Clearing Operations Associate, Options (OCC) - 10AM - 7PM EST

Your Role:

Our clearing back office team at Alpaca is looking for an Options Clearing Specialist to own the end-to-end option lifecycle for OCC-specific products. You will help build straight-through processing for Alpacas' homegrown self-clearing platform. In this role, you will be directly responsible for working with the responsible party to handle P&S, ACATS, OCC position recon, assignment & exercise processing, corporate actions processing, and required reg and firm reporting.

Things You Get To Do:

• Manage the complete post-trade lifecycle for listed options—clearing, reconciliation, and settlement—using OCC’s ENCORE platform.
• Process daily OCC activity, including trades, exercises/assignments, expiration events, and position reconciliations.
• Monitor real-time position reconciliation to confirm that long and short contracts align internally and externally
• Monitor and resolve trade breaks, unmatched activity, and clearing discrepancies in coordination with counterparties and clearing firms.
• Reconcile firm and customer option positions against OCC records to ensure alignment.
• Confirm that corporate actions, accelerated options, cash-in-lieu processing, and like corporate events are processed promptly.
• Collaborate across departments for margin requirement funding, including pledging equities to reduce daily OCC requirement needs. 
• Help fully automate ACATS, CMTAs, Spread file delivery, and LOPR reporting.
• Collaborate with operations, technology, and compliance teams to maintain and improve straight-through processing and exception handling.
• Stay on top of OCC notices, market events, and rule changes, and ensure relevant impacts are assessed and addressed operationally.

Who You Are (Must-Haves):

• 3–5 years of hands-on experience working with OCC ENCORE in a clearing capacity.
• Deep understanding of the listed options clearing lifecycle, including trade capture, assignment, expiration, and reconciliation.
• Familiarity with OCC file types and processing cycles (e.g., E&A files, CMR, position files).
• Strong attention to detail and a track record of resolving operational breakdowns with accuracy and urgency.
• Proficiency with Excel or Google Sheets (pivots, lookups, etc.).
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work cross-functionally under tight deadlines.
• Comfortable working in a regulated, high-volume environment with a focus on controls and process integrity.
• Possess a FINRA SIE or within the first 180 days of employment
• Must be able to follow the company tenets of:
• Stay Curious
• Have Empathy
• Be Accountable

Who You Might Be (Nice-to-Haves):

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
• Experience reconciling OCC margin or billing components and understanding of collateral workflows.
• Familiarity with clearing broker-dealer operations and omnibus account structures.
• SQL or data analytics skills for building reports and supporting exception analysis.
• Exposure to regulatory reporting (e.g., FOCUS reports, segregation reporting) as it relates to options clearing.
• Experience automating workflows or working with post-trade reconciliation tools.
• Comfortable navigating startup or high-growth fintech environments.
• Deep equities and DTCC knowledge
• Series 7