Director, Digital Asset Operations

Janus Henderson Investors • New York, NY

2d • $190,000 - $270,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

This newly created role will help establish Janus Henderson’s Digital Asset Operations capability within the Chief Operating Officer Department. Reporting directly to the Deputy Chief Operating Officer for an initial period of approximately 18 months, the role will be responsible for shaping the operating model, governance framework, control environment and launch readiness approach for tokenized investment products and blockchain-enabled servicing capabilities.The role will act as the operational bridge between digital asset innovation and institutional execution, partnering with Innovation, Transfer Agency, Middle Office, Fund Administration, Investments, Product, Distribution, Technology, Legal, Risk and Compliance. Initial priorities will include supporting selected strategic digital asset partnerships, assessing opportunities involving tokenization and blockchain-enabled platforms, and helping position Janus Henderson for tokenized product opportunities across its global operating regions.

Requirements

• Significant experience within asset management, investment operations, fund administration, transfer agency, custody, capital markets infrastructure, or a related financial services environment.
• Strong understanding of traditional asset management operating models and front-to-back investment servicing processes.
• Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives across business, operations, technology, risk, compliance and legal teams.
• Demonstrable exposure to digital assets, tokenization, blockchain-enabled financial products, digital custody, digital wallets, or related institutional digital asset initiatives.
• Ability to translate emerging technology concepts into practical operational requirements, controls and implementation plans.
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to operate in an ambiguous and evolving environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the ability to influence senior leaders and align multiple teams around common outcomes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare executive-level materials and recommendations.
• Experience supporting operating model design, process mapping, control design, risk assessment and implementation planning.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to organize and assimilate complex information across multiple workstreams.
• Ability to balance innovation, commercial opportunity, risk management and regulatory expectations.
• Collaborative and inclusive work style.
• Strong execution discipline and ability to drive outcomes without relying on a large established team or existing process framework.
• Fluency in English required.

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience working on tokenized funds, tokenized share classes, digital asset products, stablecoins, digital custody, blockchain settlement, or distributed ledger technology initiatives.
• Experience with fund domiciles or regulatory environments in EMEA / US.
• Familiarity with tokenization platforms, digital custody providers, blockchain infrastructure providers or institutional digital asset ecosystems.
• Understanding of transfer agency implications for tokenized funds, including investor onboarding, register maintenance, dealing, settlement, reconciliations and reporting.
• Understanding of digital custody, wallet governance, private key controls, blockchain network providers, transaction approval controls and on-chain / off-chain reconciliation.
• Familiarity with operational risks associated with digital assets, including settlement risk, blockchain network risk, liquidity fragmentation, incident response, transaction screening, sanctions controls and Travel Rule considerations.
• Working knowledge of relevant digital asset and tokenization regulatory frameworks (i.e. MiCA, the EU DLT Pilot Regime, CSDR, etc.)
• Experience working with external service providers, fintech partners, custodians, administrators, transfer agents or technology vendors.
• Experience supporting new product launches or early-stage strategic initiatives in a regulated financial services environment.
• Additional language skills may be beneficial given the global nature of the role.

Responsibilities

• Own the development of operating procedures, control frameworks, escalation paths, service levels and operational readiness plans for digital asset and tokenized product initiatives.
• Establish and maintain operating model documentation, including process maps, RACI models, decision logs, risk and issue tracking, control inventories and launch readiness checklists.
• Define run-the-business and change-the-business requirements for digital asset operations, ensuring new capabilities can transition from pilot activity to scalable production support.
• Support the design of operational workflows for token issuance, investor onboarding, transfer restrictions, lifecycle events, subscriptions, redemptions, settlement, reconciliations, corporate actions and investor reporting.
• Assess interoperability requirements between blockchain-enabled infrastructure and traditional fund accounting, transfer agency, custody and distribution platforms.
• Support the definition of operational controls for tokenized share classes, including register integrity, investor eligibility, dealing cut-offs, settlement finality and exception management.
• Define the operational servicing model for tokenized share classes, including distribution readiness, transfer agency servicing, investor eligibility, dealing workflows, settlement, reconciliations, reporting and exception management.
• Support due diligence, onboarding and oversight of external partners, vendors and infrastructure providers involved in digital asset initiatives.
• Help establish governance forums, decision-making frameworks, operating procedures, controls and management reporting for digital asset initiatives.
• Identify operational risks, dependencies, regulatory considerations and control requirements associated with tokenized products and blockchain-enabled servicing models.
• Partner with Distribution and Investments to assess client, product and regional requirements for tokenized investment offerings.
• Monitor market developments, competitor activity and regulatory change relating to digital assets, tokenization, blockchain infrastructure and digital custody.

Benefits

• Hybrid working and reasonable accommodations
• Generous Holiday policies
• Excellent Health and Wellbeing benefits including corporate membership to Wellhub
• Paid volunteer time to step away from your desk and into the community
• Support to grow through professional development courses, tuition/qualification reimbursement and more
• Maternal/paternal leave benefits and family services
• Unique employee events and programs
• Complimentary beverages, snacks and all employee Happy Hours
• Annual Bonus Opportunity
• competitive compensation
• pension/retirement plans
• various health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed