Operations > Analyst

Business Description

What is Operations?
Operations is the functional heart of Citi Markets and Banking and; we make everything the bank does possible. It is a critical business without which the entire transaction process would come to a complete standstill. We work continuously to expand, monitor and improve the bank's ability to provide clients with lightning-fast transaction speed, pinpoint accuracy in execution with full access.

What service do we provide to our clients?
At a firm as large and global as ours, we manage the clearance, settlement and execution of more than a trillion dollars worth of trades and the movement of billions of dollars in dozens of currencies every day. We support businesses with ever-increasing volumes and ever-decreasing settlement cycles, and work with the financial products, which are becoming more complex and transactions more global. Operations;

· Provides exceptional client service.
· Develops sophisticated worldwide operating procedures to facilitate business growth.
· Works closely with trading and branches, both domestic and international.
· Maintains control over the regulatory and financial risk from operational activities.

How are we structured?
Operations is closely aligned to the business areas across Citi Markets and Banking. In addition, our client base includes major financial institutions, broker/dealers, pension funds, mutual funds, Government agencies and sovereigns.

Roles of an Analyst

Roles an Analyst may undertake:

• Analytical skills and paying attention to details are essential in the role of a Capital Markets Operations Analyst. An example of this is the clearing and settling of trades.
• Innovation is very important, as Analysts are looked upon to constantly re-engineer our existing processes and achieve efficiencies.
• Business partnership and excellent client service across the Capital Markets businesses and Smith Barney brokerage network.
• Accuracy is critical when dealing with large amounts of money whereby errors could prove costly. Dates and time accuracy is crucial in making sure trades settle, as most markets have different deadlines. Whilst in account proofing, accuracy is vital particularly when you are reconciling thousands of transactions.
• Teamwork and Communication are vital components of an Analyst's role in Operations and results in working successfully together to achieve department targets. Good communication can result in increased efficiency and elimination of errors.
• Leadership and interpersonal skills are also important components, as we look to develop Analysts to become our future leaders.

Our Programs

The Capital Markets Operations Analyst program is a two-year program for recent graduates. We hire directly to multiple locations including New York City, Buffalo and Delaware. The New York program will consist of four, six-month rotations with potential overseas assignments for top performers. Throughout the two-year program Analysts are assigned to a unit in Operations for a period of six months at a time where they learn and develop technical as well as soft skills. The program is designed to provide a core set of knowledge about the financial services industry, the firm, and to give them skills to make a successful transition from college to a rewarding career. This is combined with monthly training sessions focusing on both product and management development training.

The Operations program can provide you with the foundation for a rewardking career in financial services. You will have:

Variety in work experience and career path

• Rotations through different departments, roles, managers and challenges
• Ability to determine a potential rotation assignment
• Opportunity for top performing analysts to work in different locations and even outside of Operations

Exposure to Senior Leadership

• Participation in key meetings and special projects
• Mentor Program
• Top performing Analysts will have an opportunity to have a Chief of Staff Role

Make a meaningful impact

• Opportunity to work on process improvement projects
• Take on a line role, not just a shadowing role
• Free to take intiative and pursue an improvement area if you see one

Extensive Learning and Skill Building

• Challenging rotations
• Training throughout 2 years to build personal effectiveness, management, process improvement, product knowledge, and technical skills

Work with great people

• People willing to answer questions and coach you through the learning process
• Team-oriented, solve problems together
• Work life balance is fostered

Operations…In simplest terms
Operations is a diverse division supporting our Capital Markets businesses and Smith Barney brokerage network. Operations is at the core of many of the processes that take place in the organization, providing support to many business areas and their products. This area is integral in ensuring business objectives are met, making sure trades are settled in a timely manner, and providing the highest level of client service in the post trade execution process and the settlement of cash and securities.

The businesses across operations are constantly re-engineering processes while working to enable growth and drive a competitive advantage. The products and functions vary substantially, however at its core there are a number of critical activities without which the organization could not operate. A typical day in many operations departments will include:

• Managing the timely and accurate processing of billions of dollars of transactions in multiple currencies and across numerous markets and exchanges
• Ensuring that shares, bonds and funds are correctly delivered to the recipients accounts and that the required funding and securities are available
• Supporting the business and customers in ensuring awareness and understanding of the myriad of non standard and complex events which impact their positions and balances such as corporate actions, income, financing, margining and collateral management, derivatives exercises and many more
• Diligently reviewing accounts to ensure all entries, movements and balances accurately reflect the trading activities and subsequent settlements
• Re-engineering processes and implementing change 

In order to give you a better understanding of Operations, we asked our current Analysts to describe (in their own words) the areas in which they work.

The Capital Markets Operations Analyst program alone has surpassed my expectations. This program has provided me with priceless opportunities and has helped me develop invaluable skills that I can definitely take with me throughout my career. Judy Cheng - joined in 2005

Who we are looking for

Full Time Analyst

• Successful Operations professionals share many common traits. They:
• Clearly conveys written and oral information clearly and articularitly
• Actively works to overcome obstacles by changing strategies and works to achieve goals in spite of difficulties
• Passion for Operations and wililng to learn and develop in the financial services industry
• Looks to continually improve the quality of work processes and maintain high standards of detail and accuracy.
• Take a well-ordered and logical approach to analyzing problems, by evaluating information quantitatively and qualitatively.
• Possess the ability to multi-task, make sound judgments in a high stress situation, and implement new ideas without prompting
• Use a collaborative approach to set and build support for Operations' objectives, manage conflict and work to make processes more efficient.
• Demonstrates personal commitment to the team and guides/motivates others to take action.
• Possess an appropriate sense of urgency and actively seeks to understand internal and external customer’s problems, expectations, and needs.

