Associate Director – Fund Accounting – Close ended

The Catalyst Group•Atlanta, GA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Catalyst Group is a privately owned, fully independent investment operations and fund administration group founded in 2020. They aim to reimagine financial services through innovation, technology, and investment in people and communities. With offices in five countries, they service a global client portfolio. Their award-winning team operates on a unique technology platform and is guided by seven core values: Collaboration, Innovation, Reliability & Accountability, Connected Culture, Undivided Attention, Integrity, and Transparency. This senior leadership position is based in the United States and reports to the Chief Operating Officer — Fund Administration. The Associate Director will have full accountability for people, operations, client relationships, and strategic direction across the Close Ended NAV function. The role carries full responsibility for key aspects of fund operations across a portfolio of close ended funds, with significant people management scope and the authority to shape the function's evolution. The Associate Director plays a critical role in ensuring the timely and accurate calculation and delivery of Net Asset Values (NAVs) for assigned funds, involving close collaboration with internal teams and supporting client service delivery and implementation initiatives.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in close ended fund administration or a similar financial services role.
Strong focus on NAV calculations, investor allocations, financial reporting, and audit coordination.
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
Proven leadership, mentoring, and team-building capability — including across diverse, cross-functional teams.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills for senior client, auditor, and internal stakeholder engagement.
Strong analytical and problem-solving ability with a track record of identifying process inefficiencies and delivering improvements.
Expertise in fund systems: Investran, Bloomberg, eFront, Geneva, Dynamo or equivalent close ended fund administration platforms.
Advanced Excel skills — complex financial models, automated templates, pivot tables, XLOOKUP, macros.
Strong understanding of closed-ended and open-ended fund structures, capital calls, distributions, IRR, and MOIC.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
Solid grounding in US GAAP, IFRS, and regulatory requirements applicable to close ended funds.

Nice To Haves

Professional certification (CFA, CAIA, CPA, or equivalent) is a strong advantage.
SQL or other data analysis tools are advantageous.
Working knowledge of AI tools such as Claude an advantage.

Responsibilities

Direct management of the close ended team, including performance framework adherence, capacity planning, team satisfaction monitoring, coaching, training programs, and succession planning.
Staff budget ownership in partnership with the COO — Fund Administration.
Product profitability reporting with Finance and Client Relationship teams.
Client fee reviews, invoice approval, and scope change documentation in accordance with Administration Services Agreements.
Oversight of NAV issuance for assigned close ended funds, including expense management, management fee and carried interest calculations, investor allocations, pricing and valuation processes, and comprehensive reconciliation of trades, positions, P&L, and cash.
Close Ended fund structure setup, SLA establishment, and fund-specific procedure implementation.
Cross-departmental collaboration for smooth onboarding and system integration oversight.
Serve as the primary escalation point for client NAV and service queries.
Primary liaison for client communications on assigned funds.
Lead coordination of the annual audit process, including preparation of year-end financial statements and timely response to audit queries.
Continuous assessment and refinement of operational processes.
Identification of automation and data integration opportunities.
Product reviews and enhancements.
Alignment of process improvements with the firm’s strategic objectives in partnership with senior leadership.
Operational risk identification and mitigation across NAV production, reconciliation, and pricing.
SOC controls adherence.
Regulatory compliance including AML and data privacy.
Policy development and compliance culture leadership in partnership with the Group’s Head of Compliance and Governance.
Share insights to enable development of new processes and procedures that create business efficiency and support client service excellence.
Maintain awareness of industry, regulatory, jurisdictional, and market trends that could affect the business.
Contribute to the creation, development, and implementation of new products and solutions as the business’s needs evolve.
Collaborate cross-functionally with operations, business users, project, and implementation teams to achieve elegant outcomes.