Operations Manager, Investments – Asia Pacific recruitment

Towers Watson's Investment Services line of business provides consulting and advisory services to Pension funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Endowments, Foundations and Charities and Wealth Managers across the globe. It has its history steeped in actuarial and pension fund advisory and has grown over the past two decades into one of the most respected financial advisory firms to institutional investors. Our work covers all aspects of the investment function and focuses on better equipping our clients to make good, well researched, well thought through investment decisions. In doing so, we help clients manage investment complexity, establish their risk tolerance and improve governance. We combine innovative thinking with capable execution so our clients can successfully balance risk and return. We aim to act as an extension of the internal investment function (regardless of size, scale, sophistication and complexity), offering tailored and specialist expertise, through global, regional and local research and coverage of investment issues and approaches. Our commitment to innovation and research means our clients gain access to the best investment ideas. We have one of the industry's largest investment strategy teams with more than 120 associates with backgrounds in investment banking, asset management, finance and actuarial science. We also have more than 140 investment manager research professionals covering all asset classes from mainstream to alternative investments, including hedge funds and private equity. With this deep specialist expertise, we turn innovative concepts into practical, independent advice tailored to meet our clients' needs. Our services include: strategic setting of investment objectives, strategic asset allocation, investment management structures, manager selection, performance measurement and evaluation, investment manager monitoring, custodian selection, transition advice, statements of investment policy and global research services. Towers Watson Investment is a division of Towers Watson's Risk and Financial Services business, has over 700 associates worldwide and assets under advisory of over US$2 trillion.

The Roles:

This is an opportunity for a process orientated individual to play a regional role, based out of Hong Kong, with a leading professional services company.

Performance Objectives:

Clients
- Develop a trusted internal standing in Investments LOB through effective communication and efficiency
- Raise appropriate operations issues to LOB Leader when necessary
- Provide support to the Portfolio Construction Group (PCG) to ensure that consultants are effectively leveraging materials from PCG, attending briefing sessions and pricing work appropriately.

Excellence
- Manage Asia Pacific workflow into DMC (Data Management Center) in Manila to help coordinate and improve the efficiency of the business.
- Work with Legal team and regulators in securing relevant Investment licenses in the region
- Prepare, review and update compliance policies and procedures manual and write additional policies and procedures as directed to comply with applicable regulatory requirements
- Conduct compliance testing of policies and procedures and report outstanding issues to Regional Director and Legal Department
- Maintain internal controls in order to detect violations of company policies and procedures
- Work closely with Professional Excellence team to support office audits and follow up actions
- Coordinate and schedule compliance training
- Proactively investigate and advise Regional Director and Legal Department regarding compliance issues as they arise

Financial
- Ensure that timesheets are accurately completed by associates moving forward, evaluate utilization and follow up / educate others on the importance of time sheet accuracy
- Provide support on various financial items, such as charge rates, project pricing and project plans, working with the Regional Finance manager for Investment when necessary

People
- Build relationships internally and collaborate effectively with cross-functional team members
- Demonstrate influence / confidence when dealing with associates at all levels in order to effectively implement improvements in operations
- Assist regional training manager with coordination of training activities
- Assist with measurement and management of regional performance objectives and performance scores

Requirements:

- Strong oral and written communication skills in English
- Operations experience in a professional services environment such as accounting
- Team player
- Strong organizational skills with a logical and thorough work ethic
- Strong working knowledge of Excel and Word
- Gravitas to influence people and make improvements in operations
- Process orientated
- Project management skills
- Ability to work independently

Towers Watson is an EEO/AA Employer, M/F/D/V