Practice Manager

Who we are looking for

The ideal candidate will have a deep techno-functional background working with major fund management and/or banking software applications, preferably within a front office environment. They will also have a deep understanding of fund management and/or front-office terminology and operations, proven leadership & managerial experience of leading teams and liaising with cross functional groups.

This is a senior role that will have responsibility for creating and managing a referenceable client base within their assigned segment of clients/regions. The Professional Services Practice Manager will manage teams of consultants at a variety of levels while holding them accountable for the successful implementation of the Charles River Investment Management Solution. In addition, the Practice Manager will work with sales leadership to develop business through positioning and selling services for new and existing customers.  This role will interface with existing and prospective clients and all internal divisions of the company.

Why this role is important to us

The team you will be joining is a part of Charles River Development (or CRD), that became a part of State Street in 2018. CRD helps create enterprise investment management software solutions for large institutions in the areas of institutional investment, wealth management and hedge funds. Together we have created the first open front-to-back platform - State Street Alpha, that was launched in 2019.

Join us if delivering front office software solutions, next generation infrastructure, using emerging technologies like AI sounds like a challenge you are up for.

What you will be responsible for

• Oversee staff which includes implementation consultants/principal consultants assigned to various client projects.
• Ensure that all staff adheres to policies and procedures.
• Hire staff; ensure they are properly mentored, trained and motivated. 
• Ensure all team personnel are effectively staffed and utilized.
• Maintain utilization levels â as directed by management.
• Prepare revenue forecast and budgets on resource needs.
• Achieve Professional Services group revenue goals and utilization targets.
• Achieve individual group customer satisfaction targets. 
• Complete project reviews on a regularly scheduled basis which includes:
  • Review implementation status and resolve implementation issues
  • Work hands on with clients as necessary, with the goal of achieving successful, on schedule, on budget projects, as well as a high level of client satisfaction with implementation services.
  • Be responsible for delivery of each implementation project to which staff is deployed.
• Serve as liaison to Sales, R&D (Product Management, Engineering and QA) or other departments with needs or dependencies on services (and vice versa) to share expertise, escalate, champion/resolve issues, etc.
• Continuously improve implementation practices and procedures such as estimating, scoping, quality assurance reviews, methodologies, and reengineering to deliver cost effective and efficient deployments. 
• Participate in Sales process:
  • Present implementation methodology and procedures overview to prospects (on-site and/or remotely)
  • Respond to ad-hoc design and best practice questions from prospects and customers
  • Prepare realistic estimates, assumption documents, and SOWs for delivery to prospects and where necessary for inclusion in customer contracts.
• Compose and conduct staff reviews, assess personnel for compensation and promotion purposes.
• Review and approve Expenses and Time Entries
• Be hands-on, assist, from a techno-functional standpoint, in the implementation of a sophisticated portfolio management, trade order/execution management, Investment book of records and compliance monitoring solution to the fund management industry
• Provide functional consultancy services for clients and their CRD Account Managers including install, configure and test software; problem investigation; database configuration, tracing and performance analysis.

What we value

• Experience of implementing financial systems and delivering multi-tier financial applications.
• Proven experience of managing teams with 5+ people across countries
• Strong communication and inter-personal skills
• Proven experience in forecast and budget
• Ability to manage priorities and match teamâs competency to customer requirements
• Proven ability to develop and manage cross functional processes and project timelines
• Deep experience of working in financial services; front- or middle-office, or fund management business workflows and concepts.
• Excellent presentation skills
• Experience in at least one major DBMS (MS SQL Server or Oracle), including installation, configuration and development.
• Good knowledge and experience of financial asset types:
  • Equity
  • Fixed Income
  • Exchange and OTC traded derivatives
• Good knowledge and experience in some or all of the following business workflows:
  • Portfolio Management
  • Trading and execution
  • Middle office â matching and reconciliation
  • Compliance
  • Performance, Attribution and Risk
  • Front office security data strategy
• Good knowledge and experience of
  • PL/SQL or TransactSQL (MS SQL Server)
  • Debugging and optimization
• System interfacing and integration
• Detailed knowledge of;
  • Project Management Methodology
  • Project phasing and reporting
  • On-site delivery
  • Systems support
  • Operational procedures
  • Batch processing
  • System sizing and capacity planning
  • System backup, contingency and disaster recovery
  • Regional roll outs

Education & Preferred Qualifications

BA/MS degree in a field such as Finance, Economics, Financial Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematical Finance or another related field

Additional requirements

• A natural desire to bring order to IT solution implementation and to continuously improve processes
• A positive, customer-oriented, and energetic attitude
• An analytical, creative, and innovative approach to solving problems
• Ability to effect positive attitude and motivate others to deliver in time sensitive and mission critical environments.

About State Street

What we do. State Street is one of the largest custodian banks, asset managers and asset intelligence companies in the world. From technology to product innovation weâre making our mark on the financial services industry. For more than two centuries, weâve been helping our clients safeguard and steward the investments of millions of people. We provide investment servicing, data & analytics, investment research & trading and investment management to institutional clients.

Work, Live and Grow. We make all efforts to create a great work environment. Our benefits packages are competitive and comprehensive. Details vary in locations, but you may expect generous medical care, insurance and savings plans among other perks. Youâll have access to flexible Work Program to help you match your needs. And our wealth of development programs and educational support will help you reach your full potential.

Inclusion, Diversity and Social Responsibility. We truly believe our employeesâ diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspective are a powerful contributor to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and reach their maximum potential while adding value to both our organization and our clients. We warmly welcome the candidates of diverse origin, background, ability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and personality. Another fundamental value at State Street is active engagement with our communities around the world, both as a partner and a leader. You will have tools to help balance your professional and personal life, paid volunteer days, matching gift program and access to employee networks that help you stay connected to what matters to you.

State Street is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

Discover more at StateStreet.com/careers