Operations Head – PMS & Wealth Management

Title: Head of Operations – PMS (Portfolio Management Services)

Location: Pune

Experience:

• 10-15 years of experience in operations within PMS, AMC, Wealth Management, AIF, or NBFC environments.
• Minimum 5 years in a leadership role managing regulated financial operations.
• Prior experience managing SEBI audits and inspections is highly desirable.

Role Overview:

The Head of Operations – PMS will be responsible for managing and strengthening the entire operational ecosystem of the PMS business, including trade settlement, client onboarding, fund accounting, regulatory reporting, compliance support, technology systems, and operational governance.

This role requires deep expertise in SEBI PMS regulations, wealth management operations, and process automation, along with the ability to lead cross-functional teams in a fast-growing financial services environment.

The incumbent will work closely with the Principal Officer, Investment Team, Compliance, Finance, Technology, and Client Servicing teams to build a robust, compliant, and scalable operating framework.

Key Responsibilities:

Operations & Trade Management:

• Oversee the complete trade lifecycle including order management, execution coordination, settlement, reconciliation, and reporting.
• Ensure adherence to T+1 settlement timelines and resolve settlement breaks with brokers, custodians, and clearing members.
• Manage mutual fund transaction processing including financial and non-financial transactions.
• Coordinate with custodians, depositories (CDSL/NSDL), RTAs, and broker platforms.
• Monitor daily NAV computation, portfolio valuation, and reconciliation activities.
• Drive straight-through processing (STP) and automation initiatives to reduce manual intervention and operational risk.

Client Onboarding & KYC / AML:

• Lead end-to-end client onboarding in compliance with SEBI, PMLA, FATCA/CRS, and AML regulations.
• Ensure accurate KYC verification, beneficial ownership validation, and risk profiling.
• Coordinate with KRAs for seamless onboarding and documentation management.
• Conduct periodic KYC reviews and enhanced due diligence for high-risk clients.
• Maintain client agreements, POAs, and regulatory documentation as per SEBI guidelines.

Regulatory Compliance & Governance:

• Support compliance and regulatory reporting under SEBI (Portfolio Managers) Regulations, 2020.
• Ensure timely filing of all SEBI, PAISA portal, and statutory submissions.
• Maintain SOPs, operational manuals, compliance trackers, and audit records.
• Coordinate SEBI inspections, internal audits, and due diligence exercises.
• Track regulatory updates issued by SEBI, RBI, AMFI, BSE, and NSE and implement operational changes accordingly.
• Ensure adherence to insider trading controls and conflict-of-interest frameworks.

Fund Accounting & Reporting:

• Oversee portfolio accounting, client reporting, P&L statements, and holdings reconciliation.
• Ensure accurate computation of management fees, performance fees, hurdle rates, and high-water mark calculations.
• Manage quarterly investor reporting and portfolio communication.
• Coordinate statutory audits and financial reporting requirements.
• Monitor GST, TDS, STT/CTT accounting, and operational expense controls.

Technology & Process Automation:

• Manage PMS back-office systems including Wealth Spectrum, CRM, and reporting platforms.
• Lead operational technology initiatives including integrations, migrations, and automation projects.
• Improve operational efficiency through digitization and scalable workflows.
• Partner with technology teams to enhance system controls, reporting accuracy, and operational scalability.

Team Leadership & Stakeholder Management:

• Lead and mentor middle-office, back-office, and client servicing teams.
• Define operational KPIs, turnaround times (TATs), escalation matrices, and service quality standards.
• Build a culture of accountability, accuracy, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct training programs on systems, regulatory updates, and operational best practices.
• Collaborate closely with investment, compliance, finance, and relationship management teams.

Candidate Profile:

Educational Qualifications:

• Chartered Accountant (CA) / MBA (Finance) / PGDM Finance from a reputed institution.
• NISM certifications such as Series-IX or Series-XXI-A preferred.
• Additional certifications in AML/KYC, Risk Management, or FinTech Operations are advantageous.

Experience:

• 10-15 years of experience in operations within PMS, AMC, Wealth Management, AIF, or NBFC environments.
• Minimum 5 years in a leadership role managing regulated financial operations.
• Strong understanding of SEBI PMS regulations and operational compliance frameworks.
• Experience handling large-scale AUM operations preferred.
• Prior experience managing SEBI audits and inspections is highly desirable.

Technical Skills:

• Strong understanding of trade settlement, custodial operations, and depository systems.
• Knowledge of portfolio accounting and wealth management operations.
• Familiarity with equities, debt instruments, ETFs, REITs, InvITs, and derivatives.
• Working knowledge of GST, TDS, and STT applicability in PMS operations.
• Advanced Excel and MIS reporting capabilities.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic thinking and execution
• Leadership and team management
• Regulatory and operational governance
• Stakeholder management
• Analytical and problem-solving ability
• High attention to detail and process orientation
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Client-first mindset with strong ethical standards

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• 99.99% settlement accuracy with zero trade breaks
• 100% timely regulatory submissions
• Client onboarding within defined TATs
• Zero critical audit observations
• Improved operational efficiency through automation
• Strong data integrity and system uptime
• Effective grievance resolution within regulatory timelines