COO, Private Debt

Neuberger Berman•New York, NY

3d•$200,000 - $300,000

About The Position

Neuberger Berman’s Private Debt platform manages over $25 billion dedicated to credit investing in high quality North American companies owned by private equity firms. NB Private Debt focuses on performing first lien, senior secured loans to U.S. private equity-owned companies. The Private Debt team sits within NB Alternatives, which has over $144 billion of investor commitments dedicated to private markets investing. The Private Debt team is seeking a senior, non-investment professional to serve as Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) for the Private Debt business. This role will report to the Head of Private Debt and the Private Markets COO and work closely with investment professionals, marketing, investor relations, legal & compliance, finance, operations, and technology. This individual will be responsible for driving execution across key business initiatives, ensuring data integrity, strengthening processes, and managing a broad range of complex, cross-functional projects. Description: Serve as the primary Private Debt interface with the Private Markets COO, technology, data and relevant support teams to ensure the integrity, accuracy and usability of data across funds, portfolios and investors. Drive implementation and ongoing alignment of the Private Debt business to the strategic target operating model Oversee and help evolve the Private Debt marketing function into a proactive and coordinated capability that effectively supports business priorities and timelines. Lead the creation, quality control and timely delivery of key client content and communications for prospective and existing investors and interact directly with prospects and investors as needed to support diligence, ongoing communications and delivery of information. Support coordination of fund financing and liquidity management activities across the Private Debt platform, including leverage facilities and cash management needs for evergreen vehicles with ongoing subscriptions, investment activity and potential inter-fund sell downs, partnering with finance and the investment team to ensure appropriate coverage, controls and execution. • Act as a senior on-the-ground presence observing talent, processes and workflows to identify strengths, weaknesses and gaps, and recommending practical improvements. Lead and/or manage a variety of complex and evolving cross-functional projects, including: Coordinating initiatives related to new and existing evergreen funds, incorporating lessons learned from prior vehicles, adjusting marketing messaging and ensuring required data is available for effective management and reporting. Evaluating and recommending changes to external service providers. Assessing and helping structure potential investor options across funds. Driving cost minimization efforts for older funds in partnership with finance, and ensuring resulting benefits are appropriately communicated to investors. Maintain a strong understanding of the Private Debt investment process and provide practical insights on how related processes, information flows and handoffs could be improved. Provide leadership and oversight for selected investment professionals as appropriate, helping to ensure effective management, coordination and accountability across levels, in partnership with existing senior team members. Manage key timelines and deliverables across the Private Debt business—such as investor reporting, internal and external reviews, and compensation-related processes—ensuring that dependencies are coordinated, and deadlines are met.

Requirements

10–15+ years of relevant professional experience in private markets, private credit / private debt, investment management, management consulting, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated experience in a COO, business management, strategy, or senior project management role supporting alternatives, private markets, investment banking, or credit platform.
Strong familiarity with a wide variety of private debt or private markets fund structures
Proven track record of leading complex, cross-functional initiatives involving multiple stakeholders (investment, legal, finance, operations, technology, marketing).
Experience overseeing or partnering closely with marketing and investor relations functions; ability to help shape strategic messaging and upgrade processes and standards.
Strong people leadership skills, including the ability to manage and influence senior professionals and to provide structure, feedback, and accountability without formal authority where necessary.
Exceptional organizational and project management capabilities, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, set priorities, and meet tight deadlines in a dynamic environment.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including comfort working with data, reporting, and operational metrics to drive decisions.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to summarize complex issues, frame decisions, and communicate effectively with senior stakeholders and external partners.
High degree of judgment, discretion, and maturity; comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary Private Debt interface with the Private Markets COO, technology, data and relevant support teams to ensure the integrity, accuracy and usability of data across funds, portfolios and investors.
Drive implementation and ongoing alignment of the Private Debt business to the strategic target operating model
Oversee and help evolve the Private Debt marketing function into a proactive and coordinated capability that effectively supports business priorities and timelines.
Lead the creation, quality control and timely delivery of key client content and communications for prospective and existing investors and interact directly with prospects and investors as needed to support diligence, ongoing communications and delivery of information.
Support coordination of fund financing and liquidity management activities across the Private Debt platform, including leverage facilities and cash management needs for evergreen vehicles with ongoing subscriptions, investment activity and potential inter-fund sell downs, partnering with finance and the investment team to ensure appropriate coverage, controls and execution.
Act as a senior on-the-ground presence observing talent, processes and workflows to identify strengths, weaknesses and gaps, and recommending practical improvements.
Lead and/or manage a variety of complex and evolving cross-functional projects, including: Coordinating initiatives related to new and existing evergreen funds, incorporating lessons learned from prior vehicles, adjusting marketing messaging and ensuring required data is available for effective management and reporting. Evaluating and recommending changes to external service providers. Assessing and helping structure potential investor options across funds. Driving cost minimization efforts for older funds in partnership with finance, and ensuring resulting benefits are appropriately communicated to investors.
Maintain a strong understanding of the Private Debt investment process and provide practical insights on how related processes, information flows and handoffs could be improved.
Provide leadership and oversight for selected investment professionals as appropriate, helping to ensure effective management, coordination and accountability across levels, in partnership with existing senior team members.
Manage key timelines and deliverables across the Private Debt business—such as investor reporting, internal and external reviews, and compensation-related processes—ensuring that dependencies are coordinated, and deadlines are met.