Fixed Income Pricing Specialist

See job description below

The Portfolio Analysis Group is involved with many stages of the investment process. This group acts as a focal point for the detailed analysis of fixed income portfolios versus a benchmark, and therefore requires excellent technical knowledge of fixed income markets and data types. The Group will (1) maintain the highest quality of indicative data, market pricing, and analytical values for fixed income securities in order to ensure a first-class risk management process, (2) work closely with portfolio managers to review daily portfolio activity to ensure that the risks of all new securities are properly modeled and understood, (3) help monitor the daily risk of the portfolios relative to their benchmarks, (4) work closely with senior marketing and client service managers to help support portfolio reporting and the RFP process. The Group is involved in most aspects of the daily business functions of the Firm.
As part of the Portfolio Analysis Group, the Pricing Specialist's responsibilities will include:

• Learning and understanding in detail many different product types within the fixed income market, as well as the different risks of each sector.
• Interacting closely with Portfolio Managers on pricing matters.
• Contributing as part of a team that will often consist of all levels of the Firm. Innovative ideas and input are expected and sought from everyone involved.
• Monitoring, evaluating and rationalizing both security and portfolio value changes on a daily basis.

Responsibilities
The primary responsibility of the Pricing Specialist is to maintain the highest quality of indicative data, market pricing, and analytical values for fixed income securities in order to ensure a first-class risk management process. Analysts will develop expertise in a wide range of fixed income securities including, Treasury, Agency, MBS, CMO, CMBS, ABS, Derivatives, Corporates, High Yield, Bank Loans, Emerging Markets, International, Municipals, and Money Markets.

• Assist the Pricing Director by executing all Prudential Fixed Income pricing functions and ensuring the accurate and efficient daily pricing of all fixed income products.
• Troubleshoot and successfully resolve pricing problems with custodian banks, pricing vendors, and internal downstream areas such as Risk Management, Investment Accounting, Client Services and Performance Reporting.
• Continuously seek to add value to the pricing function by performing the following:
• Identify and resolve pricing and analytic anomalies and create pricing efficiencies by using existing tools and reports.
• Implement technological solutions wherever possible to enhance the group's ability to provide high quality pricing and to increase efficiency.
• Maximize use of the price challenge process to increase the accuracy of automated pricing, thus reducing reliance on manual pricing processes.
• Develop expertise in systems navigation and report writing to assist with the automation and analysis of daily and monthly pricing.
• Research, develop and implement proper pricing methodology and best practices for new products.
• Assist the Pricing Director, as needed, in facilitating the Prudential Fixed Income Valuation Committee meetings attended by the Chief Operating Officer, Head of Credit Research, Head of Business and Operating Risk Management, Head of Risk Management, Head of Fixed Income Finance, Head of Structured Products Credit, and the Chief Compliance Officer to ensure investments and procedures comply with all internal and regulatory guidelines.
• Foster strong working relationships with custodian banks and key internal areas through the use of effective communication.
• Comply with internal and external auditor requests, as needed.
• Responsible for ad-hoc projects as deemed necessary by the management team.

Skills

Educational Background: Undergraduate (B.S.) degree in Finance, Accounting or Business-Related Field

Work Experience
Three to five years of fixed income operations experience, or direct experience working with fixed income securities data and the pricing of fixed income securities.

Ideal Candidate:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics or related field
• Direct experience working with fixed income securities data, and the pricing of fixed income securities at a vendor, custodian bank or investment management company.
• Outstanding academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, work experience and demonstrated leadership qualities.
• Works well as part of a team.
• Enjoys a fast-paced, high-intensity environment.
• Possesses excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Possesses excellent creative, analytical, quantitative, and computer (e.g., Excel) skills.
• Has a strong interest in financial analysis and the investment management process.
• Has an entrepreneurial spirit that is willing to take on additional responsibility quickly.
• High attention to detail.
• Excel Macro writing ability is a plus.