
- Manage and facilitate the drafting, review, approval, and execution of new agreements with internal Russell Investments teams and intermediaries.
- Complete the initial review of all new intermediary contracts and direct review to internal teams (e.g., legal, compliance, operations) as needed.
- Complete onboarding process for new intermediaries once contracts are completed.
- Administer the Business Acceptance Committee and the Intermediary Fee Sub-Committee ensuring that meetings are set, agendas prepared, minutes maintained and actions as directed by the committees are completed.
- Receive and process intermediary invoices and related payments, ensuring that invoices and payments adhere to contractual terms and that payments are made within established timelines.
- Provide intermediary operational oversight and complete reviews related to intermediary operational processes and intermediary compliance with related contract terms, the Funds’ offering documents, and related regulations. These responsibilities include ongoing administration of the intermediary oversight program, interaction with intermediary partners related to operational compliance.
In addition to the primary responsibilities listed above team members also:
- Keep appropriate systems and records complete and accurate - reflecting current relationship and contract status with each intermediary.
- Complete the termination process for intermediary contracts at the end of the relationship lifecycle.
- Complete analysis and reporting to senior Russell Investments management and the Funds’ Board.
- Create and maintain documented processes and procedures for work performed by the team. Adjust or redesign processes and procedures as needed to accommodate changes within the environment.
- Provide process and/or technical improvement insights in areas of expertise to improve team efficiencies, with a primary focus on providing scale to the business and quality processing for intermediaries and the Funds.
Your Expertise:
- 2 + years of experience preferred
- Bachelor’s degree in Business or Finance or related field or equivalent experience
- Preference for FINRA Series 6, 7, and 24 licenses.
- Experience within the asset management or financial services industry.
- Demonstrated experience with contract management.
- Demonstrated experience, skills, and aptitude for the use of data analysis and query tools with the ability to perform data extracts and detailed and comprehensive analysis on complex data sets.
- Understanding of the intermediary financial operations environment (broker dealer, bank and/or insurance company) supporting sales to retail customers.
- Understanding of process management and related process improvement techniques (e.g., lean, Six Sigma, process mapping).
- Solves and analyzes problems effectively, with a process for decision making.
- Has the ability to understand and appropriately apply principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to contract management, oversight, and payment processes.
- Evaluates problems via systems thinking, sees downstream affects, identifies future implications across a process to help prioritize solutions.
Capability-based skills:
- Ability to communicate clearly and build trusted relationships with others.
- Demonstrated ability to take on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency and enthusiasm.
- Ensures both internal and clients’ perspectives are a driving force behind their decisions and actions.
- Demonstrated ability to be a collaborative team player with the ability to interact well with all levels of internal and external personnel and adapt to rapidly changing requirements.
- Ability to interact with all levels of associates internally and with clients, working to achieve desired business outcomes while maintaining compliance with applicable rules, regulations and the adherence to a high standard of ethics.