Head – Investment Back Office

A Leading Life Insurance Company is seeking a strategic Head – Investment Back Office to lead its investment operations team in Mumbai. In this pivotal role, you will oversee all post-trade activities, ensuring 100% accuracy in settlements and regulatory compliance. Furthermore, you will drive process re-engineering and automation initiatives to enhance the efficiency of our large-scale investment portfolio. Consequently, this position is vital for maintaining robust governance and adhering to the highest IRDAI standards.

The Head – Investment Back Office must bridge technical investment knowledge with strategic operational leadership. Additionally, you will manage relationships with custodians, brokers, and external auditors to ensure seamless service delivery. Therefore, the company is looking for a seasoned professional with at least 12 years of experience in investment operations. If you are a CA or MBA with a proven track record of leading large teams, this Head – Investment Back Office role offers a premier leadership opportunity.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end investment back-office operations, including trade processing and settlement.
• Ensure accurate accounting of investments across Equity, Debt, Derivatives, and AIFs.
• Oversee daily and monthly reconciliations with custodians, banks, and fund accountants.
• Monitor compliance with IRDAI investment regulations and internal exposure norms.
• Coordinate with Risk and Actuarial teams for regulatory disclosures and solvency reporting.
• Plan and execute concurrent and statutory audits, addressing observations with prompt CAPAs.
• Lead process automation and digitization of investment workflows to improve turnaround times.
• Manage service level agreements (SLAs) and performance reviews of custodians and vendors.
• Provide accurate yield analysis and portfolio MIS to the CIO and senior management.
• Mentor and develop a high-performing team, ensuring a culture of strong controls.

Requirements and Qualifications

• CA, MBA (Finance), or CFA Charterholder.
• Minimum of 12 years of experience in investment back-office/operations.
• Prior experience specifically within a Life Insurance company is highly preferred.
• Expertise in IRDAI investment guidelines and regulatory audit management.
• In-depth knowledge of debt and equity markets and fixed income instruments.