Position Overview
Ventum Financial is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented entry level Associate, Institutional Sales & Settlements to join our Institutional Sales & Trading team in Vancouver.
This is a hybrid role combining institutional sales support, trade settlement responsibilities and client service. The successful candidate will work closely with Institutional Sales, Trading, Operations and other areas of Capital Markets to help ensure the smooth execution and settlement of client activity while supporting the broader commercial objectives of the desk.
The role is designed for someone early in their capital markets career who is highly organized, comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and interested in developing toward a more client-facing institutional sales role over time.
Key Responsibilities
Institutional Sales & Client Support
- Support the Vancouver Institutional Sales team with day-to-day client coverage and sales activities.
- Assist in the preparation and distribution of research, market commentary, corporate updates and other relevant information to institutional clients.
- Help coordinate client meetings, analyst calls, corporate marketing and other client-facing activities.
- Maintain accurate client contact information, distribution lists and internal records.
- Monitor client activity and work with the Sales and Trading teams to ensure timely follow-up on client requests.
- Assist with the preparation of daily and weekly sales materials, market updates and internal reporting.
- Develop an understanding of Ventum's research coverage, corporate relationships and broader Capital Markets platform.
- Build familiarity with institutional clients, their investment strategies and areas of interest.
- Over time, begin developing direct client relationships and assuming increased responsibility for institutional account coverage.
Trade Settlements & Operational Support
- Support the accurate and timely settlement of institutional equity trades.
- Monitor outstanding trades and settlement exceptions and work proactively to resolve issues.
- Liaise with clients, custodians, Operations, Trading and other internal teams regarding settlement instructions, trade discrepancies and outstanding items.
- Assist with trade allocations, confirmations and settlement-related inquiries.
- Maintain accurate settlement instructions and client account information.
- Identify potential settlement issues early and escalate them appropriately.
- Help ensure trades are processed in accordance with internal policies, regulatory requirements and established controls.
- Work closely with the firm's Operations team to minimize trade fails and resolve outstanding settlement items efficiently.
- Support client onboarding and account maintenance activities in coordination with Operations and Compliance where required.
What We Are Looking For
- Approximately 0–2 years of experience in capital markets, financial services, brokerage operations, settlements, institutional sales support or a related area.
- University degree or college diploma in business, finance, economics or a related discipline is preferred.
- Strong interest in financial markets and a desire to build a career in Institutional Sales & Trading.
- Exceptional attention to detail and a strong sense of personal accountability.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-moving environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Confident, professional and comfortable interacting with both clients and internal stakeholders.
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Outlook and other Microsoft Office applications.
- Experience with Bloomberg, trading systems, CRM platforms or securities settlement systems would be an asset.
- Existing industry courses or registrations are an asset; willingness to complete any required licensing or registration is expected.
Personal Attributes
We are looking for someone who:
- Shows up prepared and ready to contribute.
- Takes ownership rather than waiting to be asked.
- Has a strong attention to detail and understands that small errors can have meaningful consequences.
- Communicates quickly when an issue arises.
- Is comfortable working as part of a team and helping wherever required.
- Has genuine curiosity about markets, companies and investing.
- Enjoys working with people and has the potential to develop strong institutional client relationships.
- Wants to learn and take on increasing responsibility.
What Success Looks Like
In the first year, the successful candidate will:
- Become a reliable resource for the Vancouver Institutional Sales & Trading team.
- Develop a strong understanding of the institutional trade lifecycle and settlement process.
- Demonstrate accuracy and ownership of settlement responsibilities.
- Build working relationships with institutional clients and their operations teams.
- Develop familiarity with Ventum's Research platform, covered companies and institutional client base.
- Begin contributing proactively to client coverage and commercial opportunities.
- Demonstrate the potential to assume greater institutional sales responsibilities as experience and market knowledge develop.
The Opportunity
This position provides exposure to multiple areas of Ventum's Capital Markets platform, including Institutional Sales, Trading, Research, Corporate Access and Operations.
For the right candidate, the role offers a pathway to develop from a sales and settlement support position into a broader Institutional Sales role, with increasing responsibility for client relationships and revenue generation over time.
