Direct Access Trader

Join us as a Direct Access Trader. This role offers an exciting opportunity to begin your journey by gaining experience in the end-to-end lifecycle of Equity, ETF, and Fixed Income markets. You’ll be immersed in the workings of Private Bank dealing and trading platforms, learning the mechanics of trade execution and the skills required to support both internal and external clients. You'll also contribute to the preparation and writing of market commentaries for broad distribution.

As you grow in the role, you'll become a key member of the trading team — a go-to specialist across market and asset classes, providing colleagues with high-quality execution advice and handling transactions with confidence and precision. Over time, you will develop into a Direct Access coverage specialist, working closely with our most active and sophisticated Private Bank clients, helping to deliver exceptional market access and execution.

To be successful as a Direct Access Trader, you should have:

• A minimum of 1–2 years of trading experience across Equity and Fixed Income securities
• A practical and well-organised approach, with the ability to manage several tasks at once and adjust priorities when needed
• The confidence to work independently and keep a clear head under pressure
• Great people skills and the ability to build excellent working relationships and collaborate well within a team

Some other highly valued skills may include:

• A logical and structured approach to achieving desired outcomes along with good written and oral communication with ability to communicate across all levels.
• The right candidate will display high integrity and trust due to the sensitive nature of information handled.

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

This role is based in London.

Purpose of the role

To transform innovative ideas into their successful launch and deployment in the market, including management & execution of orders received from PBWM business areas, ensuring that all client deals are executed in a professional manner, through direct negotiation across our approved market counterparties meeting our best execution obligations in line with established policies and procedures.   

Accountabilities

• Collaboration with various teams and departments, including Discretionary Portfolio Management, Private Bankers, Execution Only, Smart Investor, Technology, Operations, COO,  design, marketing, technology, risk, product development and legal & Compliance to utilise their unique skillsets to support the development of products, whilst taking account of evolving market demands, customer feedback and regulatory requirements, adherent to tight deadlines.
• Addressing trading and operational risks through continuous input into supporting the development of detailed project plans that outline timelines, milestones, dependencies and resource allocation for each initiative product launch, and monitor developments to support the identification and mitigation of potential risks.
• Stakeholder management including internal teams, senior colleagues, and external partners, providing timely updates and addressing concerns.
• Development and execution of training initiatives and product documentation for the utilisation of internal teams, such as sales and customer service, to improve knowledge and quality of customer support and product maintenance.
• Management of the migration of existing data to new systems and ensuring seamless integration with existing platforms. Execution of all client deals, ensuring that are executed in a professional manner, through direct negotiation across our approved market counterparties meeting our best execution obligations in line with established policies and procedures.
• Execution of pilot programs and analysis of customer feedback to identify areas for improvement and refine the product before rollout/launch.
• Keep up to date with market news and stay abreast of upcoming primary market issues in order to manage the book building of internal client orders and communication with the relevant sale and syndicate teams managing the book on behalf of the issuer.
• Provision of support to customers experiencing issues with the new product and working to resolve them efficiently.
• Maintain relationships with Market Counterparties by supporting the management of regular service meetings with major counterparties and our chosen Multilateral Trading Facility (Providers) with a view to improve upon the current service offerings.

Assistant Vice President Expectations

• To advise and influence decision making, contribute to policy development and take responsibility for operational effectiveness. Collaborate closely with other functions/ business divisions.
• Lead a team performing complex tasks, using well developed professional knowledge and skills to deliver on work that impacts the whole business function. Set objectives and coach employees in pursuit of those objectives, appraisal of performance relative to objectives and determination of reward outcomes
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.
• OR for an individual contributor, they will lead collaborative assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will identify new directions for assignments and/ or projects, identifying a combination of cross functional methodologies or practices to meet required outcomes.
• Consult on complex issues; providing advice to People Leaders to support the resolution of escalated issues.
• Identify ways to mitigate risk and developing new policies/procedures in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Take ownership for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work done.
• Perform work that is closely related to that of other areas, which requires understanding of how areas coordinate and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the organisation sub-function.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategy.
• Engage in complex analysis of data from multiple sources of information, internal and external sources such as procedures and practises (in other areas, teams, companies, etc).to solve problems creatively and effectively.
• Communicate complex information. 'Complex' information could include sensitive information or information that is difficult to communicate because of its content or its audience.
• Influence or convince stakeholders to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.