Manager of Margin and Options Operations

AI overview

Lead the operational function for margin and options trading while establishing robust controls and collaborating across teams to ensure scalable solutions.

About Altruist

Altruist is transforming the multi-trillion dollar wealth management industry by building an AI platform for wealth professionals. We partner with financial advisors nationwide, empowering them to grow, optimize time and resources, and deliver superior outcomes for their clients.

We're looking for exceptional talent to help us achieve our mission of making financial advice better, more affordable, and accessible to all. If you're passionate about challenging the status quo and want to do the most important work of your life, we'd love to meet you!

But first, our values

Kindness - Kindness doesn’t just equal niceness. We listen to understand. We embrace, and encourage healthy debate and diverse perspectives. We approach conflict openly, honestly, and respectfully.

Brilliance - Humility is the skill we’re most proud of and possessing a growth mindset is always top of mind. We take ownership in everything we touch; regularly using our unique superpowers to reach a common goal as a team. We succeed and fail as one.

Grit - When challenges arise, we stay laser focused on achieving our mission and finding a way forward, even when it’s hard. We are nimble and maintain a sense of urgency, swiftly adapting to change and overcoming obstacles.

The opportunity

Altruist is entering a critical growth phase as we launch and scale two of the most complex and high‑impact capabilities in a modern custodial platform: Margin and Options trading. We’re hiring a Manager, Margin & Options Operations to stand up, lead, and scale the operational function responsible for safely supporting these products.

This is a hands-on leadership role with direct accountability for daily execution, risk oversight, and regulatory alignment across margin lending and the full options lifecycle. You will lead a small, highly specialized operations team, act as a Registered Options Principal (ROP), and serve as the primary operational escalation point for margin calls, options assignments/exercises, and OCC- and FINRA‑driven risk requirements. You’ll work closely with Trading, Compliance, Legal, Product, Engineering, and external vendors (FIS, Sterling, OCC) to ensure these products are delivered with institutional‑grade controls while remaining advisor‑friendly and scalable.

If you thrive in regulated environments, enjoy building teams and processes from the ground up, and want to own some of the most risk‑sensitive workflows in a broker‑dealer, this role offers meaningful scope and impact.

Your impact

In addition to owning day‑to‑day operations and risk oversight, this role is expected to be a core builder of the Margin and Options platform. The Manager will be deeply embedded with Product and Engineering during the design, build, testing, and launch phases—ensuring that operational reality, risk controls, and regulatory requirements are incorporated from day one. As Manager, Margin & Options Operations, you will be responsible for the end‑to‑end operational integrity, risk management, and control environment for Altruist’s margin and options offerings.

What you’ll do

Operational Leadership & Team Management

  • Build and lead a unified Margin & Options Operations team in Year 1, including margin specialists, options specialists, and cross‑trained generalists
  • Establish clear roles, SLAs, escalation paths, and coverage models to support daily operations and peak events (e.g., expirations, volatility)
  • Coach, develop, and cross‑train team members to support resiliency and prepare for future team specialization
  • Serve as the senior operational decision‑maker during high‑risk or time‑sensitive events

Margin Operations Oversight

  • Own daily margin workflows, including Reg T, maintenance, house, and day‑trade calls
  • Oversee debit balance monitoring, liquidation timelines, and exception handling
  • Ensure proper handling of PDT, Good Faith, and Freeride violations
  • Monitor concentration, liquidity, and volatility risk using SCM and Sterling Risk Monitor (SRM)
  • Approve margin requirement changes, extensions of time, and exception cases
  • Partner with Finance and Compliance on margin interest rate changes and house margin policies

Options Operations & ROP Responsibilities

  • Act as a Registered Options Principal (ROP) for Altruist, providing supervisory oversight for options trading
  • Oversee daily options lifecycle processing, including: Trade and position comparison, assignment and exercise processing, expiration‑day and in‑the‑money (ITM) risk reviews, OCC spread file submission and monitoring, specific deposits and STANS margin mitigation, etc
  • Review and resolve uncovered or at‑risk options positions
  • Ensure timely and accurate LOPR submissions and remediation of rejects
  • Partner with the Trade Desk on advisor communication related to assignment, exercise, and expiration risk

Risk Management, Controls & Escalation

  • Own the operational control environment for margin and options, embedding risk ownership into daily workflows
  • Define and monitor key risk indicators (KRIs) and operational metrics
  • Lead root‑cause analysis and remediation for operational incidents, trade breaks, or risk events
  • Serve as the primary escalation point for high‑severity margin or options issues
  • Prepare the team for audits, exams, and regulatory reviews with strong documentation and evidence

