Head of Operations — EAM (UHNW Clients)
TECH AALTO PTE. LTD.
Role: Head of Operations — EAM (UHNW Clients)
Experience: 10+ years (minimum 5+ years in senior/ leadership operations roles within private banking, EAM, wealthmanagement or family office serving UHNW clients)
Role Summary Lead and run end-to-end operational functions for an External Asset Management (EAM) practice focused on Ultra-High-Net-Worth(UHNW) clients. Responsible for KYC/Onboarding, AML/Compliance operations, fund operations, and administrative teams, ensuring best-in-class controls, clientservice, regulatory compliance and operational efficiency.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic leadership: define and execute operational strategy, processes and service standards aligned with business goals for UHNW client servicing.
- Team management: lead, mentor and grow cross-functional teams (KYC/Onboarding, AML monitoring & investigations, fund operations, middle/back office, administrative support); set KPIs, conduct performance reviews and succession planning.
- KYC & onboarding: own client onboarding lifecycle for UHNW clients — complex beneficial ownership, structures, trusts and cross-border relationships; ensure timely, accurate, risk-based due diligence and documentation.
- AML & financial crime: oversee transaction monitoring, alerts triage, investigations, SAR/STR preparation and regulatory reporting; liaise with Compliance and external regulators as needed.
- Fund operations: manage fund/account setup, subscription/redemption processing, NAV reconciliation, cash management, settlement, corporate actions and investor reporting for bespoke portfolios and fund vehicles.
- Controls & risk management: design, maintain and test operational controls, SLAs, SOPs and reconciliations; lead root-cause analysis and remediation of operational incidents.
- Policy & compliance: implement regulatory requirements (AML, KYC, FATCA/CRS, sanctions) and internal policies; coordinate audits and regulatory examinations.
- Client service & stakeholder management: ensure high-touch service for UHNW clients and Family Offices; collaborate with RM, investment, legal and tax teams to resolve complex operational matters.
- Technology & automation: drive process improvement, digitalisation and adoption of middle/back-office systems (CRM, AML platforms, Custody/Prime systems); partner with IT on integrations and vendor management.
- Budget & vendor oversight: manage operational budgets, third-party providers (custodians, transfer agents, admin vendors) and service-level agreements.
- Reporting & MI: deliver accurate operational dashboards, risk metrics, regulatory returns and executive reports.
Required Qualifications & Experience
- 10+ years’ total experience with substantial exposure to wealth management/EAM/family office or private bank operations; 5+ years in leadership roles.
- Deep working knowledge of KYC, AML, sanctions screening, FATCA/CRS and regulatory expectations for UHNW clients and complex structures (trusts, foundations, corporate vehicles).
- Strong experience in fund operations, custody/settlement workflows, reconciliations and investor reporting.
- Proven track record implementing operational controls, managing audits and regulatory interactions.
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Law or related field; advanced degree or professional qualifications (ACAMS, ICA, CPA, CFA) preferred.
- Solid understanding of cross-border tax, legal and regulatory implications relevant to UHNW clientele.
Skills & Competencies
- Leadership: strong people management, stakeholder influence and change management capabilities.
- Risk& compliance mindset: meticulous, process-oriented with high ethical standards.
- Analytical & problem-solving: ability to handle complex, high-value client situations.
- Communication: excellent verbal and written skills; able to present to senior executives and regulators.
- Tech-savvy: comfortable with modern operations systems, AML platforms, reporting tools and data analytics.
- Client service orientation: ability to deliver concierge-level service appropriate for UHNW relationships.
Behavioral Attributes
- High integrity, discretion and confidentiality.
- Calm under pressure, decisive and resilient.
- Proactive, results-driven and detail-focused.
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