Job Description

At abrdn, our purpose is to enable our clients to be better investors.

Clients worldwide trust us to find future-fit investment opportunities to deliver the outcomes they want. Our technology and insight help empower them to make better decisions, while the powerful partnerships we build help to enhance the expertise that we offer. And by enabling clients to invest responsibly, it helps us to build a better world.

About the team

We are currently recruiting for a Fund Controller to join the Fund Control team within abrdn Private Equity Operations.

The Fund Control team responsibilities include maintaining accounting and investor related records, investor transactions, review of fund and direct valuations, financial statement production and providing business partnering for the investment team and other internal collaborators.

About the role

The role of the Fund Controller is to undertake specific fund control activities for assigned funds and to provide business partnering and support to the wider abrdn Private Equity team. This includes liaison with third parties including administrators and auditors. It is also expected that the role holder will assist in responsibility for the oversight of one or more key external relationships (Administrator/Depositary/Auditor). A range of ad hoc activities will also be carried out as required.

Key Outcomes

• Review of fund and direct investment valuations - in conjunction with the abrdn Private Equity Investment team, play a central role in the quarterly valuation process through review and assessment of investment valuation movements each quarter.

• Mandate ownership – take ownership of an allocation of private equity mandates, predominantly of a European focus. Perform reviews of tasks such as quarterly management accounts, management fee calculations and investor reporting as well as performing key data reconciliations with third party administrators.

• Management of project initiatives – engage in business partnering activities alongside both internal and external stakeholders to address a range of requests and ongoing projects across abrdn Private equity.

• Treasury management - Responsibility for monitoring cash balances for assigned funds to ensure that optimal level of cash is held in the fund. Initiating investor transactions when appropriate to call or distribute from funds.

• Production of statutory accounts for limited partnerships - annual accounts require to be produced for limited partnerships and limited companies in accordance with prevailing regulations and standards. The role holder will be required to coordinate the accounts production process for assigned funds; including planning, liaison and ultimate agreement with auditors.

• New mandate launches and liquidations - represent fund control team on new products and wind up of existing mandates, ensuring that operational aspects of legal documentation is appropriate and addressed.

• Timetables & key tasks - Ensuring that key tasks in respect of assigned funds are completed within agreed timescales.

• Continuous operational improvement - the role holder will be expected to assess current process, find opportunities for improvement and implement with agreement from key stakeholders.

About the candidate requirements

• Recognised, relevant accountancy qualification

• Sound knowledge of current accounting practices and standards

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel

• Private Equity experience (desirable)

Our benefits

There's more to working life than coming home with a good salary. We have an environment where you can learn, get involved and be supported.

When you join us, your reward will be one of the best around. This includes 40 days’ annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, a discretionary performance based bonus (where applicable), private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits – including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount portal. You can read more about our benefits here.

Our business

Enabling our clients to be better investors drives everything we do. Our business is structured around three distinct areas – our vectors of growth – focused on our clients’ changing needs. You can find out more about what we do here.

An inclusive way of working

Whatever way you like to work, if you have the talent and commitment to join our team, we’d like to hear from you.

At abrdn we’ve adopted a ‘blended working’ approach. This approach combines the benefits of face-to-face collaboration, coaching and connecting in our offices with the flexibility of working from home. It enables colleagues to find a balance that works for their roles, their teams, our clients and our business.

An inclusive culture, where diverse perspectives drive our actions, is at the core of who we are and what we do. If you need assistance with your application, or a reasonable adjustment to your interview arrangements – for example, because you are neurodivergent, or have a physical, sensory, cognitive, mental, visible or invisible disability – please let us know and we’ll be happy to help.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance. We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.

If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.