Academic Qualifications

We're looking to hire candidates from a broad spectrum of disciplines.

• The CMPC Operations is looking for undergraduates typically with Business, Humanities, or Liberal Arts degrees.
• Earned a minimum GPA of 3.0 within their major and overall.
• Previously received hands-on work experience in a “real world” environment.

As a company, we emphasize individuality. These qualities are reflected in the varied talents and backgrounds of our employees. In our diversity we find our strength.

Summer Trainee

• Successful Operations professionals share many common traits. They are:
• Strong work ethic, a high level of enthusiasm, and a strong sense of initiative.
• Excellent PC skills as well as verbal and written communication skills are required.

Academic Qualifications

We are looking to hire candidates from a broad spectrum of disciplines, in a variety of roles. The ideal candidate should:

• Be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis
• Must be pursuing an undergraduate degree in Business, Humanities or Liberal Arts

Recruitment Process

Full Time Analyst

Citi Markets & Banking begins the formal Capital Markets Operations Analyst recruiting process in early September in the form of an on-campus presentation. All students are invited to attend this event to learn more about the culture and the business. Subsequently, job descriptions are posted throughout university career centers. Once all resumes have been collected and reviewed, a closed, targeted list of first-round interview candidates is compiled. First-round interviews take place on campus in mid October and successful interviewees subsequently go through a final round interview (Super Day). Citi on-campus interviews are typically 30 minutes; Super Days typically consist of three to four thirty-minute interviews. Offers are given as soon after the Super Day as possible.

Stage 1: Formal on-campus presentation in early September.

Stage 2: Students apply through their career services and through our on-campus website.

Stage 3: Applications are reviewed by campus recruitment and business.

Stage 4: First-Round Interviews take place on campus in mid-October. On-campus Interviews are typically for 30 minutes.

Stage 5: Successful candidates are invited back to final round Interviews (Super Days). These take place in November or early December. Super Days typically consist of 3 - 4 30-minute interviews.

Stage 6: Offers are extended a few days after the Super Day with follow-up from Campus Recruitment.

Summer Analyst

Citi Markets & Banking begins the formal Capital Markets Operations Trainee Program in early January in the form of an on-campus presentation. All students are invited to attend this event to learn more about the culture and the business. Subsequently, job descriptions are posted through university career centers. Once all resumes have been collected and reviewed, a closed, targeted list of first-round interview candidates is compiled. First-round interviews take place on campus in mid February and successful interviewees subsequently go through a final-round interview (super days). Citi on campus interviews are typically 30 minutes; Super Days typically consist of 3-4 30-minute interviews. Offers are given as soon after the Super Day as possible.

Stage 1: Formal on-campus presentation in January/February.

Stage 2: Students apply through their career services and through our on-campus website.

Stage 3: Applications are reviewed by campus recruitment and business.

Stage 4: First-Round Interviews take place on campus in mid-end February. On-campus Interviews are typically for 30 minutes.

Stage 5: Successful candidates are invited back to final-round Interviews (Super Days). These take place in early March. Super Days typically consist of 3 - 4 30-minute interviews.

Stage 6: Offers are extended a few days after the Super Day with follow-up from Campus Recruitment.

Where

• New Castle, DE
• Buffalo, NY
• New York, NY

Our People

David Rogers BS Rutgers University Operations Analyst

What advice would you offer prospective candidates on transitioning from school to the workplace?

Coming into the workplace, it is important to be resourceful and eager to learn, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Also, actively manage your relationships with your managers and the people you work with. In operations, it is critical to be analytical and innovative, there is always a way to improve the process to make it more efficient. Throughout your career, always challenge yourself and learn as much as you can.

What about your career excites you the most - gets you out of bed in the morning?

Knowing that every day presents a new challenge, and I may be called upon at any time to come up with a creative solution. I’m also motivated by the high expectations managers have of the Operations Analysts and the opportunities that are presented to us.

What skills have you found to be the most useful in your position?

There is a combination of skills needed to be successful in our program. Although it is an advantage to bring desktop and automation skills to the table, it is more important to develop your time management, communication/interpersonal, people management, and analytical skills. It is also crucial to be able to work in a team environment, especially coming straight out of school.

Describe your experience in your specific training program.

As part of the Operations Analyst Program, we are given many opportunities and great senior management exposure as we rotate through four areas of Operations, Middle Office, and/or Credit Risk Management Services, which allows us to obtain a diverse understanding of the business as a whole. This also enables us to gain knowledge of multiple products and experience with project management. The program has provided extensive product training, management training, desktop technical training (i.e., Excel and Access), and other soft skills training. Some analysts have also been offered international experience with rotations in Europe.

How do you see the your business group/the Firm/the industry changing in the future?

Within Operations, the focus will be on eliminating redundancies and automating the manual processes that exist today. I envision improvements that will allow for volumes to continue to rise without the need to increase headcount. We also will be on more aligned platforms, allowing for better efficiency and improved customer service.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

After completing the program, I’m hoping to become a team leader or section manager, allowing me to develop my product knowledge and management skills. I also plan on going back to school to get my MBA in Global Management or Finance.

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

Enjoying the best NYC has to offer, going to the beach, surfing, fishing, sports in general, wrestling in specific, and occasionally cooking.