Chief Operating Officer

Job ID: z5G7h3l6a1kMvyS65NP3c36C6jq3jNn5ZvY3zKHf2cs=Job Code: JPC - 28312Reference: 27981Location: Miami, FL, United StatesSalary: USD 120000 - 240000Job Type: PermIndustry: Financial_Banking_InsuranceContact: Carey JiangContact Email: View email address on click.appcast.io Operating OfficerCompany is a correspondent-clearing broker-dealer seeking an accomplished, hands-on Chief Operating Officer to lead and scale its clearing operations. This executive will oversee theday-to-day operational infrastructure supporting the clearing, settlement, custody, financing, and servicing of equity and listed-options activity.The COO will be responsible for operational resilience, regulatory readiness, client service, controls, and continuous improvement across the firm. This role requires deep experience inU.S. broker-dealer clearing operations, including DTCC/NSCC/DTC and OCC processes, margin and collateral management, settlement funding, securities lending, corporate actions,and regulatory operations.The successful candidate combines senior operational judgment with a willingness to engage directly in complex, time-sensitive matters. They will partner closely with the CEO,Finance, Compliance, Risk Management, Technology, and client-facing teams to support the firm’s growth while maintaining a strong control environment.Key ResponsibilitiesOperational LeadershipLead and manage the Operations function, including staffing, workflows, supervision, training, business continuity, and succession planning.Establish, maintain, and enhance operating procedures, supervisory controls, service-level standards, escalation protocols, and operational risk controls.Build a culture of ownership, urgency, accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement.Develop operational KPIs, KRIs, dashboards, and management reporting to monitor productivity, error rates, aging exceptions, client service, settlement exposure, and control effectiveness.Present periodic operational performance, risks, capacity needs, and strategic initiatives to the CEO and executive leadership.Clearing and SettlementOversee daily clearing and settlement operations for equities, ETFs, listed options, and related products.Manage and supervise core DTCC/NSCC/DTC processes, including trade comparison and reconciliation, CNS settlement, securities movements, fails management, stock record and position reconciliation, ACATS/transfer activity, and deposit/withdrawal activity.Oversee OCC clearing and settlement activities, including options trade reconciliation, exercise and assignment processing, expiration processing, OCC margin-related operations, collateral movements, and exception management.Ensure accurate and timely processing of IPO allocations, new-issue allocations, restricted securities workflows, and related securities movements, as applicable.Maintain operational readiness for market volatility, high-volume days, corporate action events, settlement disruptions, and clearinghouse intraday requirements.Margin, Collateral, and LiquidityPartner with Risk Management and Finance to oversee daily margin processes, including client margin calls, house and customer margin deficits, concentration-related requirements, collateral eligibility, and intraday exposures.Monitor and manage firm settlement obligations, clearing fund and margin requirements, collateral movements, financing needs, liquidity forecasting, and intraday funding requirements.Coordinate with Finance on cash management, bank balances, wire controls, payment approvals, settlement funding, and reconciliations.Oversee the movement and pledge of firm collateral to support regulatory capital, clearinghouse obligations, and operating liquidity needs.Escalate material settlement, margin, collateral, liquidity, customer debit, or concentration concerns promptly to executive management and the appropriate control functions.Securities Lending and Corporate ActionsOversee securities lending and borrowing operations, including borrow availability, recalls, returns, marks, contract comparisons, collateral movements, and stock-loan reconciliations.Partner with Compliance and Risk Management on Regulation SHO controls, close-out requirements, locate processes, threshold securities monitoring, and related reporting or escalation.Oversee voluntary and mandatory corporate actions, including dividends, reorganizations, tender offers, mergers, conversions, rights offerings, spin-offs, and option-adjustment events.Ensure timely communication and processing of corporate-action elections and entitlements for introducing brokers and underlying customers.Client and Market-Participant ManagementServe as a senior operations contact for correspondent clients, executing venues, custodians, banks, clearing agencies, technology vendors, and other market participants.Strengthen operational client service, including onboarding coordination, account and operational setup, issue resolution, reporting, settlement support, and escalation management.Work with execution venues and technology providers to resolve trade breaks, connectivity issues, market-structure changes, and operational exceptions.Support the design and implementation