R HIGHLY NEGOTIABLE PLUS ANNUAL PERFORMANCE BONUS
Our client is a global investment manager driven by people who value the power of performance and relationships.. They are looking for like-minded people to join them – strong performers who create strong relationships. They are active investors. At the company they say they are investing for a world of change.. They are aligned behind a common purpose, which is to invest for a better tomorrow. They want to achieve better outcomes for their clients, their firm and the world they inhabit. This means they are optimistic and act with conviction. They offer their people opportunity, trust and the freedom to operate. At the company they are committed to providing equal employment opportunities. They have a strong belief in giving individuals the freedom to be themselves and ensuring all diverse perspectives are heard. Their culture provides all of the people, no matter what their background, with the opportunity to build a rewarding career.
You will report to the head of private markets operation who heads up both finance & treasury. We are looking for subject matter expertise. We are looking for high energy. We are looking for smart work; ability to interact with MD/stakeholders at Exco locally and globally. This is a career defining role!
The private markets operations team provides operational oversight, fund control and reporting infrastructure for the company’s private markets platform, covering private credit, infrastructure, CLO’s and structured debt funds. The team manages third-party fund administrators, holds them accountable against agreed deliverables and owns the review and sign-off process for fund reporting. This is a growing team which, embedded within a global private markets platform, spans direct lending, asset-based finance and related credit strategies. The team works closely with investment, legal, risk, treasury and product functions. Alongside core oversight, the team has a mandate to reduce manual effort across reporting workflows by identifying friction points, redesigning processes and improving automation, data quality and controls.
JOB DESCRIPTION WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
- You will be required to support the growth and increasing complexity of the company’s structured finance and credit product ranges, including blended finance, direct lending and securitisation structures;
- You will be required to manage day-to-day oversight of private markets funds, own the end-to-end quarterly and annual reporting cycle and lead specific workflow improvement initiatives from issue identification through to implementation;
- You will be required to enjoy ownership, complexity and building better ways of working. The operating model is still evolving, giving you the opportunity to shape processes, strengthen controls, improve reporting workflows and build trusted relationships across the platform. For the right person, the role offers the potential to grow into a broader leadership position within private markets operations. It requires genuine ownership, judgement and follow-through rather than execution of instructions;
- Fund oversight and operation:
- You will be required to oversee complex fund structures, including capital calls, drawdowns, distributions and cash movements across fund and note-issuing vehicles, with accurate application of distribution waterfalls and legal documentation;
- You will be required to monitor investor commitments, capital balances, liquidity levels and minimum reserve requirements across the fund range;
- You will be required to review income, expense and hedging cash flows, including interest calculations, fees, principal repayments and counterparty payments;
- You will be required to liaise with counterparties and facility agents on the calculation, allocation, invoicing and receipt of interest, fees and capital payments on private debt instruments;
- You will be required to work across investment, treasury and legal teams to ensure accurate and timely disbursement of funds to loan counterparties;
- Financial reporting and governance:
- You will be required to prepare and review financial information for both internal stakeholders as well as the investors;
- You will be required to review, challenge and sign off quarterly NAV packs, financial statements and supporting schedules prepared by third-party administrators;
- You will be required to ensure complex capital structures, valuation methodologies, income recognition and provisioning are accurately reflected across fund vehicles;
- You will be required to partner with investment, product, risk and legal teams on fund governance, operations and new product initiatives;
- You will be required to build trusted relationships with administrators, trustees, auditors, ratings agencies and investors;
- Process, control and change:
- You will be required to lead the identification and implementation of workflow automation and tool integration across the fund accounting operating model, with clear outcomes and measurable benefits;
- You will be required to build and maintain operational frameworks, including reporting calendars, escalation protocols, administrator oversight checklists and NAV cycle control documents;
- You will be required to manage deadlines and dependencies across fund reporting cycles, identifying and resolving issues before they escalate;
- You will be required to communicate progress, risks and issues clearly to the head of finance and treasury without needing to be chased, including when acting as deputy.
CORE COMPETENCIES REQUIRED, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
- You are proactive by default: you anticipate what is coming, flag issues early and drive resolution without waiting to be asked;
- You are comfortable operating in ambiguity and creating structure where processes are still evolving;
- You are able to act as a player-coach: close enough to the detail to ensure quality, with the judgement to guide others, set priorities and build confidence across the team;
- You have a strong upward and lateral communicator who can translate accounting treatment into plain language for investment professionals;
- You are confident enough to challenge administrators, auditors and internal stakeholders constructively;
- You are commercially minded and curious, with energy for improving how operational finance supports investment delivery.
CORE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
- You have a recognised qualification: CA(SA), ACA, ACCA, CPA;
- You have current, relevant experience: meaningful experience in fund accounting, fund control, investment operations, finance, audit, financial reporting or administrator oversight. You need to be the expert here and lead wrt your technical knowledge and natural business savvy.
- You have experience in private market funds – this would be a distinct advantage;
- You have technical judgement: ability to review, challenge and explain complex financial information, not only produce it;
- You have ownership and organisation: track record of managing multiple reporting cycles, workstreams and deadlines without losing control of detail;
- You have stakeholder confidence: ability to work with senior stakeholders, external providers and cross functional teams;
- You have a process mindset: structured approach to problem-solving, controls, documentation and continuous improvement;
- You have private credit, infrastructure debt, CLO’s, securitisations, blended finance or other structured finance exposure;
- You have knowledge of valuation of private debt instruments (amortised cost and fair value accounting);
- You have knowledge of multi-jurisdiction fund structures, including Luxembourg SCSp or RAIF exposure, or South African regulatory frameworks;
- You have workflow automation, data improvement or operating model change. You do not need to be a developer, but should be curious about systems, data and scalable reporting processes.
This is a hot off the press role. The eyes of the business globally is on the private markets team. So your exposure will be significant and have you catapult your career very quickly to a highly visible global level.
You may not have been thinking about a move but want to be seen; utilized; rewarded and work for a smart, truly global business that is constantly evolving and looking at better ways of work!