Contract Specialist - Asset Management

Asset Management - Contract Specialist - Associate

J.P. Morgan Asset Management is committed to providing exceptional service to our clients and business partners. Our sales and client service teams, marketing support, and product specialists, are dedicated to the support of our clients and leverage the capabilities of our global firm to deliver to our clients. We provide an integrated approach to client servicing in order to meet the client’s full range of investment and servicing needs. Each new client is assigned to a Client Service team which consists of a Client Advisor, Client Account Manager, Portfolio Manager and Investment Specialist.

As an Associate in Client Services team, you will act as a central point of contact for Client Services/Sales Support Teams globally regarding client facing legal agreements contracting with us

Job Responsibilities

• Draft JPMAM IMAs, Participation Agreements, Investment Terms, Platform Agreements, NDA’s and related contractual and non-contractual client onboarding documentation within the ambit of Institutional and Intermediary business under Asset Management LOB.
• Review client onboarding documentation which include investment guidelines, fee schedules as well as service level agreements and investment policy statements
• Collaborate closely with other key internal stakeholders throughout the firm (i.e. Legal, Investment Specialists, Operations, Compliance, etc.) to get input on various provisions to help resolve complex legal and operational issues
• Partner with Client Account Management and Client Onboarding Management teams in connection with contract and onboarding documentation queries
• Identify non-standard terms in agreements and consolidate potential issues and roadblocks in agreement negotiations that may pose investment, operational, or legal risks to the firm 
• Obtain a robust understanding of the business practices associated with JPMAM’s multiple asset classes and product groups, the internal views on the various terms in the agreements, and the risk associated with agreeing to deviations from JPMAM’s standard template terms
• Under general supervision, perform detailed analysis of contractual requirements as well as the interpretation of commercial, legal and regulatory obligations 
• Draft internal memos and effectively communicate general advice with respect to complex contractual matters to senior management
• Act with a client service mindset and partner with our client businesses to assist with helping clients through the onboarding-contracting process

Required qualifications, capabilities and skills 

• A legal background with graduation in law and considerable experience drafting and negotiating buy-side transaction agreements with asset management or financial services organizations.
• At least 5 years drafting and reviewing client onboarding contractual agreements or related buy-side documentation
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (both oral and written) and an ability to clearly articulate complex issues to cross-functional teams and levels within an organization 
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and to remain composed and organized under time-sensitive deadlines 
• Team player, collaborative and is able to build consensus amongst a broad range of stakeholders
• Ability to develop strong internal/external relationships and an in-depth understanding of client needs
• Detail-oriented with strong organization skills
• Proactive, confident and self-motivated with strong judgement and decision making skills
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)