Associate, Client Service

For over forty years, HarbourVest has been home to a committed team of professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to deliver impactful solutions to our clients and investing partners. As our global firm grows, we continue to add individuals who seek a collaborative, open‑door culture that values diversity and innovative thinking. In our collegial environment that’s marked by low turnover and high energy, you’ll be inspired to grow and thrive. Here, you will be encouraged to build on your strengths and acquire new skills and experiences. We are committed to fostering an environment of inclusion that promotes mutual respect among all employees. Understanding and valuing these differences optimizes the potential of both the individual and the firm. HarbourVest is an equal‑opportunity employer.

This position will be a hybrid work arrangement. You will receive 18 remote workdays per quarter to use at your discretion, subject to manager approval. For example, you may choose to work in the office four days per week and take one remote day weekly (typically 13 weeks per quarter), leaving five additional remote days to be used as needed.

HarbourVest is searching for a highly skilled and driven Client Service Associate to become part of our EMEA Private Wealth Client Service team in London. Reporting to the Global Client Service Manager for the Private Wealth business, this role offers a special opportunity to work closely with Account Managers and various teams. You will assist in delivering a top‑tier, seamless client experience to a wide client base, including Distributors, Platforms, IFAs, and Family Offices. You will prosper in a fast‑paced, high‑volume environment, managing multiple priorities while meeting strict deadlines.

Essential Responsibilities

• Client Service Delivery & Execution: Act as a central point of coordination for client inquiries across all fund types and account structures within EMEA. Meet strict deadlines and service level agreements, efficiently prioritizing numerous simultaneous requests. Triage, track, and respond to client inquiries accurately and efficiently, applying established workflows. Coordinate responses across multiple functional teams to ensure timely and high‑quality delivery.
• Process Improvement & Scalability: Challenge existing processes and proactively find opportunities to improve efficiency and client outcomes. Drive initiatives that standardize workflows, reduce manual intervention, and enhance turnaround times. Identify alignments across regions, clients, and request types to support a scalable service model. Contribute to the development and ongoing enhancement of procedures and guidelines. Support the adoption of automation, technology, and data‑driven insights to improve service delivery.
• Collaborator & Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with clients and internal collaborators across investment, accounting, legal, compliance, and other specialist teams. Work closely alongside Account Managers to support both ongoing client service and new client outreach. Ensure clear, proactive, and transparent communication across all interactions. Provide insight into client activity, trends, and potential risks to support broader relationship management.
• Commercial Awareness & Judgment: Apply sound judgment to client requests, balancing responsiveness with efficiency and scalability. Understand and consider operational, risk, and compliance implications in decision‑making. Advance complex or sensitive issues with clear context and recommended solutions.

Required Qualities

• Execution excellence: Deliver accurate, timely responses in a high‑pressure environment.
• Scalability approach: Continuously seek to simplify, standardize, and improve processes.
• Ownership: Take end‑to‑end responsibility for client outcomes.
• Collaboration: Work effectively within a global, matrixed organization.
• Innovation: Contribute to the advancement of the Client Service model by offering creative ideas and improvements.

What you bring

• Verified experience in balancing various priorities and achieving results under pressing deadlines in a rapid work environment.
• A proactive perspective characterized by pushing against conventional methods and encouraging steady progress.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities, with a talent for uncovering opportunities to improve efficiency and expand.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with internal and external collaborators.
• Strong relationship management skills and a collaborative, team‑oriented approach across regions and functions.
• Strong focus on detail paired with the capacity to think strategically.
• Familiarity with investment concepts and comfort working with financial data.
• Experience with CRM and workflow tools (e.g., Salesforce) and a passion for applying technology to improve processes.
• European language skills are a plus.

Education Preferred: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or equivalent experience.

Experience: 3‑5 Years financial service experience in client service or operations capacity preferred (Associate level).