 Cross‑Functional & Vendor Partnership

  • Partner closely with Compliance and Legal to ensure alignment with SEC, FINRA, OCC, and Reg T requirements
  • Collaborate with Product and Engineering to design scalable workflows and reduce manual risk
  • Act as the primary operational interface with vendors such as FIS, Sterling, and the OCC
  • Support product launches and future expansions (e.g., higher options levels, expanded margin use cases)

What you bring

We’re seeking a seasoned operations leader with extensive experience in margin, options, and broker-dealer risk management, who is comfortable operating both strategically and tactically

Experience & Expertise

  • 5–10+ years of experience in brokerage or clearing operations, ideally at a broker‑dealer or custodian
  • Hands‑on experience managing margin operations (Reg T, maintenance calls, debit balances, PDT/GFV)
  • Hands‑on experience managing options operations, including assignment/exercise, OCC workflows, and reconciliation
  • Demonstrated experience acting as, or working closely with, a Registered Options Principal (ROP)
  • Proven ability to lead small, specialized teams in high‑risk, high‑volume environments

Technical & Regulatory Fluency

  • Strong knowledge of SEC and FINRA regulations, including Reg T, Rule 4210, Rule 2360, and 15c3‑3
  • Experience with industry platforms such as FIS Phase 3, Sterling OMS/Risk, OCC ENCORE, DTC/NSCC
  • Comfortable interpreting and acting on risk data from SCM and SRM
  • Strong documentation and audit readiness discipline

Licensing

  • FINRA Series 7 required
  • FINRA Series 4 (Registered Options Principal) required or the ability to obtain quickly
  • Series 24 strongly preferred

Leadership & Communication

  • Clear, confident communicator who can explain complex risk concepts to internal teams and advisors
  • Strong judgment and calm decision‑making under pressure
  • Collaborative partner across Compliance, Legal, Trading, Product, and Engineering

Mindset

  • High ownership mentality with a bias toward action and accountability
  • Detail‑oriented, risk‑aware, and process‑driven without losing sight of advisor experience
  • Comfortable building structure in ambiguity and scaling operations alongside product growth

What we bring

Attracting and retaining top-tier talent is a priority. We are proud of the culture we’ve built and are cognizant of the ever-changing professional landscape. Our dynamic offering of perks and benefits are tailored for you to feel your best while doing your best.

  • A hybrid work schedule for most positions to promote strong, in-person collaboration.
  • Stunning, amenity-filled office spaces in Culver City, CA, San Francisco, CA, and Dallas, TX. Our offices are intentionally designed for comfort, collaboration, and productivity. 
  • Competitive pay and equity for eligible positions.
  • Premium healthcare, dental, and vision insurance plans (HMO and PPO).
  • 401k savings plan with a 4% match and immediate vesting.
  • 16 week paid parental leave.
  • Professional growth and development opportunities including an employee mobility program and an annual L&D budget allocation for each employee.
  • Company perks program (includes discounts on pet insurance, fitness, cell phone plans, and travel, etc.).
  • Financial guidance program (includes counseling on navigating debt, tracking personal spend, saving and planning goals, home-purchasing preparedness, etc.).
  • One month work from anywhere policy (with the exception of a few countries).

Total compensation includes a competitive benefits package, along with equity in the form of Stock Options (ISOs) for eligible roles. For salaried positions, a salary offer will be determined by a number of factors including experience, skill level, internal pay equity, geographic location, and other relevant business considerations. We review all employee pay and compensation programs regularly to ensure fair, equitable, and competitive pay. At Altruist, we are committed to providing fair, equitable, and competitive compensation by leveraging market data to inform our pay bands. Base salaries will be reviewed at regular intervals throughout the year, typically in conjunction with performance review cycles. By evaluating compensation on a regular basis, we are able to reward high performance and ensure all employees have opportunities for growth.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Altruist we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Perks & Benefits Extracted with AI

  • Flexible Work Hours: A hybrid work schedule for most positions to promote strong, in-person collaboration.
  • Health Insurance: Premium healthcare, dental, and vision insurance plans (HMO and PPO).
  • Learning Budget: Professional growth and development opportunities including an employee mobility program and an annual L&D budget allocation for each employee.
  • Work from anywhere policy: One month work from anywhere policy (with the exception of a few countries).
  • Paid Parental Leave: 16 week paid parental leave.
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