Lead Specialist

Lead Specialist â Investments

Fund Oversight- Mercer Investment Solutions

Location - Mumbai

Mercer provides insights, advice and technology-driven solutions to help build brighter futures for our clients, colleagues and communities. Together, weâre redefining the world of work, reshaping retirement and investment outcomes, and unlocking real health and well-being. Mercerâs more than 25,000 employees are based in 44 countries, and the firm operates in over 130 countries. Mercer is a business of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC), the worldâs leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people, with over 80,000 colleagues and annualized revenue approaching $21 billion. Through its market-leading businesses, including Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman, Marsh & McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment

In Ireland, Mercer employs over 600 employees in offices based in Dublin and Cork.

Mercer has been providing investment services to clients for 45 years and is one of the fastest growing investment solutions entities globally with c.$400bn of assets under our implementation.

In June 2019, Mercer was ranked first by worldwide, outsourced assets under management by Pensions & Investments2.  Mercer was also ranked first in Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) by global assets under management by CIO magazine, as of December 2018. Pensions & Investments also named Mercer first by global assets under advisement (AUA) as of June 2019.

What can you expect?

This is an exciting opportunity for a candidate to join one of Mercerâs largest and most rapidly-growing business areas â investment solutions. Mercer's Investment Solutions (IS) business provides sophisticated implementation and investment services to clients. The business has grown rapidly over recent years with $400bn of client assets now under management globally, c.$160bn of which is invested on behalf of international investors. Our Investor base is institutional and typically clients are DB/DC Pension Schemes, but the business is expanding into new segments including Insurance & Wealth Management.  

Services are provided across a range of areas through traditional and alternative asset classes reflecting Mercerâs best investment ideas. Mercerâs Portfolio Management Team in turn selects third party managers, from Mercers list of âAâ rated managers in each asset class thus combining Mercer's in-house portfolio management expertise with the depth and breadth of Mercer Investmentâs global investment manager research. 

Mercerâs fund range was launched in Europe in September 2006 and currently consists of c.140 Irish domiciled funds across 5 legal structures. In addition to the ability to provide bespoke solutions to large, sophisticated clients these funds provide building blocks to support Mercerâs wider range of investment and risk management solutions targeting the institutional marketplace.  Mercer IS business has seen significant growth over the last few years and believes that demand for its investment solutions will continue to grow over the coming years.

The Fund Management & Operations Unit is responsible for the on-boarding of new clients into the funds, launching of new funds, client and fund rebalancing, management of underlying investment manager changes, NAV and Valuation oversight, regulatory & tax oversight, management of third-party service providers, operational infrastructure changes, development, and maintenance of relationships with both internal and external clients and adherence to strict risk controls.

We are seeking a highly motivated and knowledgeable Fund Oversight Specialist to join our growing team within the Fund Management & Operations Unit at Mercer. As a Fund Oversight Specialist, you will play a crucial role in overseeing the operations and valuation of the Mercer portfolio range, managing key service providers, and ensuring compliance with investment managers and post-trade investment regulations. This is a visible role that requires close collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, including investment teams, Legal, Compliance, and other operational teams.

We will rely on you to

• Assist the Team Manager in key management responsibilities.

• Collaborate with external stakeholders, including administrators and custodians of the portfolios managed by Mercer.

• Continuously monitor and oversee delegate administrators and custodians.

• Manage the service provider management framework to ensure SLA terms are met and drive progress in service quality.

• Conduct and oversee due diligence requirements for investment managers.

• Develop and report on Key Performance Indicators for investment managers.

• Participate in the oversight of the valuation process for Mercer Funds.

• Support post-trade compliance monitoring at a portfolio level.

• Participate in the audit process, ensuring timely and successful completion of fund audits, including the preparation of Mercer Funds Financial Statements in line with IFRS or relevant GAAP.

• Serve as the primary contact for Funds Auditors.

• Prepare and present materials for internal committees and the relevant Mercer Boards.

• Review and contribute to fund documentation, including supplement and prospectus, client agreements, and investment management agreements.

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including portfolio management, legal & compliance, operations, finance, and technology.

• Foster positive relationships with all stakeholders.

• Identify inefficiencies, risks, or areas for improvement and provide and implement solutions.

• Provide support on operational change, risk management, and overall operational planning.

• Act as a peer reviewer for colleagues.

• Ensure accuracy and up-to-date maintenance of supporting procedures.

• Drive process improvement initiatives to enhance quality and efficiency.

• Assist in training other team members and teams as required.

What you will need to have

• Strong and demonstrated experience within a leading Investment Manager and/or Fund Manager, with a solid understanding of core Fund Operations, including Fund Accounting, Middle Office, and Transfer Agency.

• Practical experience and knowledge of all asset classes, including securities, loans, derivatives, and pooled funds.

• Comprehensive knowledge of European fund structures, specifically UCITS and AIFs, and different portfolio types.

• Openness to working with various systems and a strong aptitude for learning and adapting to new technologies.

• Attention to detail with the ability to prioritise and navigate multiple teams and deliverables.

• Track record of collaboration, task management, and strong communication skills.

• Energy, tenacity, and resilience.

• Strong academic background.

What makes you stand out:

• Professional, disciplined, and proactive approach to work.

• Strong organizational and time management skills.

• Ability to apply an analytical and questioning approach to ensure risk mitigation.

MERCER

Mercer believes in building brighter futures by redefining the world of work, reshaping retirement and investment outcomes, and unlocking real health and well-being. Mercerâs approximately 25,000 employees are based in 43 countries and the firm operates in over 130 countries. Mercer is a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the worldâs leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people, with 85,000 colleagues and annual revenue of over $20 billion. Through its market-leading businesses including Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman, Marsh McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment. For more information, visit mercer.com. Follow Mercer on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Marsh McLennan is committed to embracing a diverse, inclusive and flexible work environment. We aim to attract and retain the best people regardless of their sex/gender, marital or parental status, ethnic origin, nationality, age, background, disability, sexual orientation, caste, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.