Trade Support Specialist, Vanilla

As a Trade Support Specialist within the Middle Office at Liberty, you will serve as a vital link between the Africa Trading Desk and the broader operational ecosystem. This role is designed for a seasoned professional who understands the intricate mechanics of Global Markets. You will be tasked with ensuring that trades—spanning Money Markets and Interest Rate Derivatives—are processed with precision, meeting strict regulatory standards while maintaining a seamless experience for clients.

This position requires a high level of operational rigour. You will oversee the full lifecycle of a trade, which includes enrichment, validation, and timely allocation. Beyond the daily processing, you are expected to act as a problem-solver, identifying operational risks and implementing improvements to existing workflows. As the Africa Trading Desk operates across various jurisdictions, you will need to demonstrate agility and the capacity to provide support during South African public holidays when market demands necessitate it.

About the role

Your primary objective is to maintain the integrity of the end-to-end value chain. You will work closely with stakeholders across Finance, Technology, and the front-office trading desks. The environment is fast-paced and demands an individual who can balance high-level stakeholder management with the technical accuracy required for financial operations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing and facilitating the end-to-end trade lifecycle for Money Markets and Interest Rate Derivatives (IRD).
• Proactively identifying, investigating, and resolving trade exceptions and client queries.
• Ensuring full compliance with regulatory standards to mitigate operational risk.
• Driving continuous improvement by refining manual processes and suggesting system enhancements.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure trade settlement is efficient and error-free.

What you’ll do

Success in this role depends on your technical expertise and your ability to navigate complex financial instruments. You will be expected to leverage your experience to bridge the gap between complex trading desks and internal administrative support.

The core requirements for the role include:

• A minimum of 3-5 years of experience in Trade Support Operations, with a deep understanding of the Global Markets trade lifecycle.
• Proven technical competency in managing complex products such as Interest Rate Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Structured Notes, Bonds, FX Spots, and Non-Deliverable Forwards.
• A solid grasp of pricing and risk management principles and how these influence P&L and broader business value chains.
• Proficiency in banking-specific software and advanced Microsoft tools, with the ability to adapt to desk-specific systems quickly.
• A relevant First Degree in Business Commerce, Finance, Accounting, or Mathematical Sciences.
• Strong behavioural competencies, specifically in examining information, managing tasks under pressure, and upholding professional standards.

Practical context for candidates

Roles of this nature in the South African financial sector typically sit within the "Middle Office" hierarchy of Tier-1 banking institutions. In the current market, specialists with 3-5 years of experience in Global Markets support can expect competitive remuneration, often complemented by annual performance bonuses and corporate benefits typical of the banking industry.

The growth path for a Trade Support Specialist is well-defined. High performers often transition into roles such as Trade Support Manager, Operations Lead, or even migrate into product control or front-office risk management functions. As the industry moves toward greater digitisation and automation, candidates who demonstrate an aptitude for process redesign and technological integration will be particularly well-positioned for career advancement within large financial groups. Given the focus on "Africa-focused" growth, exposure to cross-border transactions and regulatory environments across the continent remains a highly sought-after skill set.

Type of Qualification: First Degree
Field of Study: Business Commerce, Finance and Accounting, Mathematical Sciences

Experience Required
Trade Support
Operations
3-5 years
Ability to self manage, coordinate across teams and stakeholders within business, operations, technology and finance.

3-5 years
Advanced experience in the Trade Lifecycle of Global Markets environment. Covering multiple products ranging in complexity in Interest Rate Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Structured Notes, Bonds, Options, Loans and Deposits, Non Deliverable Forwards, FX Spots, FX Forwards, FX Swaps, 

3-5 years
Principles and practical application of pricing and risk management and the impact of these on risk, P&L and entire value chain.

3-5 years
Proficient technology experience and the ability to manage desk specific systems, software and processes, including Microsoft applications and other banking industry systems.

3-5 years
Seasoned knowledge and understanding of trading environment (end-to- end value chain) across products / instruments traded with system and manual process complexity.

Behavioural Competencies:

• Adopting Practical Approaches
• Articulating Information
• Challenging Ideas
• Checking Things
• Conveying Self-Confidence
• Developing Expertise
• Documenting Facts
• Examining Information
• Following Procedures
• Interacting with People
• Interpreting Data
• Inviting Feedback
• Managing Tasks
• Meeting Timescales
• Producing Output
• Pursuing Goals
• Showing Composure
• Team Working
• Thinking Positively
• Upholding Standards

Technical Competencies:

• Business Process Improvement
• Continuous Process Improvement
• Deal or Trade Life Cycles
• Deal Set-up & Administration
• Derivatives Markets
• Evaluation of Internal Controls
• Exception Handling
• Manual Deal or Trade Processing
• Process Analysis and Redesign
• Product Knowledge (Trading, Transacting)
• Query Resolution
• Technology Savvy