Client Services Manager - Wholesale

Job Description

Aberdeen Investments is part of Aberdeen Group plc, one of the UK’s leading Wealth & Investments groups.

Strengthening talent and culture is one of our strategic priorities. We strive to make Aberdeen a great place to work so that we can attract and retain the industry’s best talent.

Our people put our stakeholders at the heart of everything they do by helping us to make a positive difference to the lives of our clients, customers, colleagues, shareholders and society.

We are repositioning our specialist asset management business to meet client demand and are committed to providing excellent client service, supported by leading technology and talent.

As a global business, Aberdeen consists of three divisions: Investments, Adviser, and interactive investor (ii). Each division is dedicated to meeting and adapting to our clients' evolving needs.

Our Asia Pacific Investments business has a large, dedicated and highly experienced investment team which has been investing across the region since 1985, and manages all our Asian products, including regional, country, smaller companies, and sustainable investing propositions.

The team has a strong regional footprint with offices in Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, and Sydney. This breadth gives us close proximity to the companies we own and the markets we invest in. Our APAC operations have been based in Singapore since 1992. We invest in Asian companies to grow with them and to help them to become better investors

• Team: Client Service – Asia Pacific
• Reporting to: Head of Client Services – Asia Pacific
   

To be the most client focused, responsive, expert, and proficient Client Service team our clients deal with.

To provide excellent client service at all touch points and build and manage relationships internally to ensure it is not just the remit of one team, but a collective effort across Aberdeen.  Client Service are pivotal in driving a client-centric culture and act as the voice of our clients to oversee and safeguard clients’ operational experience.

Client Service sits within the Client Group function of Aberdeen. Client Managers are an integral part of the Client Group and are responsible for managing and building upon relationships with Aberdeen’s wholesale clients. These clients typically distribute or select Aberdeen funds for underlying clients and are predominantly invested in pooled funds domiciled in Luxembourg Singapore and Malaysia.

Client Managers act as a key day-to-day point of contact for our clients, ensuring their onboarding and ongoing servicing requirements are handled in a timely, pro-active, value-add and accurate way. This is completed through successful collaboration with colleagues and external third-party suppliers.

The ideal candidate demonstrates solid problem-solving skills, good product knowledge, and professional maturity, enabling effective handling of routine, moderate to complex client matters. The role is expected to actively share knowledge within the team, support peers when required, and contribute positively to teamwork and service standards.

Delivering Excellent Client Service

• →Responsible for managing the servicing provision of an allocation of clients and providing adequate cover for team members during absences.  Coverage may extend to institutional clients, when required.
• →Managing client queries and requests for information in a timely, accurate and professional manner.
• →Knowledge of internal processes including account opening, dealing/settlement, rebates/commercial terms and share class eligibility.
• →Owning client lifecycle events, including onboarding, changes or terminations.  Working alongside internal teams and our external third-party suppliers to ensure an excellent client experience throughout.
• →Working with internal teams and our external third-party suppliers to effectively resolve any issues, highlighting to the client where necessary and escalating any potential risks through appropriate business streams.
• →Managing changes to clients’ legal documentation including, for example, amendments to Distribution Agreement, Investment Management Agreement, Operational Memorandum, Fund Data Questionnaire etc.  Communicating requirements to the relevant teams and ensuring any issues are resolved promptly.
• →Overseeing the implementation of client specific reporting to ensure these are issued timely and accurately.
• →Overseeing client specific fees/terms of business so to ensure invoices and rebates are processed and issued timely and accurately.
• →Assisting with collation of AML/DD documentation from clients in partnership with AML Onboarding Team APAC.  Challenging requirements where appropriate to reduce client impact whilst ensuring our regulatory obligations are met.
• →Proactively communicating and interacting with clients by attending and arranging client service review meetings, due diligence meetings and other face-to-face meetings as required.
• →Providing feedback/insight on client requirements to the wider team so to share information, identification of common themes and trends and enhancing our service standards.
• →Representing the voice of the client on company driven projects so to ensure effective implementation does not compromise the client service experience.   Manage the communication of such changes to our clients, with the support of other teams where required and escalate any issues that may arise.
• →Understanding investment challenges, the impact of regulatory changes and internal operational requirements to ensure informed discussion with clients.

Building Relationships

• →Acting as the principal point of contact for clients and their consultants / advisers / custodians and strengthening and deepening these working relationships.
• →Working closely with Business Development Team to share information and keep them briefed on relevant client activity.
• →Working collaboratively with colleagues within the Client Service team and across the rest of the organization including but not limited to Investment teams, Operations, Legal, Finance, and Compliance to ensure client expectations are met.

Working Within Required Control Framework

• →Minimizing potential risks to the business by following agreed processes and procedures and reviewing the documentation of these where necessary.
• →Ensuring breaches, errors, issues and complaints are logged and resolved as required.
• →Highlighting any potential enhancements to the control environment to continuously improve team processes and procedures.

Digitization and Automation

• →Creating and maintaining central client records for regulatory and internal purposes to enable accurate reporting and management information.
• →Maintaining Salesforce and Fund Master with accurate client data within the Aberdeen data infrastructure to drive automated processes and ensure quick and accurate decision making.
• →Utilizing Aberdeen Connect (when available to Wholesale clients) to improve efficiencies in our servicing proposition
• →Embracing new ways of working and technological advancements including automation and AI.

• Bachelor’s degree desirable
• At least 8 years of experience in Financial Services (preferably fund management or related service provider)
• Detailed understanding of fund distribution business and Singapore ILP business
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship management skills
• Ability to display a resilient and adaptable style comfortable with driving change and implement new business processes          
• Adept at problem solving and capable of thinking quickly in critical situations.
• Strong attention to detail, good organizational skills, and a responsible work ethic. Ability to follow established processes with sound judgement.
• Self-starter and highly motivated with an ability to work in a team environment
• Passionate in delivering exceptional client services
• CMFAS Module 3, 5, 6, 8, and 8A or readiness to take the exams

We are committed to exploring the possibilities of working smarter. This means we’d like to hear from you, whatever way you like to work.

We have a long-term commitment to building inclusive workplaces; we value diversity in our workforce and welcome enquiries from everyone. If you need assistance or a reasonable adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist. You can find out more about our inclusive culture here.