My role in Banking Operations marries business and engineering. I studied these subjects in college and was delighted to find a role at Goldman Sachs that allowed me to engage both. My team supports the over the counter (OTC) derivative trading businesses. We’re responsible for post trade credit risk management by exchanging daily margin call movements to mitigate exposure in the event of a client default. That said, we are client facing, so a large part of my role is to provide excellent client service and help them navigate all things margin related.
I think like an engineer. Even though I’m not writing code daily, my engineering background allows me to problem solve in my role. In my seat, I procedurally dissect problems and evaluate resources. I’m able to analyze information, determine the correct path forward and resultantly understand the level of urgency in certain situations.
I partner with clients alongside deal teams. During my career search, I expected that I’d find a role doing back-end coding, but I was surprised to find that I speak with clients every day to facilitate the movement of collateral and partner with various teams to ensure this movement is timely and accurate. Working with clients adds an interesting, dynamic element to my role—my days are never stagnant.
Operations is a great place to start learning about the banking world, as it provides firsthand experience in how the business runs. Because I didn’t major in business, I expected to be behind when I arrived at the firm, but through training, mentorship, and on-the-job exposure, I found I was able to provide solutions straight away. My team is exposed to the sales and trading team dialogues, and regularly partners with our engineers. I work at the center, supporting both internal and external parties, challenging myself and learning something new every day.
You never stop learning. The firm offers courses relating to your work that help you either progress your knowledge of the business or bolster skills that you’ve learned in school. In a more general sense, you learn through osmosis. Through meeting different teams, working with various clients and encountering other business segments, I’ve gained exposure to the firm at large.