Settlements Operations Clerk (6-month temporary)

About the role

Our back office in Quarry Bay settles Hong Kong, US and Japanese equity trades for institutional and professional-investor clients. From September we run the old and new settlement platforms in parallel for four months, which means every trade is checked twice before the old system is switched off.

That parallel run is why this role exists. We need three temporary clerks to carry the extra reconciliation load so the permanent team can focus on exceptions and cutover testing. It is a six-month engagement with a defined end date, and we will not pretend otherwise.

What you get in return is unusual for a temp seat: a full induction on CCASS mechanics, real exposure to trade lifecycle, and a supervisor who will write you an honest reference. Several people who joined us on a migration contract are now permanent in operations, and one is in our middle office.

What you'll do

• Match and confirm trades against broker and custodian records for Hong Kong, US and Japan settlement cycles.
• Process CCASS settlement instructions and monitor for failed or partial settlements.
• Reconcile positions and cash balances daily across the legacy and new platforms, and log every break.
• Chase counterparties and internal desks to clear breaks before the settlement deadline.
• Prepare corporate action notifications and support entitlement processing.
• Maintain accurate operational records for audit throughout the parallel run.

What we're looking for

• 1+ year in securities operations, fund administration or a bank back office; strong fresh graduates with a relevant placement considered.
• Higher diploma or above in business, accounting, finance or a related field.
• Working knowledge of Excel — lookups and pivot tables at minimum.
• Accurate under a deadline; settlement does not move because you are still checking.
• Native Cantonese and business English for counterparty communication.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with CCASS or SWIFT MT messages.
• Prior system migration or parallel-run experience.
• HKSI Paper 1 passed.

What you get

• Structured two-week induction on trade lifecycle and CCASS
• Medical cover for the full contract term
• Paid overtime during cutover weekends, at statutory rates or better
• Quarry Bay office two minutes from the MTR with a subsidised canteen
• Written reference and internal referral for permanent openings