Chief Operating Officer

Job description

The Company is currently applying for a Licensed Fund Management Company (LFMC) license with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), covering two business lines: Private Equity / Venture Capital (PE/VC) and External Asset Management (EAM). The EAM line will also require Exempt Financial Adviser (EFA) status, covering the following underlying assets:

• Collective Investment Schemes (including ETFs)

• Securities

• Exchange-Traded Derivatives Contracts

• OTC Derivatives Contracts

• Spot FX Contracts

• Structured Deposits
  

Key Responsibilities

• Support the company's LFMC and EFA license applications, including coordination of application materials, business plan development, and regulatory correspondence with MAS.

• Build and operationalize the company's internal framework for fund management, PE/VC, and EAM/wealth management activities, including client onboarding, investment advisory workflow, and operational controls.

• Work closely with the CEO, Board, Responsible Officers, compliance team, and external advisors (legal counsel, compliance consultants, fund administrators, auditors, custodians) on all licensing and governance matters.

• Support business development and day-to-day operational execution across both the PE/VC and EAM lines.

• Ensure all business operations remain aligned with MAS regulatory expectations and the company's internal governance standards on an ongoing basis.

• Contribute directly to the credibility of the LFMC application by virtue of relevant prior experience (see Candidate Profile below).

Mandatory Requirements

1. Direct experience in a business that provides investment advice to clients and/or conducts discretionary investment management on behalf of clients. This is the core requirement. Acceptable backgrounds include investment advisory, wealth management, investment consultancy, wealth solutions, discretionary portfolio management, private banking, or fund management — terminology varies by institution, so candidates should be assessed on substance (did the business advise clients on, or manage, investments) rather than exact job title.

2. That experience must cover one or more of the underlying asset classes listed above (CIS/ETFs, securities, exchange-traded derivatives, OTC derivatives, spot FX, structured deposits). Broader coverage across these asset classes is preferred.

3. The candidate's previous employer for the relevant experience would preferably be a licensed or regulated financial institution under MAS or an equivalent regulator in another jurisdiction. The candidate does not need to have held a CEO, Director, or Responsible Officer (RO) title personally, but the employing entity itself is supposed to hold the relevant license or regulatory status. Experience at an unregulated business does not satisfy this requirement.

4. Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in a managerial capacity; 10+ years strongly preferred.

Other Requirements

• Candidates must possess at least a Bachelor's Degree to be considered for this position

• Familiarity with MAS regulatory requirements and Singapore financial services compliance expectations.

• Prior experience supporting license applications, regulatory submissions, or business setup for a regulated financial institution is a strong advantage.

• Strong operational, coordination, and stakeholder management skills; able to work directly with regulators, external counsel, and compliance consultants.

• Sound business judgement, integrity, and risk awareness.

• Able to work in a fast-moving, cross-border business environment.