Operations Apprenticeship Programme 2023 - Surrey

Title: Global Distribution Operations (GDO) Apprentice

Department: Operations

Location: Kingswood, Surrey

Reports To: Manager

Job Type: 2-year Fixed Term Contract

Salary: £22,000 with a £500 sign-on bonus

Apprenticeship: Level 3 - Financial services administrator / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education

Who we are:

We’ve been helping clients plan and invest for their futures for over 50 years. From more than 25 locations around the world, we provide investment services and retirement expertise to everyone from central banks to private individuals.

We’re known for acting with integrity and thinking for the long-term. And across our organisation, we foster a welcoming, caring and inclusive culture where people feel respected, trusted and able to be themselves.

 At Fidelity International, we see our apprentices as a vital part of our business. We’ll give you the support and training you need to succeed, whilst gaining a qualification. In return, you’ll help us deliver world class services and become highly knowledgeable about our business.

What you’ll be doing:

We don’t expect you to come straight in and know everything about what we do.

As an apprentice, and whatever you’ve studied, we’ll help make sure you get the most out of your time with us.

The specific duties of your role will depend on the team you join, though you’ll have the opportunity to work and develop your skills across a number of different areas. You could have the opportunity to join the following teams:

The Financial Crime Hub

This is an operations team that is responsible for running a variety of customer background checks to help Fidelity detect and prevent criminal or fraudulent activity. This includes running identity verification checks, anti-money laundering and fraud checks, as well as Know Your Customer (KYC) activities. The team run these checks to support the onboarding and reviews of new and existing customers at Fidelity, helping to keep customers and employees at Fidelity safe.

Brokerage Operations

This team is responsible for asset servicing and administration of Brokerage holdings on Fidelity’s Retail Investment Platform. Functional responsibilities are split into five areas: 1) Trade Operations for trade & settlement; 2) Corporate Actions for corporate events and dividends; 3) Stock Deposits for the transfer of certificated holdings, 4) Stock Plan Services (SPS) for related activities and processing; and 5) Controls for oversight of regulatory reporting and other controls across the team.

Retail Operations Dealing & Maintenance Team

This is a new team within the UK, created to support Operational Resilience. They are responsible for helping to embed capabilities, processes, behaviours and systems which would allow Fidelity to continue its business activities should there be any type of disruption or critical emergency. Fidelity is required by its regulators (PRA, FCA and Bank of England) to demonstrate an understanding of how we operate our most important business services. This includes planning for disruptive events as well as seeking to prevent them.

The function performs varied tasks that takes care of our customers in many ways, including creating customers’ accounts, placing and settling deals, correcting errors, monitoring fraud, and transferring holdings from other companies to Fidelity.

Product Operations & Control (PO&C) - Distributions

This team is responsible for the paying the dividend monies to Fidelity’s clients. A part of the role is to ensure that appropriate client monetary regulations (the controls we set to protect our clients’ money and assets) are practiced to the highest standard across all business activities, this includes managing the distribution of client funds, the accrual of tax and interest on these, and various other control-related activities.

Other key responsibilities include having a good understanding of Fidelity’s products and services, helping to implement the regulations set by financial services regulators, and working with other business areas to settle any outstanding payments and/or errors with investors. You will also be relied upon to challenge the team’s ways or working and suggest process improvements.

Alongside your day-to-day role, there will also be opportunities to get involved with additional projects within and outside of your team.

What we look for:

We’re looking for people that are interested in both the industry and the sector but ultimately those that are looking for a career which will reward them in both job satisfaction and development. During your apprenticeship, you will gain important insights and skills which will prepare you well for your future career, as well as learning from some of the best in the industry.

We welcome applications from students from all educational backgrounds. If you’re inquisitive and ambitious, an apprenticeship at Fidelity could be a great opportunity for you.

As a minimum requirement you’ll need to:

• GCSE Grade 4 or above in English and Maths
• Be available to join us in September 2023
• Have good computer skills (knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point preferred)
• Lived in the UK for the past 3 years as of September 2023
• Have the Right to Work in the UK

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We are proud of our inclusive culture and encourage applications from the widest mix of talent, whatever your age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, social background and more.

As a flexible employer, we trust our people to perform their role in the way that works best for them, our clients and our business. We are a disability-friendly company and would welcome a conversation with you if you feel you might benefit from any reasonable adjustments to perform to the best of your ability during the recruitment process and beyond.

Training and Development

Over your two-year apprenticeship programme, you will be based in our Surrey offices, where you’ll not only learn how our operations team contribute to making our organisation work seamlessly, but also build your knowledge of the wider business.

You’ll start your apprenticeship with a mini induction during which we’ll introduce you to investment management and how it fits into the City. After that, there are many more ways to develop your skills as your apprenticeship progresses.

At every stage, your development will be underpinned by the best apprenticeship training and professional certified courses.

Unlike other firms that hire on a volume basis, we take on a select number of apprentices. You will be highly valued here, so your development is heavily invested in from day one.

Social and networking events will help you get to know our people and culture. All the while you’ll be learning on the job, working to clear goals and understanding your own potential.

Future Opportunities

During your time with us you’ll get to learn even more about what you enjoy, what you’re great at, and how to develop the career path that’s perfect for you. Our apprenticeship programmes may even lead to full-time opportunities if that’s what you’re looking for.

How to Apply

Please submit your application, including CV via careers.fidelityinternational.com by 9th April at 23:55 GMT.

For any enquiries regarding your application, you can reach us at earlycareersatfidelity@fil.com. You can also email us to request a recording of a December 2022 webinar we ran for apprentices, giving our tips on how to prepare for the assessment process.