Senior Vice President, Third Party Relationship Management

About the role

This executive leadership position is responsible for establishing the global strategic direction, governance framework, and operating model for HarbourVest’s third party administrator (TPA) platform. The Senior Vice President serves as the senior sponsor for critical administrator relationships, ensuring alignment between service providers and the firm’s business objectives. The role reports to the Head of Enterprise Operations & Strategy in Boston and requires close collaboration with executive leadership across Product, Technology, Legal, Finance, Risk, Client Operations, Tax Compliance, AIFM, and Credit Operations to deliver sustainable growth, innovation, and operational transformation.

Responsibilities

• Establish and implement the long-term vision and strategic roadmap for HarbourVest’s global TPA operating model.
• Serve as the executive sponsor for key administrator relationships, ensuring alignment between service providers and HarbourVest’s business strategy.
• Drive enterprise-wide operational transformation initiatives that enhance scalability, efficiency, control frameworks, and client outcomes.
• Influence executive decision-making by providing insight into industry trends, operational risks, emerging technologies, and future-state capabilities.
• Partner with senior leadership to support business growth initiatives, new product launches, market expansion, and evolving client demands.
• Define and lead all aspects of enterprise governance frameworks governing administrators and service providers.
• Ensure oversight of operational and reputational risks associated with outsourced activities.
• Lead executive-level governance forums and performance reviews, ensuring accountability, clarity, and continuous improvement.
• Negotiate strategic service agreements, operating models, performance expectations, and transformation initiatives with key partners.
• Lead issue management and resolution of critical business issues impacting clients, fund operations, or corporate objectives.
• Continuously evaluate service provider capabilities, market developments, and opportunities for optimization.
• Drive modernization efforts through automation, digitization, data strategy, and technology-enabled operating models.
• Sponsor initiatives to simplify operating processes, enhance visibility, improve data quality, and increase operational leverage.
• Collaborate with Technology and Product leadership to define future-state capabilities and platform strategies.
• Build, develop, and lead high-performing global teams focused on operational excellence, accountability, and innovation.
• Mentor team members and champion collaboration, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
• Strengthen cross-functional partnerships and alignment across business divisions and regions.

Requirements

• 15+ years of leadership experience within investment management, private markets, alternatives, fund administration, or asset servicing.
• Significant executive-level experience being responsible for fund operations, administration, and outsourced operating models.
• Demonstrated success building and driving enterprise operating strategies within sophisticated global organizations.
• Deep expertise across private market fund structures, NAV governance, regulatory considerations, and investor servicing models.
• Proven capability maintaining strategic relationships with fund administrators, custodians, and other key service providers.
• Experience influencing senior participants while driving organizational change and business transformation.
• Experience leading large-scale initiatives with enterprise-wide impact across multiple business functions and geographies.
• Proven ability to balance strategic vision with operational execution and measurable business outcomes.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field, or equivalent experience, required. MBA or equivalent experience preferred but not required.

Schedule

This position offers a hybrid work arrangement with 18 remote workdays per quarter, subject to manager approval. For example, you may work in the office 4 days per week and take one remote day weekly (typically 13 weeks per quarter), leaving 5 additional remote days to be used as needed.

Pay

Base Salary Range: $250,000.00 - $300,000.00 USD. This range represents only one component of total compensation for this role and is provided in accordance with local requirements. The role is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, determined based on individual and overall firm performance. Total compensation may also include eligibility for long-term reward programs and a comprehensive total rewards package, such as retirement, health, insurance, paid time off, and wellness programs. Eligibility for certain components varies by position and geography.