Director of Operations

About Lesha Capital

Lesha Capital is seeking a Director of Operations to contribute to its growth phase in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role requires an individual who can add value from day one, overseeing investment and asset management operations within Saudi Arabia.

Role Summary

The Director of Operations will provide strategic and operational leadership across various functions, including investment operations, core banking, account administration, trade settlements, cash and liquidity management, reconciliations, operational reporting, and client servicing. The role ensures all operational activities adhere to robust controls, regulatory compliance, operational resilience, and continuous process improvement. This position involves close collaboration with Lesha Capital’s business units in Saudi Arabia, the Qatar Head Office, and external counterparties to achieve organizational objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end daily operations in Saudi Arabia, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and adherence to control frameworks.
• Approve and oversee processing for products and services including account opening, fund transactions, discretionary portfolio management, equities, bonds, sukuk, structured investment products, corporate actions, treasury, foreign exchange, payments, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Manage the complete transaction lifecycle, from trade capture to client notification.
• Act as the Operations function owner for the core banking system and other operational platforms, ensuring accurate data capture and maintenance.
• Oversee operational setup and implementation of new products and workflows in coordination with relevant departments.
• Ensure timely and accurate settlement of securities and investment transactions, maintaining appropriate daily funding and liquidity.
• Oversee profit and dividend distributions and related client cash movements.
• Ensure accurate reconciliation of cash, securities, and position accounts, investigating and resolving breaks promptly.
• Maintain a strong operational control environment, identifying and mitigating risks and control weaknesses.
• Ensure operational policies, procedures, and documentation are current and compliant.
• Maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including the Qatar Head Office, correspondent banks, brokers, and custodians.

Qualifications and Experience

• Eight to ten years of relevant professional experience, with at least three years in a comparable managerial or leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience in asset management, wealth management, private banking, or investment operations.
• Strong end-to-end knowledge of the securities trade lifecycle and settlement cycles.
• Practical experience in fund subscriptions and redemptions, equities, bonds or sukuk, structured investment products, and corporate actions.
• Knowledge of treasury operations, foreign exchange, and payments is desirable.
• Familiarity with regulatory and market requirements for securities settlement and investment operations in Saudi Arabia.
• Hands-on experience with a core banking or investment operations platform, such as Temenos Transact/T24 or an equivalent system.
• Experience in core banking transaction processing, operational controls, reconciliations, product setup, and issue resolution.
• Experience participating in or leading system implementations, upgrades, enhancements, integrations, and user acceptance testing.
• Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• A master’s degree in Business Administration, Banking, Finance, or a related discipline is desirable.
• Relevant professional qualifications in operations, securities, risk, compliance, or process improvement are advantageous.

Work Environment

This full-time position is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and involves collaboration with various internal business units and external counterparties, including the Qatar Head Office.