What Are the Different Types of Capital Market Jobs?

Capital market jobs are positions in investment banks that facilitate the sale and management of funds in various markets, including stock exchanges, management of public offerings, and various types of bonds. Generally, capital market jobs can be broken into two broad categories: sales/trading and origination. Sales and trading positions require the day-to-day management of stocks, bonds and other investments for clients. Origination positions handle the creation of stock or bond offerings for public sale. Capital market jobs usually have titles like data analyst, risk analyst, associate, auditor, and manager.

An investment bank underwrites origination transactions for clients based upon several factors. A successful origination requires various types of staff. Though every company requesting debt or equity origination has a specific process, the general process is similar in every circumstance. A data analyst must gather all pertinent financial data about the client, about the specific market the client operates in, and about the impact that the overall economy may have on the transaction. A risk analyst then evaluates the data on its merits and considers the financial condition of the investment bank itself.

Evaluation auditors may examine the financial condition of a client in the case of complex public offering deals. The internal auditor re-evaluates all data and analysis to ensure that decisions are based on an accurate appraisal. Auditors are often asked to work independently from other investment bank personnel, especially analysts and associates, to ensure an objective assessment of the data.

Associates in capital market jobs often work as intermediaries between the client and the rest of the staff at the investment bank. Often, an associate possesses a master's degree in finance or business administration with an emphasis on debt or equity capital management. Capital market associates are more prevalent in the sales and trading category, however, the position is also found in the origination sector as well. The associate is responsible for acquiring clients and keeping them satisfied.

A capital market manager supervises a team composed of auditors, data analysts, risk analysts, and associates for various accounts. Often, a manager will be tasked with giving final approval over any deal brokered by the manager's subordinates. There are various types of managers in an investment bank, including junior and senior managers, sales and trade, origination, risk assessment, and internal audit managers. Each investment bank organizes its labor in a different way, which gives a high level of variety to managerial tasks from bank to bank.