Alternative Investments Senior Manager, Service & Operations

Alternative Investment Product Support Specialist

Under very limited direction, with a high level of autonomy, uses extensive knowledge and skills obtained through education and experience to provide support of all Raymond James approved alternative investment products throughout their entire life cycle, including new product onboarding, ongoing investment servicing, and on occasion, termination of investment support. Partners with the Alternative Investments Group ("AIG") Operations team, Raymond James Financial Advisors, senior leadership within both GWS Investment Products and management at alternative investment fund partners. Designs, leads, and drives process improvement initiatives which reduce risk and add directly to the department's profitability.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Using experience gained from previous operations and compliance leadership roles at hedge funds and private equity funds, will run the operational infrastructure of Raymond James proprietary hedge funds and private equity funds, as well as be primarily responsible for building the infrastructure for potential future Raymond James proprietary funds.
• Offer significant depth of alternative investment subject matter knowledge, to ensure operations processes compare favorably with best practices in the industry.
• Lead and supervise the AIG Operations team in engaging Raymond James Financial Advisors, alternative investment Fund Sponsors, and many home office departments to holistically support all operational aspects of the Alternative Investments platform.
• Responds to requests for information from both compliance areas and leverages expertise of alternative investment products.
• Train and supervise associates to perform all operations support functions. Responsible for recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and mentoring Analysts on the team.
• Onboard new products and troubleshoot service issues with existing products including, but not limited to, new investments, commission payments, pricing, client statements, and redemptions.
• Analyze existing operational infrastructure at existing funds on the AIG platform, compare the funds' infrastructure, as well as the funds themselves.
• Employ a strong knowledge of database design and data structure to lead efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of technology and business processes that support the group.
• Performs human resource management activities, including identifying performance problems and approving recommendations for remedial action; evaluating performance; and interviewing and selecting staff.
• Plans, assigns, monitors, reviews, evaluates and leads the work of subordinate managers and supervisors.
• Coaches and mentors subordinates, identifies training needs and approves development plans.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications - External:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of: All MS office applications with advanced Excel and Access functions
• Industry knowledge, critical thinking, excellent verbal and written communication skills, collaborative spirit, and leadership by words, and more importantly actions
• Concepts, principles and practices of assigned functional area
• Investment concepts, practices and procedures used in the securities industry
• Basic principles of banking and finance and securities industry operations
• Financial markets and products
• General and Limited Partnership Accounting Principals
• FINRA and SEC rules involving investor accreditation standards
• Working standards at a hedge fund, private equity fund, or alternative investment department
• Accounting and reporting processes and controls, including cash management, valuation analysis, and NAV analysis
• Skill in: Interpreting and applying policies and procedures.
• Establishing operational objectives.
• Developing processes and procedures for efficient and timely work flow.
• Preparing management reports.
• Promoting effective coordination between multiple work groups and functional areas.
• Identifying trends and implementing appropriate corrective action.
• Establishing control mechanisms.
• Implementing process improvement initiatives.
• Operating standard office equipment and using required software applications.
• Ability to: Perform fundamental human resource management activities.
• Employ basic database and technology concepts, and conceptualize how technology should be employed to increase effectiveness and efficiency of business processes.
• Plan, assign, monitor, review, evaluate and lead the work of others.
• Coach and mentor others.
• Identify training needs and develop subordinates.
• Balance conflicting resource and priority demands.
• Maintain currency in assigned area of responsibility.
• Partner with other functional areas to accomplish objectives.
• Access compliance procedures, regulatory reporting, and regulatory exam results.
• Demonstrate a level of competence with well-respected industry fund partners.
• Facilitate meetings, ensuring that all viewpoints, ideas and problems are addressed.
• Incorporate needs, wants and goals from different business unit perspectives into operational processes.
• Gather information, identify linkages and trends and apply findings to operations.
• Incite enthusiasm and influence, motivate and persuade others to achieve desired outcomes.
• Interpret and apply policies and identify and recommend changes as appropriate.
• Prioritize and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamically changing environment.
• Communicate effectively with high caliber advisers and respected hedge fund and private equity firms, both orally and in writing with precision and logic.
• Work independently, as well as collaboratively, within a team environment.
• Lead others in providing a high level of customer service.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships at all levels of the organization, including negotiating resources.

Educational/Previous Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree (B.A.) and a minimum of eight (8) years' experience at either an alternative fund (e.g., hedge fund, private equity fund, etc.) or another broker dealer's alternative investment department
• ~or~
• Any equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience approved by Human Resources.

Licenses/Certifications:

• SIE required provided that an exemption or grandfathering cannot be applied.
• Series 7 or 99 required, or ability to obtain within one year (as required by FINRA)
• CAIA Preferred.