Senior Manager, Fund Operations

Thornburg Investment Management•Santa Fe, NM

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Fund Operations, oversees the funds’ Transfer Agent and leads the execution and governance of intermediary payment, contracting, and oversight processes that support distribution and shareholder servicing for Thornburg mutual funds. The role leads review, approval, and administration of intermediary and service-provider payments, including 12b-1, shareholder servicing, revenue sharing, and other fee arrangements. The position provides leadership for Fund Operations, serves as a subject matter expert and escalation point, supports board and committee reporting, and drives initiatives to improve operational effectiveness, scalability, and risk management. It works across internal business functions and with external intermediaries and service providers, and contributes to operational strategy and organizational planning.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
10–15+ years of progressive experience in fund operations or intermediary operations, including at least 5 years in managerial or leadership roles.
Demonstrated experience designing and managing intermediary oversight, vendor oversight, and payment management programs.
Demonstrated experience supporting SEC examinations, internal audits, and compliance reviews.
Demonstrated experience evaluating operational risks and implementing control frameworks.
Experience managing significant operational vendor relationships.
Active participation in industry organizations such as ICI, NICSA, DTCC working groups, or similar forums.
Excellent written and oral communication skills; strong analytical ability to ask probing questions, explain complex technical information to non-technical audiences, and deliver concise feedback.
Required FINRA licenses: Series 7, Series 24, and Series 99.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage intermediary payment administration, contracting, and oversight functions, including coaching, mentoring, and performance management for team members.
Establish team goals, key performance indicators, and operational service standards; implement improvements to efficiency, scalability, controls, and risk mitigation.
Direct review, approval, and administration of intermediary arrangements, including 12b-1, shareholder servicing, marketing support, DCIO servicing, and other distribution-related payments.
Oversee intermediary agreement lifecycles and ensure contractual obligations, fee arrangements, and service commitments are reflected accurately in operational processes.
Design, administer, and enhance the intermediary oversight program, assess operational, compliance, and service risks, and track remediation activities.
Collaborate with Sales, Distribution, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Fund Administration, and Operations on intermediary relationships, regulatory requirements, and operational matters.
Develop and maintain procedures, controls, and documentation; participate in audits, regulatory examinations, and due diligence reviews.
Prepare and present reporting on intermediary payments, contractual arrangements, and oversight activities, including annual board reporting.
Maintain working relationships with intermediary firms, custodians, transfer agents, service providers, distribution partners, and operational contacts at other fund companies.
Serve as a subject matter expert and escalation point for complex operational issues, and lead resolution of intermediary operational or contractual matters.
Evaluate intermediary arrangements, distribution partnerships, and service models for operational risk and feasibility.
Support product launches, fund mergers, share class initiatives, and distribution strategy changes.
Drive automation and technology initiatives to improve payment processing, contract management, and oversight capabilities.
Contribute to long-term operational strategy and organizational planning for Fund Operations.
Perform other duties as assigned.