Practice Lead, Head of Account Management - Asset Owner Segment, Americas

About the Asset Owner Segment, Americas

This is a recently formed business segment within the Asset Servicing Division, responsible for roughly half of Northern Trust’s total global assets under custody, as well as newly formed innovative businesses such as Northern Trust Front Office Solutions. This segment focuses on mission-driven asset owners across the Americas, primarily endowments, foundations, corporations, pensions, multi-national entities, and insurance companies. The creation of this segment, which merges Northern Trust’s legacy business lines with its forward-looking products and capabilities, creates exciting and unique leadership opportunities to help us realize more optimal outcomes for our business, while working in close alignment with the other executives throughout the organization. This is an opportunity to transform how we serve our clients, partners, and stakeholders by leveraging the invaluable assets which exist within our people and our products, and applying forward looking, human-centered design thinking and innovation to help us collectively achieve greater.

Our vision: 

To be THE market-leading partner of choice in the asset owner segment through innovative products, unparalleled service, impeccable operational outcomes, and unyielding integrity and alignment to our clients.

We cannot do this without putting culture at the core. Our people, our behaviors, the decisions we make all influence the ability to achieve success. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is paramount to establishing of an environment which fosters positive results and positive experiences.

The Opportunity

In this exciting new role, the Practice Lead, Head of Account Management will provide additional oversight and support to the existing custody-based account management (AM) team in the United States. They will also partner with others to ensure that our activities related to account opening and maintenance, account coding, and entity maintenance are supported, controlled, and tested – to ensure we perform these activities in an efficient, effective and high-quality manner. This role is highly operational and will require expertise and experience in mature operational environments. The role also manages a team with financial risk, overseeing trading and cash activity processing for the Asset Owner Segment, Americas.

This position reports to the Asset Owner Segment, Americas COO.

Primary Responsibilities

• Manage an operational team responsible for the successful day to day administration of the Account Management functions within the Asset Owner Segment, Americas
• Create a best-in-class work environment to recruit engage, develop, train and retain talent
• Directly support the business unit in achieving its Objectives & Key Results each year
• Partner with the lines of business within Asset Owner Segment, Americas to ensure the operational model meets the business objectives and aligns with our client service mindset and philosophy. This role may include increasing responsibility over time for functions related to account opening & maintenance so a growth mindset is required.
  
• Align with the broader Northern Trust operations teams to ensure consistency with our global operating model, transfer of work objectives and business resiliency goals
  
• Monitor and control of inputs and outputs to ensure the utmost in data integrity, including data sourcing, validation, processing, and analysis
  
• Create a supervisory control environment that reduces error rates & servicing losses to a level within the firm’s appetite
  
• Create and manage high quality documentation of policies, procedures, and written supervisory procedures as well as other documentation related to Account Managers' use of the various tools required to perform their jobs
  
• Provide expert knowledge, coaching and support to staff
  
• Conduct ongoing monitoring and ensure all risk compliance required by the larger Northern Trust organization, including Risk & Control Self-Assessments and BPTRM review(s) for operations in India or elsewhere, etc.
  
• Design, collect and analyze metrics to support the evolving business metrics, utilized for sales strategy & competitive market analysis, pricing, planning, efficiency & productivity as well as client reporting.
  
• Identify and solve complex technical and operational problems; understand and recognize broader impact across the department
  
• Lead and participate in selected special projects to advance the Operations function within the segment

Preferred Professional Experiences & Qualifications

• Strong understanding of institutional investment industry, including markets, instruments, funds and fund structures, trading, etc.
• Deep knowledge of client servicing functions and controls
• Skilled in the development on policies, training programs, best practices, procedural and workflow related documentation
• Strong mindset towards operational excellence, with experience in the tools and practices required to achieve high quality results
• Ability to successfully manage projects and other process improvement related initiatives
  
• Understanding of the business and how this area integrates with others to achieve departmental objectives
  
• Ability to guide and influence others either internally or externally to adopt a different point of view
  
• Strategic planning and management skills; manage objectives and results (OKRs) which align with the business and corporate objectives
  
• Management of professional staff and/or supervisors/ team leads
  
• Accountability for the performance and results of a team
  
• Adaptation of resource and operational challenges into departmental plans and priorities

• Create Vision, Mission and Plan for helping the business successfully execute on its Go To Market strategy
• Define & shape the culture through all actions and behaviors
• Understand leadership & development of employees
• Adept at communication & strategic messaging
• Talent management (recruiting, assessing, selecting, and integrating human capital)
• Creation of alliances & partnerships, both internal and external to Northern Trust
• Measure, learn & refine for continuous improvement
• Priority setting & time management
• Stress management & well-being
• Setting and meeting goal
• Critical thinking skills
• Team building and development
• Counseling direct reports & conducting effective staff meetings
• Delegating effectively
• Risk analysis, risk mitigation and risk management

Northern Trust provides innovative financial services and guidance to corporations, institutions and affluent families and individuals globally. With over 130 years of financial experience and nearly 20,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company that is committed to strengthening the communities we serve!

We recognize the value of inclusion and diversity in culture, in thought, and in experience, which is why we are honored to receive the following awards in 2021:

• Gender Equality Index Member, Bloomberg
• Top Financial & Banking Company, Black EOE Journal, Hispanic Network Magazine, Professional WOMAN'S magazine

We’d love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of America’s best banks and most sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today.