Investment Operations Leader

Lead Specialist

We seek a seasoned professional to assume the lead role in our investments team at our Mumbai office. As a hybrid position, this individual will be required to spend at least three days a week working in the office.

This role will involve supporting the day-to-day responsibilities of the Mumbai team while also collaborating with external stakeholders such as fund administrators, investment managers, and auditors.

The ideal candidate will possess excellent communication skills and be able to effectively manage relationships with colleagues from diverse divisions.

Additionally, they should have a strong ability to prioritize workload and drive their own work forward.

• Act as lead specialist for the Mumbai team to support their day-to-day responsibilities.
• Liaise with external stakeholders such as fund administrators, investment managers, and auditors.
• Develop and drive process improvement initiatives to enhance quality and efficiency.
• Play an important role in a new team, working closely with colleagues in other locations.
• Review financial statements and fund reports.
• Execute investor capital calls and distributions.
• Support the audit of the funds.
• Knowledge of fund structures and portfolio solutions in order to support Mumbai team members day-to-day in query resolution & task delivery.
• Have a strong risk focus with emphasis on building processes that are controlled and an oversight model that is proactive and robust.
• Ensure accurate and up-to-date maintenance of supporting procedures and be responsible for onboarding and refresher training for team members.
• Be able to research investment regulations and fund structures, interpret key points as they apply to the Mercer business, and summarise in a clear and succinct manner to aid training and development of the team.
• Be able to cover work items for team members during times of absence.
• Challenge and encourage the team to challenge existing processes to always ensure value add and to remove any inefficiencies in processes.
• Lead all reporting (including but not limited to regulatory and expense reporting), regulator filings, and oversight responsibilities of the various teams while ensuring compliance deadlines and internal SLAs are met 100%.
• Ensure sufficient scrutiny and reconciliation of service provider calculations as part of oversight processes to identify issues and errors.
• Support the NAV monitoring process for the Dublin team.
• Support exception reporting for cash breaks, position breaks, pricing, trade settlements etc.
• Support the Financial Statement audit process.
• Monitor delivery timelines and ensure deadlines being met.
• Execute and oversee the responsibilities of the teams in line with SLAs and agreed KPIs.
• Support the advancement of our Operating Model as we adapt to the needs of new client types.

Key Responsibilities:

• Funds or Asset Management experience within a leading Asset Manager or Administrator (minimum 6 years' experience) with an understanding of core Fund Operations, including Fund Accounting, Middle Office, and Transfer Agency.
• Practical experience and knowledge of various asset classes, including securities, loans, derivatives, and pooled funds.
• Experience in Private Markets/Private Equity Fund accounting.
• Proactivity and desire to see things done efficiently via a 'right first time' approach.
• Results-focused with a high degree of attention to detail.
• Strong academic background in Accounting/Finance/Economics or related field essential.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; the ability to communicate complex issues in a simple and coherent manner.
• Strong IT skills (PowerPoint, Excel, Word) & strong aptitude for learning and adapting to new technologies.
• Strong project management skills desirable.

What makes you stand out:

• Excellent verbal and written English and communication skills.
• Ability to absorb new information quickly.
• Managing Relationships: Demonstrates the ability to build relationships with colleagues from a variety of different divisions / Demonstrates effective communication skills.
• Planning and Organizing: Can prioritise workload effectively in order to support the team.
• Ability to drive and deliver own work.

Why join our team:

• We help you be your best through professional development opportunities, interesting work, and supportive leaders.
• We foster a vibrant and inclusive culture where you can work with talented colleagues to create new solutions and have impact for colleagues, clients, and communities.
• Our scale enables us to provide a range of career opportunities, as well as benefits and rewards to enhance your well-being.