Contract Negotiation Associate

Description

About this role

With operations all over the world and a range of investment products and services, BlackRock is one of the most complex financial services organizations servicing clients today. In order to achieve operational excellence, Technology and Operations ensures BlackRock's operations are consistent and efficient across investment products, client channels and regions. The Technology and Operations team comprises of numerous groups including the Aladdin Portfolio Services Group and Investment Operations & Broker Dealer Services. OnBoarding-Contracting is included within the Technology and Operations team.

Your team
The OnBoarding-Contracting Team plays a key role in on-boarding new clients within BlackRock and managing change for existing clients with respect to the contractual set up. The team focuses on the drafting, negotiation, co-ordination and execution of investment management agreements, investment guidelines or criteria, and other related documentation for new clients and existing clients. Trading documentation (ISDAs and CSAs) and fund documentation (Fund IMAs and prospectuses) are out of scope for this team.

Your role and impact
As an Associate within OnBoarding-Contracting, you will support a growing area in a dynamic and challenging environment. You will be responsible for your own portfolio of business with some guidance and oversight, based upon a team of Account Managers and/or specific regional offices, whose clients you will support from a documentation perspective. You will be responsible for providing in depth knowledge of your client's mandates as well as an excellent client focus.

Your responsibilities
• Accurate drafting, negotiation, and co-ordination of contractual documentation for your portfolio of business.
• Providing oversight of junior team members.
• Managing pipeline and setting priorities based on business needs.
• Facilitation and co-ordination of all internal stakeholders across different regions involved in the contracting process, ensuring their comments flow through to the contract and requisite approvals are obtained.
• Partnering with the OnBoarding-Implementation team to take on new clients and manage client change as efficiently as possible.
• Ensuring that the appropriate contracting process is followed for all contract processing to mitigate risk to BlackRock.
• Negotiating client documentation to within the remit of the OnBoarding-Contracting team, escalating legal and operational risk when necessary.
• Supporting the sales team with contractual documentation queries.
• Communicating any contractual documentation changes to the client mandate to applicable internal stakeholders.
• Capturing and recording relevant non-standard contractual clauses on an ongoing basis and maintaining the contractual documentation database.
• Ensuring that all completed contractual documentation is properly filed, stored and retrievable.
• Participating in research initiatives or projects that are requested by the sales, product or legal teams.

You have...
• Three or more years relevant investment management experience.
• J.D is desirable.

• Experienced contract management and negotiation skills.

• Excellent attention to detail, organization and presentation skills.
• Knowledge of the asset management industry (fund types, client base and strategies, operational set up and products) and applicable law and regulations.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated asset management or financial services experience and in-depth experience of drafting contractual documentation within the asset management industry possessing either:
• A legal background or qualification with experience of drafting and negotiating investment management agreements for an institutional client base; or
• No formal legal qualification but excellent knowledge and proven experience in negotiating investment management agreements and investment guidelines for institutional clients.

Competencies
• Ability to independently manage your own portfolio of business and to provide guidance and oversight to junior team members.

• Ability to manage a team and set team goals and priorities.
• Strong awareness of process efficiency and the need to mitigate risk through team processes.
• Exemplary analytical, communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate with both internal and external clients at all levels and regions.

• Team player both with regard to your direct team as well as those with whom you support.
• Flexible and open to accepting new challenges; able to work effectively and efficiently on multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, demanding and ever changing environment while maintaining the highest standard and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to balance client needs with BlackRock policies and operational procedures; possess excellent regulatory and technical awareness in order to understand associated risks and provided innovative, risk-free and compliance friendly solutions.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including a strong retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive healthcare, support for working parents and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work pilot

BlackRock's current hybrid work pilot is designed to help you experience the best of both worlds: the opportunity to connect with colleagues in person and the flexibility to work remotely, with greater time to focus on what's important to you. In line with local health guidance and regulations, employees are generally expected to work 3 days in the office and 2 days from home (on average) each week. For some business groups, more time may be required in the office, while greater flexibility may be in place for others. Our "One BlackRock" culture means you'll be supported to collaborate with your new colleagues while bringing your full self to work - wherever you are.

The health, safety and well-being of our people will always be our top priorities; we will continue to monitor local conditions and health advisories in making decisions about our work environments.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being. Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children's educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment - the one we make in our employees. It's why we're dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit careers.blackrock.com | www.blackrock.com/corporate | Instagram: @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, and other statuses protected by law.

BlackRock will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in a manner consistent with the requirements of the law, including any applicable fair chance law.