of new client-facing and back-office products, processes, reports, integrations, and workflow enhancements.Regulatory and Control EnvironmentMaintain a thorough understanding of broker-dealer operational obligations and relevant regulatory requirements, including FINRA, SEC, DTCC/NSCC/DTC, OCC, and applicable exchange rules.Coordinate operational readiness for FINRA examinations, regulatory inquiries, clearing-agency reviews, audits, and client due diligence requests.Work closely with Compliance on operational components of books and records, customer protection, AML/KYC escalation, sanctions-related holds, suspicious activity referrals, and regulatory reporting.Partner with Finance and Compliance on operational aspects of SEC Rule 15c3-3, including reserve formula inputs, customer segregation, possession or control processes, securities deficits, and related reconciliations.Identify operational control gaps, perform root-cause analysis on significant errors or breaks, and drive sustainable remediation.Technology and Process ImprovementPartner with Technology to prioritize automation, data quality, workflow controls, operational reporting, reconciliation tools, exception management, and business-continuity capabilities.Translate operational requirements into clear business requirements, testing plans, control specifications, and implementation priorities.Improve straight-through processing, reduce manual touchpoints, and strengthen exception-based workflows without compromising controls.Support data-driven decision-making through SQL, relational databases, operational reporting, and analytical tools.QualificationsRequired ExperienceSignificant leadership experience in broker-dealer clearing operations, correspondent clearing, prime brokerage, carrying brokerage, or a comparable clearing and custody environment.Deep working knowledge of U.S. equity and listed-options clearing and settlement operations.Demonstrated experience with DTCC, including NSCC and DTC functions, and OCC clearing, settlement, exercise/assignment, and margin-related operations.Practical experience overseeing margin operations, settlement funding, collateral movements, cash management, securities lending, corporate actions, and trade/position reconciliation.Experience managing operational teams in a high-volume, deadline-driven, highly regulated environment.Experience working directly with FINRA, DTCC, OCC, banks, execution venues, vendors, auditors, and regulators.Demonstrated ability to identify operational, settlement, liquidity, credit, market, and regulatory risks and escalate issues appropriately.Strong record of improving workflows, controls, service levels, and operational scalability.Preferred QualificationsExperience in a correspondent-clearing or self-clearing broker-dealer environment.Familiarity with SEC Rule 15c3-3, customer protection requirements, reserve computations, possession or control, and related operational reconciliations.Working knowledge of Regulation SHO, stock-loan operations, ACATS, and securities transfer processes.Familiarity with AML/KYC operational controls, client onboarding, sanctions escalation, and suspicious-activity referral processes.Experience with clearing and operational platforms, reconciliation tools, market-data systems, and workflow-automation initiatives.Strong SQL skills or experience working with relational databases, data extracts, operational dashboards, and business-intelligence tools.Programming, automation, or systems-analysis experience is a plus.Core CompetenciesExceptional operational judgment and attention to detail.Ability to operate calmly and decisively during market stress, settlement events, high-volume days, and time-sensitive exceptions.Strong people leadership, coaching, and organizational-development skills.Ability to balance client service, commercial objectives, regulatory obligations, and prudent risk management.Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex operational issues to executives, regulators, clients, and technical teams.Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with an emphasis on root-cause remediation rather than temporary workarounds.High integrity, sound judgment, and commitment to a strong compliance and risk culture.Education and LicensingBachelor’s degree required; a degree in finance, business, accounting, economics, computer science, engineering, mathematics, or a related field is preferred.10+ years of relevant broker-dealer, clearing, custody, or financial-market-infrastructure experience, including at least 5 years of meaningful management responsibility.FINRA Series 7 and Series 24 licenses requiredAdditional FINRA registrations, such as Series 4, Series 27, are a plus Clean Form U4 and successful completion of all applicable background checks are required.Position DetailsFull-time, senior leadership role.Onsite position in Miami FLCompetitive compensation package commensurate with experience.Healthcare, dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability benefits.Opportunity to help shape the operational strategy, infrastructure, and growth of a correspondent-clearing broker-dealer.IndustryFinancial_Banking_InsuranceSkillsChief Operating Officer