Director, Global Wealth Alternatives Investor Services, EMEA

At Franklin Templeton, we’re advancing our industry forward by developing new and innovative ways to help our clients achieve their investment goals. Our dynamic and diversified firm spans asset management, wealth management, and fintech, offering many ways to help investors make progress toward their goals. Our talented teams working around the globe bring expertise that’s both broad and unique. From our welcoming, inclusive, and flexible culture to our global and diverse business, we provide opportunities to help you reach your potential while helping our clients reach theirs.

What is the Alternatives group responsible for? Franklin Templeton began the decade under the leadership of Jenny Johnson, who became President and CEO in February of 2020 and led the acquisition of several companies to propel the firm into a new phase of growth, including the largest and most significant acquisition in the company's history, Legg Mason. Legg Mason and its specialist investment managers added differentiated capabilities to Franklin Templeton's existing investment strategies, bringing notable leadership and strength in core fixed income, active equities, multi-asset solutions, and alternatives, a key growth area. A concentrated focus on alternatives led to the more recent announcement of Franklin Templeton's acquisition of Lexington Partners in 2022, a leader in secondary private equity and co-investments. With the closure of the Lexington and Alcentra transactions, the firm includes top-tier specialist investment managers across all key alternative categories: private and alternative debt, unconstrained and hedge strategies, real estate, secondary private equity & co-investments, and venture/growth equity. As of December 31st, 2024, total alternative assets under management total ~$250 billion.

Franklin Templeton's diverse collection of alternative specialist investment managers (SIMs) includes:

• Lexington Partners is a leading global alternative investment manager of secondary private equity and co-investment funds.
• Benefit Street Partners/Alcentra (BSP) is a leading global credit-focused alternative asset management firm investing across a range of illiquid and liquid credit strategies.
• Clarion Partners is a pure-play real estate investment manager offering strategies across the risk-return spectrum.
• Franklin Venture Partners (FVP) is a venture capital/growth equity focused business, specializing in enterprise and industrial technology investing. FVP delivers their capabilities into the global wealth market through drawdown funds and custom accounts.

What are the ongoing responsibilities of Director, Global Wealth Alternatives Investor Services, EMEA?

You will lead Investor Services for Alternatives in EMEA, ensuring exceptional client service and efficient operations for alternative investments in the region. This role handles investor relations, capital flows, onboarding, and reporting, while collaborating with global cross-functional teams on capital events. Additionally, the individual acts as a subject matter expert on alternative investment strategies and drives business growth and continuous improvement. You will be building this offering in Region reporting into the Global Head of Investor Services. Our goal is to provide clients with top tier service by driving detailed, fast, reliable, and consistent information flow through automation with a human touch.

Responsibilities:

• Drive EMEA investor services offerings
• Work closely with internal teams in the review and implementation of participating broker-dealer agreements and placement agent agreements
• Prepare, review and manage capital expenses related to FT Alts fundraising across vehicles
• Coordinate and communicate efforts for capital events related to FT Alts investment vehicles
• Be a subject matter expert on each of the fund’s mechanics, operational nuances, and capital events
• Assist with budgeting for region, feeding into global investor services overall budget
• Spearhead initiatives to enhance the functionality & efficiency of the team, including developing & optimizing key internal reports for scalability.
• Maintain effective mutually beneficial working relationships with custodians, transfer agents, key Wirehouse/broker dealer home offices and third party vendors.
• Execute ad hoc projects and oversee the dissemination of monthly and quarterly reporting for investors
• Analyze inquiry trends and work with stakeholders to resolve issues.
• Liaise with fund accountants on capital events and manage investment vehicle closings and cash flow processes.
• Review capital call and distribution memos and ensure accurate reporting to executive leadership.
• Lead product onboarding within region, integrating operations, governance, and platform agreements globally.
• Oversee fund administration, trade operations, and key decisions post-launch to optimize performance.
• Ensure client service is exemplary in region, handling external and internal inquiries and ensuring timely resolution.
• Manage fund communications to ensure clear and consistent updates for investors.
• Foster relationships with key regional and global partners to support cross-functional collaboration.

What ideal qualifications, skills & experience would help someone to be successful?

• Bachelor’s degree in finance or related field; advanced degree or certifications (e.g., CFA, CAIA) a plus.
• Experience in investor services or alternative investments, with proven track record of steering this across a region
• Deep knowledge of alternative investment strategies, fund structures, and global capital markets.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with a focus on driving for success and fostering collaboration.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities with institutional investors and stakeholders.
• Familiarity with regional regulatory requirements for alternative investments.
• Ability to develop processes and contribute to business growth.
• Strong analytical and proactive approach to operational challenges.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong project management skills & ultimate multi-tasker; able to pivot from one project to another seamlessly.
• Knowledge of alternative investment strategies.
• Experience with publicly traded entities.
• Effectively work within a team environment that takes on various roles and supports many other teams.

This role carries a Certified Person designation under the FCA’s Senior Managers & Certified Regime. This means you will be responsible for compliance with SM&CR and its related Policies, including adherence to the Conduct Rules.

Experience our welcoming culture and reach your professional and personal potential! Building teams with diverse skills, backgrounds, and experiences has always been important to us. Cultivating an inclusive culture where employees feel safe to share their voices is not only beneficial for our people, but also drives innovation and enables us to deliver better client outcomes. So, no matter your interests, lifestyle, or background, there’s a place for you at Franklin Templeton.

We will provide you with tools, resources, and learning opportunities to help you excel in your career and personal life. Hear more from our employees We want our employees to be at their best. By joining us, you will connect with a culture that focuses on employee well-being and provides multidimensional support for a positive and healthy lifestyle. We understand that benefits are at the core of employee well-being and may vary depending on individual needs. Whether you need support for staying physically and mentally healthy, saving for life's adventures, taking care of your family members, or making a positive impact in your community, we aim to have you covered.

Franklin Templeton is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and existing employees, and we evaluate qualified applicants without regard to ancestry, age, color, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, or gender expression, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation.

As part of our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, we welcome applicants with flexible working arrangements in their current roles or those seeking a flexible working pattern. We encourage you to communicate any preferences for flexible working so that we can consider this during our hiring process. Additionally, returners – individuals who have taken a break from work – are also encouraged to explore our job opportunities.

As a registered UK Disability Confident Committed Employer, we encourage you to disclose if you consider yourself to have a disability as part of your application. This information enables us to provide the necessary support and leverage your unique talents effectively. If you believe that you need an accommodation or adjustment to search for or apply for one of our positions, please send an email to accommodations@franklintempleton.com. In your email, please include the accommodation or adjustment you are requesting, the job title, and the job number you are applying for. It may take up to three business days to receive a response to your request. Please note that only requests for arrangements will receive a response.