Head of Cash/Synthetic Operations

Maybank Securities is a leading brokerage house and investment bank in ASEAN. Maybank Securities provides services in corporate finance, debt markets, equity capital markets, derivatives, retail and institutional securities broking and research.

MSSG is seeking an experienced and strategic leader to head its Cash & Synthetic Operations function. The role oversees the end-to-end operating model supporting Prime Brokerage, Retail Margin Financing, and broader capital markets businesses, covering products including Equities, Fixed Income, Securities Financing, Contracts for Difference (CFDs), Total Return Swaps (TRS), Structured Products, and Mutual Funds.

The successful candidate will lead operational delivery across the trade life cycle, ensuring a scalable and well-controlled environment that supports business growth and regulatory compliance. The role will drive process optimisation, operating model integration, automation, and transformation initiatives to enhance efficiency, strengthen controls, and improve operational resilience.

Job Description:

We are growing our Prime Brokerage Operations team to support increasing trading activity, broader product coverage and expanding regional business. These roles sit at the core of the Prime Brokerage platform, working closely with internal Business and Dealing teams to ensure trades are booked accurately, settlements are completed on time, and day-to-day operations run smoothly.

This is a hands-on, execution-focused role offering exposure across the full prime brokerage trade lifecycle, including trade booking, settlement, reconciliations and daily production support. You will play a direct role in supporting live trading activity, managing operational exceptions and contributing to a growing operating environment.

The positions also provide opportunities to work across regional trading hours, gain practical experience in complex prime brokerage flows, and grow with a business that continues to expand its product and market coverage.

Leadership & Management

• Lead and manage the Cash & Synthetic Operations function, ensuring effective support across all products and markets.
• Develop team capability through coaching, talent development, succession planning, and performance management.
• Build a culture of accountability, ownership, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Establish performance metrics, service standards, and operating procedures aligned with business objectives.

Operational Oversight

• Oversee the end-to-end post-trade lifecycle, including settlements, financing operations, collateral management, reconciliations, corporate actions, and client asset controls.
• Provide operational leadership across Securities Financing, Prime/Retail Brokerage, CFDs and TRS.
• Drive process standardisation, operating model integration, and operational scalability across products and platforms.
• Ensure operational readiness for new products, markets, counterparties, and strategic initiatives.
• Act as the senior escalation point for operational incidents, client issues, and business critical events.
• Maintain a hands-on leadership approach, providing direct support on complex operational issues, control reviews, operating model design, regulatory initiatives, client matters, and strategic projects where required.

Risk, Control & Governance

• Maintain a robust control framework and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies.
• Lead incident management, root cause analysis, remediation efforts, and control enhancements.
• Support audits, regulatory reviews, and control assessments.
• Monitor operational risks and implement appropriate mitigating controls.

Stakeholder Management

• Partner closely with Front Office, Product, Risk, Compliance, Finance, and Technology teams to support business growth and operational excellence.
• Work with Product and Technology teams on operating model enhancements, system improvements, and strategic initiatives.
• Manage relationships with custodians, brokers, counterparties and service providers.

Transformation & Change

• Lead automation, workflow optimisation, and process re-engineering initiatives
• Drive operating model enhancements, platform integration, and operational transformation programmes.
• Deliver strategic projects, regulatory initiatives, and business change programmes while ensuring operational stability.
• Promote continuous improvement to enhance efficiency, controls, scalability, and client experience.

Requirements & Experience

• 12–15 years of experience within Capital Markets Operations, with significant exposure to Equities, Prime Brokerage, Securities Financing, Margin Financing, CFDs, TRS, and brokerage businesses.
• Proven leadership experience within a sell-side brokerage, investment bank, prime brokerage, or capital markets environment.
• Strong understanding of post-trade operations, including settlements, financing operations, collateral management, corporate actions, reconciliations, and client asset controls.
• Deep product knowledge across cash and synthetic products, including equities, financing products, CFDs, swaps, securities financing, margining, collateral management, and lifecycle event processing.
• Demonstrated experience driving process improvement, operating model enhancements, automation, and change initiatives within a capital markets environment.
• Strong understanding of operational risk management, regulatory requirements, and governance frameworks applicable to broker-dealers and capital markets intermediaries.
• Player-coach leadership style with the ability to balance strategic oversight and hands-on execution in a lean operating environment.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively with different teams.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities, with the ability to balance business growth, operational efficiency, and risk management objectives.