Business Director, Risk & Compliance

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Job Description

About Us

IFM Investors is a global asset manager, founded and owned by pension funds, with capabilities in infrastructure equity and debt, private equity, private credit, real estate and listed equities. Our purpose is to invest, protect and grow the long-term retirement savings of working people. We believe healthy returns depend on healthy economic, environmental and social systems - and these are evolving on a scale never experienced before. To find opportunity, build value and meet the needs of future generations, you need scale, skill and expertise. That's what IFM Investors has built up over 30 years.

With assets under management of approximately $233.8 AUD billion (as at 30 June 2025), we prioritise the interests of over 762 institutional investors worldwide. IFM operates from 13 offices across Australia, Europe, North America and Asia.

For more information, visit ifminvestors.com.

Business Overview

Risk & Compliance works closely with our business to help ensure we meet our risk and compliance obligations, including anti-money laundering, fraud risks, conflicts of interest, and regulatory reporting

The Opportunity

At IFM, you're not just part of an investment company - but an invested one. We see the work we do as the chance to take sustainable, responsible steps forward for millions of people around the world. So, we have made sure to create a workplace that's inclusive, accountable and collaborative. Where you're given the opportunities to make a meaningful contribution and grow your skills. All while feeling valued and supported for who you are and what you bring to the team. Along with the chance to make a meaningful, positive difference from day one, we offer a competitive salary and generous leave entitlements. We also believe all roles are genuinely flexible at IFM - so we are happy to talk through what this might look like for you.

The Role

The Director, Strategic Planning and Execution will act as the CRO's strategic partner, overseeing day-to-day divisional operations, driving delivery of cross-functional initiatives, and ensuring smooth alignment between R&C priorities and broader business goals. This role is a critical, high-impact role designed to provide structure, discipline, and leverage to the CRO, enabling them to focus on strategic leadership while ensuring the R&C function executes with precision and consistency. The role offers wide exposure to senior stakeholders and a chance to shape the internal operating model during a time of growth and transformation for a leading private markets asset manager.

The role will cover the following responsibilities:

Strategic Partner and Thought Leader

• Work directly with the CRO to refine and deliver the vision for a transformed, best-in-class Risk & Compliance function operating model, including Risk Architecture (systems and data)
• Provide critical thinking, constructive challenge, and advice to ensure initiatives are practical, impactful, and aligned with business needs.
• Translate the CRO's strategic priorities into clear, actionable roadmaps for the leadership team.
• Communication: Prepare materials, talking points, and briefing packs that simplify complex ideas into clear and actionable insights. Translate the CRO's style and directives into effective, motivational communication for teams.

Execution & Transformation Leadership

• Support the CRO with the development and monitoring of business plans for Risk and Compliance with a focus on change management initiatives, capacity management and prioritisation.
• Lead cross-functional transformation and strategic initiatives, including modernization of governance, risk technology, data, reporting, and regulatory engagement and identification of opportunities for improvement.
• Instill discipline in execution - building dashboards, KPIs, and routines to keep the CRO and function accountable and aligned, fostering a culture of accountability.
• Ensure CRO's priorities are balanced against operational capacity, making trade-offs explicit.

Business Management & Governance

• Manage functional business operations: budgets, headcount planning, resource allocation, and performance tracking in collaboration with Corporate Finance.
• Own the operating rhythm of the function - risk committee prep, executive updates, board reporting, and leadership offsites.
• Proactively identify gaps in process, governance, and accountability - and close them.
• Provide governance support to the CRO and the R&C Senior Leadership Team e.g. defining operational cadence, agenda and coordinate/preparing content, discuss business planning, talent management, goal setting, performance reviews, global communications, townhalls, etc.
• Assist the CRO in drafting management reports and presentations as determined by Oversee reporting cycles, including the consolidation of departmental updates into executive-level materials. Ensure all board and external communication originating from the division is accurate, timely, and fit for purpose.
• Respond promptly and effectively to ad hoc requests, ensuring the CRO office remains agile and responsive to emerging needs.
• Attend meetings representing the CRO office and provide management support to the CRO office.

Team & Culture Enablement

• Act as a stabilizing influence for the Risk & Compliance leadership team, ensuring alignment, clarity, and cohesion despite pressure.
• Help manage the CRO's relationship with the team: surfacing issues, coaching on communication approaches, and ensuring talent retention.
• Champion a collaborative, solutions-oriented culture across Risk & Compliance, even in a demanding leadership environment.

Your Background and Experience

• 10+ years' experience in business management in a Risk and Compliance Function in a global organisation, with proven experience in a COO, Chief of Staff, or strategic operations role within Risk, Compliance, or Corporate Functions
• 10+ years' experience managing complex and strategic change projects in risk, compliance and related fields in matrixed organisations
• Experience working with diverse global teams of internal and external resources, including vendor and consultant firms within Risk and Compliance departments
• Exceptional stakeholder management and interpersonal skills - able to build credibility at C-suite level. Experience in managing senior stakeholders to achieve outcomes, including Risk Committee members
• Experience in risk management within asset/funds management or other financial services
• Experience of technical and business solution implementations
• Experience delivering using different methodologies (eg. agile, lean, design thinking methodologies) and change management in risk and compliance functions
• Experience with enterprise risk architecture concepts
• Exceptional stakeholder management and interpersonal skills - able to build credibility at C-suite level.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity in a high-pressure, performance-driven environment.
• Technically proficient with a sharp strategic mind and operational precision.
• Known for sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to lead through influence.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity in a high-pressure, performance-driven environment.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in in engineering, science, math's, commerce, economics, finance or related field
• Project management and change management experience in risk and compliance
• Process improvement qualification preferred

Business Knowledge

• A successful career track record in business management, budget management and project management, transformational programs or significant operational change projects in risk and compliance.
• Sound experience in managing by influence.
• Ability to make sensible and pragmatic decisions, and to understand the wider business context.
• Technically proficient with a sharp strategic mind and operational precision. Sound budgetary and business management experience in risk and compliance functions.
• Known for sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to lead through influence.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to identify what is important, and to focus on strategic / high impact tasks.
• Sound understanding of procurement documentation and concepts, and regulatory regime in various jurisdictions.
• Understanding and knowledge of funds management industry (listed and unlisted assets) and products is advantageous.
• Experience in delivering projects and programs in risk and compliance functions.
• Ability to hold ground whilst influencing stakeholders (at all seniority levels).
• Industry system/platform knowledge advantageous: GRC systems, Market Data, Compliance systems, Portfolio Management systems
• Exposure to some of the following would be a distinct advantage:
  • Service Now
  • Aladdin, eFront