Fund Controller - Indirect Client Accounting

The Fund Controller role offers a rare and highly sought-after career opportunity to work on the CBRE Global Alpha Fund, one of the firm’s flagship open-ended indirect global funds of funds, in a finance, operations and strategic capacity. Global Alpha has USD 8.1bn in AUM and a GAV of USD 10.8bn. It holds approximately 47 underlying real estate investments across multiple jurisdictions and has a diverse investor base of close to 200 institutional investors.

Working closely alongside the Fund CFO, Fund accountant, Portfolio Management team, internal legal and tax counsel and external service providers, the successful candidate will play a central role in running a world-class, global real estate fund. The role reports to the Fund CFO and offers a clear development pathway.

The role will focus on the quarterly reporting cycle, investment valuation, performance measurement, investor financial reporting, tax compliance, and managing relationships with the Fund’s administrators and auditor. The ideal candidate will be highly motivated, analytically strong, and comfortable managing the day-to-day operations of the Fund while also engaging directly with investors, consultants and external advisors across multiple jurisdictions.

As the business continues to focus on operational efficiency and the adoption of AI-enabled solutions, the successful candidate will be expected to embrace emerging technologies and identify opportunities to enhance processes, automate activities and improve reporting and decision-making.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Reporting and valuation

• Lead the quarterly reporting cycle for Global Alpha, including reviewing that investment valuations are in accordance with the Fund’s valuation policy and INREV guidelines; and reviewing accounts/distribution calculations across the Fund’s complex multi-jurisdictional structure (Luxembourg FCP-SIFs, Jersey Co’s/Trusts, Australian Trusts)
• Present the investment valuations to the Pricing Committee and attend Global Alpha board meetings, providing updates on the Fund and its vehicles
• Coordinate and review the quarterly investor report, validating financial data and performance figures
• Review of Fund level data within Dynamo including data validation and liaising with administrators
• Review of annual financial statements and annual audit oversight role

Performance measurement and fees

• Review and take overall responsibility for the Fund’s performance calculations
• Review and maintain the fund’s performance fee model, including hurdle rate calculations, crystallisation mechanics and FX exclusion adjustments
• Review the annual Total Expense Ratio (TER) calculation across approximately 47 underlying investments
• Review quarterly management fee rebate calculations prepared by the Fund administrator, cross-referencing each investor’s rebate rate against their side letter terms

Treasury and cash management

• Manage the fund’s money market fund investments
• Work with the CBRE treasury team on debt facilities and treasury matters as they arise

Investor and consultant engagement

• Support the Client Care team with the preparation of investor materials, investor/consultant queries, DDQs and RFPs, verifying performance figures, disclosures and other data against signed-off models and fund documentation

Tax compliance and regulatory

• Responsibility for tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions, including FATCA/CRS reporting, Australian tax registrations and filings
• Liaise with external tax advisors on filings, registrations and ad hoc tax queries
• Transactions
• Perform financial and operational due diligence on new investments, including reviewing manager policies, bank counterparty analysis and completing post-IC checklists
• Coordinate the smooth execution of investment transactions, working with the legal team, regional investment and portfolio management team and administrators

Service provider and stakeholder management

• Manage the day-to-day relationship with the fund’s administrators and other service providers, including attending service calls, conducting service level reviews
• Holding service providers to account vs agreed SLA’s and suggesting areas of operational efficiency
• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with key internal stakeholders, including the Strategic Funds CFO, Fund Manager and Portfolio Management team, acting as a key point of contact for finance matters
• Develop credible and effective relationships with external stakeholders, including the Global Alpha Board, presenting at quarterly meetings and serving as a trusted adviser who inspires confidence and supports informed decision-making

Team management, process improvement and projects

• Supervise and develop team members, reviewing their work product and providing coaching and technical guidance
• Proactively manage communications with senior stakeholders, ensuring timely updates on key deliverables, deadlines and emerging issues
• Identify and implement process improvements and efficiency gains across fund operations, leveraging AI where feasible, to redesign reporting templates, drive outsourcing of routine tasks to administrators and improving data integrity
• Contribute to ad hoc projects as required, such as fund restructuring, new vehicle formation

Key Skills/Experience

• ACA / ACCA qualified (or equivalent) with a minimum of 5 years’ PQE
• Prior experience at a Big Four or top-tier accountancy firm, or industry experience in real estate or private equity fund accounting at a fund manager or administrator
• Strong financial control and analytical skills are essential
• Excellent attention to detail, strong Excel skills and a methodical approach to reviewing complex data
• Proactive and able to organise your own work and schedule, with the ability to meet deadlines during peak reporting periods
• Confident presenting to committees, boards and senior stakeholders
• Team player – able to work effectively within a high-performing, specialist team whilst building strong relationships across the broader organisation and with external service providers
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with investors, consultants and senior stakeholders
• Ability to prioritise and work across multiple projects simultaneously
• A mindset for continuous improvement – always looking for ways to make processes more efficient and robust
• Interest in emerging technologies and a willingness to leverage AI-enabled solutions to improve efficiency and reporting
• Knowledge of IFRS, US GAAP, INREV guidelines and fund accounting principles preferred
• Experience with Dynamo fund accounting systems is desirable but not essential

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