Product Analyst, Australia

POSITION PURPOSE

Assist the Regional Product Manager covering Australia and New Zealand in developing new products and organizing the maintenance and governance of our existing product line-up.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Product Strategy – Assist in continuously evolving the Australian Product Strategy and product pipeline to ensure that the local business has a diversified but well-defined and focused product set which will assist in meeting T. Rowe Price Australia (TRPAU)’s long-term growth ambitions.

• Participates in business case & roadmap development with Product teams regarding new products or modifications to existing products.
• Analyzes, research, and contributes to the development of presentations and reports to be delivered internally regarding product development and enhancements.
• Continues to build knowledge of assigned products, the marketplace, industry, regulatory developments and client needs.
• Researches regulatory developments and analyzes potential implications to existing Products. May participate in presentation of analyses.

Product Management – Assist in providing an unbiased and objective assessment of new product ideas, new product enhancements and/or Fund terminations.

• Based on market analysis, in collaboration with AU distribution, investments and “asset class product managers”, identify reasons behind success / failures of competing products or TRP’s products, identify changes in market demand or investment themes and if appropriate identify required attributes for success (guidelines and positioning, naming, fees, target client segments etc);
• Conduct operational activities related to new product launches, restructuring, closing and other product-related changes including modifications to various product attributes.
• Follow and complete activities outlined in product development and implementation processes.
• Work with partners in Operations, Treasury Legal, Technology, Risk, Tax, Compliance, Finance, etc. to ensure successful implementation of new or modified products.
• Manage enhancements to our existing product lineup, working collaboratively across internal teams and external vendors to ensure successful implementation of new features which will assist in improving client experiences or marketability of our products. 
• Develop and outline business cases required for fee or capacity proposals which requires either PSC or global distribution approval. This requires the ability to work closely with local distribution team as well as the pricing team to develop a strong understanding of both the local market dynamics and TRP’s philosophy and approach to pricing/capacity management.
• Develop to become a local SME on the TRPAU product range to eventually be a ‘go to’ source of information and a reliable business partner for both internal and external teams. Where relevant assist in the oversight of external vendors to ensure that the TRPAU product requirements are adhered to in relevant SLAs and processes implemented by external vendors.
• Internal Approval processes: including but not limited to Product Steering Committee (PSC) – ensure that the relevant internal committees including but not limited to PSC approves Australian product initiatives by creating the necessary businesses case to support the product initiative, inform and influence the relevant stakeholders and provide all the necessary information to be successfully and on a timely basis seek and obtain approval.

Fund Governance – Assist in the governance of the existing AU product range

• Create materials for product governance meetings/ Boards (AU Fund Oversight Committee/TRPAU Board) as well as reports and materials for senior management leveraging both internal and external data sources
• Help manage any product related issues that arise on a BAU basis, pricing errors, management of buy/sell spreads, operational and admin expenses/caps, distributions including year-end as well as pricing/capacity requests;
• Keep abreast of regulatory changes by working collaboratively with legal and compliance as well as working alongside internal stakeholders in meeting ongoing regulatory requirements such as RG97 and the Product Design and Distribution Obligations going live in 2021.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES / SKILLS / QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• College degree and at least 3-5 years related work experience in Australia for in an investment firm and preferably product related function
• Outstanding analytical skills, both quantitative and qualitative
• Ability to think strategically and creatively
• Self-motivated, creative, responsible, with excellent attention to detail
• Strong ability to work collaboratively across functions
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Superior PowerPoint and Excel skills
• Experience communicating financial matters
• Prior research and project management experience
• Discipline to manage large volumes of projects versus tight deadlines
• Software and Database skills preferred
• Fluent in English
• Broad understanding of the different functions which supports an asset management business
• Strong understanding of the investment / regulatory & tax environment in Australia
• Understanding of operational infrastructure related to Australian unit trusts

Preferred:

• CFA

T. Rowe Price is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity of thought, gender, and race. We believe our continued success depends upon the equal treatment of all associates and applicants for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, creed, colour, national origin, sex, gender, age, mental or physical disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, military or veteran status, pregnancy, or any other classification protected by country, federal, state, or local law.