Trade Surveillance Analyst

Job Overview:The Trade Surveillance Analyst plays a critical role in monitoring and analyzing trading activities to detect potential market abuse, manipulation, or any non-compliance with relevant regulations and internal policies. This role involves conducting thorough surveillance of trading data, identifying suspicious or irregular transactions, investigating potential misconduct, and providing reports to senior management and regulatory bodies. The Trade Surveillance Analyst ensures that the organization remains compliant with legal and regulatory standards, mitigating any risks related to trading activity.

Key Responsibilities:Trade Monitoring and Surveillance:Continuously monitor and analyze trading activities across multiple asset classes to detect patterns that may indicate market abuse, insider trading, or other non-compliant activities.Utilize surveillance tools and systems to track and analyze trades, market behavior, and employee trading activities.Conduct automated and manual reviews of trading data to identify any suspicious transactions or patterns that may violate regulations or internal policies.Investigating Suspicious Activities:Investigate flagged trading activities, including reviewing trade details, relevant market data, and other contextual information to determine the cause of suspicious behavior.Document and escalate any potential violations of regulations, policies, or ethical standards to the appropriate internal stakeholders or regulators.Engage with internal teams (e.g., legal, compliance, and operations) to conduct in-depth investigations and gather evidence to support findings.Regulatory Compliance and Reporting:Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory frameworks, such as MiFID II, SEC regulations, or other relevant local and international trading laws.Prepare reports for senior management and regulatory bodies summarizing surveillance findings, investigations, and any actions taken.Provide timely and accurate documentation for regulatory audits and examinations related to trading surveillance.Market and Regulatory Intelligence:Stay up to date with the latest regulatory changes, market trends, and trading activities that may impact surveillance strategies.Conduct periodic assessments of market abuse risks and update surveillance protocols and techniques accordingly to align with evolving regulations.Assist in the development of surveillance strategies to address emerging risks or regulatory challenges in the financial markets.System Optimization and Reporting Tools:Work closely with the IT and technology teams to ensure the surveillance system is properly configured, efficient, and capable of detecting relevant market abuse patterns.Help improve and refine the effectiveness of surveillance tools and methodologies to adapt to new market conditions or trading strategies.Assist in testing and upgrading surveillance software or tools, ensuring they are updated with new market scenarios and risk profiles.Collaboration and Training:Collaborate with trading desks, risk management, compliance, and legal departments to enhance understanding of trading activities and identify potential risks.Provide guidance and training to trading and compliance teams on best practices related to trading surveillance and market conduct.Raise awareness of market manipulation risks and internal compliance policies through regular training and communication initiatives.Risk Mitigation and Recommendations:Provide recommendations for mitigating market abuse risks, including updates to internal policies, trading guidelines, or surveillance procedures.Identify any weaknesses or gaps in current surveillance processes and contribute to enhancing the organization's trade surveillance framework.Assist in the implementation of corrective actions and preventive measures to address identified risks or regulatory breaches.

Qualifications and Skills:Education:Bachelors degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, or a related field.Certifications in Financial Markets, Compliance, or Anti-Money Laundering (AML) are a plus (e.g., CFA, CAMS, or similar certifications).

Experience:Minimum 2-4 years of experience in trade surveillance, compliance, financial services, or a related field.Proven experience in monitoring trading activities and identifying potential regulatory breaches.Familiarity with financial products and markets, including equities, derivatives, fixed income, commodities, or foreign exchange.Skills:In-depth understanding of financial markets, trading practices, and regulatory frameworks (e.g., MiFID II, SEC, FINRA, CFTC).Proficiency in using trade surveillance tools, market data analysis software, and other relevant technologies (e.g., Actimize, Smartstream, etc.).Strong analytical and investigative skills, with the ability to identify unusual patterns and conduct detailed research.Excellent communication and report-writing skills, with the ability to present complex findings to senior management and regulators.Strong attention to detail and accuracy, with a high level of integrity in handling confidential information.

Personal Attributes:Proactive and self-motivated, with a strong sense of responsibility and accountability.Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think critically and analytically.Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across various departments.Working Conditions:Full-time position with standard office hours.Occasional overtime may be required to meet reporting deadlines or investigate urgent cases.Office-based or hybrid work arrangements, depending on company policy.