Investment Operations Manager Job Naperville area,Illinois USA,Management

Summary of the Role
The Investment Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing daily investment operations, leading and developing a team of Operations Specialists, and ensuring the accuracy, scalability, and control of operational processes supporting the firm's investment products.
The Investment Operations Manager role will utilize their experience to support our Collateral Management, ETF and Mutual Fund Operations. The role focuses on driving operational excellence, efficiency, and scalability across our investment operations platform. The successful candidate will oversee day-to-day operational functions, lead process improvements, and ensure seamless execution across multiple asset classes and fund structures.
The Manager partners closely with Vice President of Operations and cross-functional teams to support growth initiatives, mitigate operational risk, and continuously enhance the operating model.

Primary Responsibilities

Operational Oversight & Execution

Coordinate ETF lifecycle events on underlying holdings such as rolls, expirations and maturities.
Support new ETF and other product onboardings including operational set-up and testing with counter parties and internal teams.
Supervise daily collateral movements including margin calls, substitutions, recalls, and returns.
Manage collateral allocation and optimization across multiple accounts and counter parties
Oversee tri-party collateral instructions and manage relationships with tri-party agents.
Provide escalation support and resolution for complex operational issues including cash breaks, position discrepancies, and system exceptions.
Ensure consistent execution of operational processes across investment vehicles and client types.
Act as a subject-matter expert and point of escalation for internal stakeholders and external partners.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

Directly manage and mentor a team of Operations Specialists, including performance management, coaching, and professional development.
Set clear expectations, prioritize workloads, and ensure appropriate coverage across operational functions.
Foster a collaborative, accountable, and continuous-improvement-oriented team culture.
Work closely with Operations management in hiring, onboarding, training, and succession planning for the Operations team.

Controls, Risk & Compliance

Own and maintain a strong control environment, including operational risk identification, mitigation, and documentation.
Partner with Compliance, Risk, and Audit teams to support regulatory requirements, internal reviews, and external audits.
Ensure standard operating procedures (SOPs) are documented, current, and aligned with best practices.
Monitor key controls, metrics, and exception reporting to proactively address risks.

Process Improvement & Strategic Initiatives

Identify process inefficiencies and lead initiatives to improve scalability, automation, and operational effectiveness.
Support new product launches, market expansions, and client initiatives by partnering with Investments, Technology, Legal, and Compliance.
Lead or support system enhancements and vendor initiatives, including testing, implementation, and post launch stabilization.
Serve as an operational thought partner to senior leadership, providing insights, recommendations and data-driven analysis.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Communication

Collaborate closely with Investment Management, Finance Technology Client Service, and Compliance team
Communicate operational impacts, risks, and timelines clearly to stakeholders at multiple levels.
Support management reporting and provide visibility into operational performance and capacity planning.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting or related discipline preferred.
Minimum of 8-10 years of investment operations experience within the financial services industry.
Proven experience supporting investment products such as Mutual Funds, ETFs SMAs, or similar vehicles.
Demonstrated ownership of operational processes including data management, reconciliation, billing, collateral, or related processes, controls, and team performance.
Strong leadership skills with a track record…