Job profile
Fund Administration
Similar job titles
Fund administrator
Funds officer
Fund manager’s assistant
Assistant investment manager
Portfolio managers assistant
What
Accounts opening, database and records management, preparing research reports and
presentations, handling clients’ correspondence and queries. These activities are all crucially
important to fund/investment managers, who depend hugely on a switched, well organised
administrative support team. Closely supervised, you will follow instructions provided by your
fund/investment manager, processing transactions or resolving transactional issues. This role
involves working with other investment professionals including global custody, pricing, valuations,
fund accounting and fund managers.
Salary
Entry level positions start at approximately £16,000 per annum. With the right experience,
qualifications and skills you could progress to management roles and earn in excess of £50,000 per
annum. This does not include potential bonuses or additional benefits. Salaries will vary considerably
based on location and employer.
Tasks
 Delivering high quality service to all internal members of the investment team
 Preparing and presenting investment market information to stakeholders, including routine
statements, performance reports and fund values
 Creating and maintaining investors’ details and records and identifying and correcting any
problems or discrepancies
 Administering purchases, redemptions, transfers and reinvestments of fund units, and switches
between funds
 Inputting trades and validation of all investment transactions
 Monitoring instructions and ensuring they’re handled by the people authorised to process
 Dealing with complaints relating to financial services and/or products, referring anything outside of
your authority to the appropriate people
 Gathering, validating and arranging basic data in a form suitable for analysis and reporting
 Providing information, dealing with a variety of customer questions relating to financial services
 Compliance with legal requirements, industry regulations, organisational policies and professional
codes.
Skills
 Strong numerical, administration and analytical skills
 Team work
 Attention to detail and accuracy
 Good at planning and time management
 Organised
 Clear, concise communicators
 Confident using IT and financial reporting documents
 Initiative
 Strong customer service ethic, including understanding the principles of Treating Customers Fairly
(TCF)
 Ability to comply with set internal policies and routines.
Useful knowledge and experience
An employer will not always require the candidate to have this knowledge when entering the
profession, although they will expect that it will be acquired it through training and qualifications:
 IT systems that support fund administration, the managing of records and reporting functions
 General understanding of financial services products and how the different investment operations
work together
 Different sources of information relating to clients’ investments and how these can be accessed
 General account management, transactional bookkeeping and internal auditing procedures
 Awareness of FSA regulation relating to funds and investments, internal protocols and reporting
deadlines
Entry qualifications
Working in fund administration requires people who are good team workers, hard working,
enthusiastic with excellent communication skills. Due to the numerical and reporting aspects of this
job, English and maths qualifications are desirable. There are various levels of entry into the role. Any
previous qualifications or experience in investment operations roles like clearing or settlements is
helpful.
In order to gain an entry level position, employers will look for people who have:
 A Levels, Scottish Highers or equivalent qualifications such as Business, Administration and
Finance (BAF) Diploma, BTEC National Diploma, Welsh Baccalaureate (BAC), SVQ Level 3
or Higher National Certificate (SCQF Level 7)
Apprenticeships can be a useful way to gain entry and to progress on in the profession:

Level 2 Apprenticeship in Providing Financial Services, Investment Operations pathway
(England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)

Level 3 Apprenticeship in Providing Financial Services, Investment Operations pathway
(England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)
Professional and higher qualifications
Many employers recommend and support people working in fund administration in gaining a
professional qualification. Three Two of the most recognised are:
 Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) Level 3 Investment Operations Certificate
(IOC)
 CISI Level 3 Certificate in Investments (Investment Management)
 ICMA Centre / University of Reading Operations Certificate Programme.
With several years’ experience and if working in a managerial capacity, you may progress towards
more advanced professional qualifications, such as:
 CISI Advanced Certificate Programme in Global Securities Operations
 CISI specialist Diploma in Investment Operations
UK and global opportunities
Investment and fund management teams will continue to need flexible support and assistance to
deliver effective client services. Increased regulation implies the continuing expansion of the fund
reporting role. Fund administration can offer an excellent introduction to the fund management
careers arena and good scope for progression into senior administration, research, support and client
management roles. Opportunities exist with private and investment banks and investment and fund
management companies. Additionally, fund reporters might work for third party administrators. Jobs
exist in major UK financial centres, such as London, Manchester, Cardiff and Edinburgh. Northern
Ireland is a growing operational centres for investment administrative functions.
Find out more
Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment – www.cisi.org
Directions – www.directions.org.uk
ICMA Centre/ Henley Business School University of Reading – www.icmacentre.ac.uk
Investment Management Association – www.investmentuk.org
Scottish Investment Operations – www.sio.org.uk
Scottish Qualifications Authority – www.sqa.org.uk
Similar careers
Clearing
Corporate actions
Global custody
Settlements
Valuations