Application Support Analyst - AVP

Who we are

United by a sense of purpose towards our customers – to be a trusted partner for the long-term – and our universal banking platform in EMEA, SMBC Group has an international growth agenda and award-winning products, meaning we provide exciting opportunities to work on a diverse range of projects and initiatives. We deliver a full suite of corporate finance products and solutions to our customers as well as investment banking and advisory services, and a range of innovative solutions in global capital markets. Read on to find out how you could enhance your skills and gain valuable experience, by joining us to support our clients transition to a sustainable future.

Role Summary

Is the next step in your career at SMBC Group EMEA? We’re looking for an Application Support Analyst – Front Office – Fixed Income Sales & Trading at AVP level to join our Sales & Trading Application Support team in London. The role provides business-facing and technical production support for business-critical Fixed Income applications, with a particular focus on eTrading and electronic trading workflows across Credit, Rates and Repo.

Essentials of the role

· Provide high-quality day-to-day production support, proactive monitoring, incident management and issue resolution for Front Office Fixed Income applications and eTrading services.

· Own high-severity incidents end to end, coordinating business users, internal technology teams, electronic venues and external vendors to restore service and minimise disruption.

· Support releases, upgrades and new functionality through appropriate testing, operational readiness, production controls, documentation and transition into BAU support.

Candidate requirements

· More than five years of relevant experience in Fixed Income application support, trading support, production management, trade support, operations or financial technology testing within an investment banking or markets environment.

· Strong knowledge of Fixed Income products, front-to-end trade flows and electronic trading workflows, with experience in Credit Cash, Rates and/or Repo.

· Strong incident ownership, analytical troubleshooting, communication and stakeholder-management skills in a fast-paced Front Office environment.

Compensation

The anticipated salary range for this role is £70,000 - £106,000, with the final offer determined based on the candidate’s skills, experience, role scope, location, and relevant market factors. In addition to base salary, the role may be eligible for a discretionary incentive award and a competitive benefits package, including core benefits such as pension provision.

Business Area

The role sits within the London Front Office Application Management organisation and is part of the wider EMEA Sales & Trading Application Support model. The team supports business-critical trading platforms and workflows and works closely with Front Office Trading and Sales, Middle Office, Operations, Development, Quant, Change, Product, Infrastructure, Service Management, global technology teams, electronic venues and external vendors.

The function forms part of EMEA Production Management & Service Delivery within the Information Technology & Security Department. It contributes to service resilience, operational maturity, business growth and the continued development of electronic Fixed Income capabilities.

Position Description

Key responsibilities

· Provide day-to-day support for Front Office Fixed Income applications, including proactive monitoring, issue diagnosis, incident management, service requests and production maintenance.

· Engage directly with traders, sales and operational users to understand issues, provide functional and technical assistance, communicate business impact clearly and minimise disruption to trading activity.

· Investigate root causes, identify recurring issues and trends, drive permanent remediation, and maintain known-error records, knowledge articles and support documentation.

· Act as a subject matter expert for Fixed Income eTrading platforms and workflows, including Bloomberg TOMS and eTOMS, ION Anvil, RFQ processing, venue connectivity, order and trade lifecycles, pricing, positions and risk.

· Work with Change, Development, Product and Quant teams on releases, upgrades, projects and new functionality, ensuring appropriate testing, production controls, operational readiness and transition to BAU support.

· Manage vendor escalations and issue tracking, and contribute to service reporting, operational governance, audit, technology risk and production management requirements.

· Use monitoring, database and diagnostic tools to identify service degradation and support troubleshooting; contribute to scripting, automation and continuous service improvement.

· Create and maintain runbooks, support procedures, application inventories, recovery documentation and knowledge materials, sharing expertise across the team.

Collaboration and service coverage

· Work effectively across London, EMEA and global teams, applying common support standards while maintaining clear ownership and accountability.

· Support business-critical services across regions and time zones, with flexibility to participate in extended-hours support, incident response, disaster recovery, releases and weekend activities where required.

Knowledge, skills and experience

· Hands-on experience supporting electronic trading platforms, venues and workflows, including RFQ processing, D2D and D2C connectivity, order lifecycles, positions, pricing, risk and trade booking.

· Working knowledge of Bloomberg eTrading and venue services, TOMS/eTOMS, ION Anvil or comparable Fixed Income trading platforms.

· Understanding of market data, FIX protocol, connectivity, STP, reconciliation and Middle Office / Back Office processes.

· Strong understanding of change control, release management, production governance, operational readiness and Service Management processes.

· Excellent written and verbal communication, documentation, knowledge-sharing and stakeholder-management skills, with a proactive and service-focused approach.

· Ability to work independently while remaining a strong team player, demonstrating flexibility, adaptability and willingness to learn.

Desirable experience

· Experience supporting system changes, upgrades and development deliveries using Agile or DevOps frameworks.

· Working knowledge of Linux/UNIX and Windows environments, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server databases.

· Experience with monitoring or observability tools such as Splunk, Geneos, LogicMonitor, ControlUp or comparable platforms.

· Exposure to scripting, automation and operational tooling, and experience working with stakeholders across EMEA, the Americas and APAC.

· Japanese language capability, or an interest in supporting communication with Tokyo stakeholders, is welcomed but not essential.

Competencies

What we offer

For all the expertise and experience you bring to help us make a difference, it’s only sustainable if we support you to build your career and be your best self so we offer competitive company benefits, centred around promoting positive well-bring and work-life balance. We also believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, where all team members perspectives and contributions are valued. Initiatives in place which promote a diverse and inclusive culture and healthy work life balance include hybrid working, Sport & Social Clubs and Diversity and Inclusion networks.

As an employee of SMBC you have access to a host of both useful and exciting benefit offerings. See below some of the benefits on offer to you:

• Hybrid and flexible working
• Competitive paid leave days
• Benefits to support your physical wellbeing, including private medical insurance and life and invalidity insurance
• Various policies to support your mental wellbeing, including a robust behavioural health network with counselling and coaching services
• Access a wide range of learning and development opportunities and career progression opportunities
• Ambitious remuneration package

So, if you like a challenge and want to continuously grow and develop in a role where you will be supported along the way by a dynamic and diverse team, apply today!!