Fund Lifecycle/Launches Specialist

Fund lifecycle, custody market accounts, UCITS, fund launches/mergers, liquidations. A global asset manager is seeking a Fund Lifecycle/Launches Specialist. This role plays a central part in major fund lifecycle events, including new fund launches, mergers, and liquidations, while supporting a significant service provider transition. You will be at the heart of operational excellence, ensuring seamless custody account openings, and onboarding processes across multiple EU markets.

• Be instrumental in driving critical fund lifecycle events such as launches, mergers, and liquidations during a high-impact service provider transition, ensuring smooth operational execution across Europe.
• Work closely with internal teams and external partners to design robust processes that align with regulatory requirements and strategic objectives, enhancing both compliance and operational readiness.
• Join a highly collaborative team that values knowledge sharing, continuous improvement, and professional growth within a dynamic asset management environment.

What you'll do:

You will immerse yourself in the intricate world of pooled vehicle operations. Your day-to-day responsibilities will revolve around facilitating seamless transitions during key fund lifecycle events—such as launches, mergers, or liquidations—while supporting a major service provider migration. You will work collaboratively with both internal colleagues and external partners to establish robust processes that ensure uninterrupted market access for funds. Your attention to detail will be crucial as you manage custody account openings across diverse markets, coordinate onboarding activities with clearing brokers, and maintain up-to-date data repositories. By acting as a reliable point of contact for all stakeholders involved in these complex transitions, you will help safeguard operational continuity while upholding stringent regulatory standards. Your proactive approach will also see you contributing valuable insights towards process improvements that benefit the wider team.

• Open and maintain custody market accounts across various jurisdictions, ensuring all activities comply with market-specific regulations and internal standards.
• Support the end-to-end process of account opening beyond traditional markets by coordinating with clearing brokers to guarantee full operational readiness for trading activities.
• Collaborate with external providers to design, document, and implement new operational processes that meet evolving regulatory requirements and strategic business goals.
• Assist in managing the entire spectrum of fund lifecycle events—including fund launches, mergers, liquidations—and oversee the transfer of assets during migration periods to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
• Facilitate foreign exchange setup for passive FX transactions and hedging activities by working closely with new service providers to optimise currency management strategies.
• Act as a central point of contact for both internal stakeholders and external parties by resolving queries promptly, clarifying documentation requirements, and maintaining clear communication channels throughout all stages of the project.
• Maintain accurate data repositories by updating internal systems regularly to ensure timely information flow between teams and support effective decision-making.
• Ensure ongoing operational continuity by proactively identifying potential risks or bottlenecks in processes and implementing solutions that uphold regulatory obligations.
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives by providing feedback based on hands-on experience with custody account management and fund operations.
• Support the Change & Transformation Management team’s broader objectives by participating in cross-functional projects aimed at enhancing overall efficiency.

What you bring:

Your background should reflect substantial exposure to asset management operations—particularly those involving pooled vehicles such as UCITS funds. Your proven track record in opening custody market accounts globally will enable you to navigate complex regulatory environments confidently. In addition to technical proficiency around fund lifecycle events—including launches, mergers, liquidations—you bring an analytical mindset capable of addressing challenges related to asset transfers or tax implications. Your ability to understand interdependencies between different functional areas (back-office through front-office) ensures seamless coordination throughout each stage of the process. Furthermore, your strong interpersonal skills foster effective communication among diverse stakeholders while your meticulous approach guarantees data integrity across all internal repositories. A passion for continuous improvement rounds out your profile; you are always seeking ways to enhance existing processes for greater efficiency.

• Demonstrated knowledge of the asset management industry with particular emphasis on operational functions related to pooled vehicles.
• Recent hands-on experience in opening and maintaining custody market accounts across multiple documentary markets worldwide is essential for success in this role.
• Comprehensive understanding of fund lifecycle events for UCITS structures—including cross-border considerations—and familiarity with SICAFs and FCPs.
• Proven expertise in managing asset transfer processes during fund migrations, including awareness of tax implications and country-specific regulatory nuances.
• Solid grasp of accounting principles relevant to the fund industry as well as Net Asset Value components required for accurate reporting.
• Familiarity with dependencies between back-office, middle-office, front-office functions, and transfer agents within an asset management context.
• Deep understanding of global custody networks alongside practical experience navigating complex fund structures under various regulatory regimes.
• Exceptional attention to detail combined with a proactive mindset towards problem-solving and continuous process improvement initiatives.
• Strong interpersonal skills enabling effective collaboration with both internal teams and external service providers during high-stakes projects.
• Experience using data management tools or platforms to maintain accurate records supporting operational transparency.

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