Assistant Director - Tax Structuring

Job Description Summary

For over forty years, HarbourVest has been home to a committed team of professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to deliver impactful solutions to our clients and investing partners. As our global firm grows, we continue to add individuals who seek a collaborative, open-door culture that values diversity and innovative thinking.

In our collegial environment that’s marked by low turnover and high energy, you’ll be inspired to grow and thrive. Here, you will be encouraged to build on your strengths and acquire new skills and experiences.

We are committed to fostering an environment of inclusion that promotes mutual respect among all employees. Understanding and valuing these differences optimizes the potential of both the individual and the firm.

HarbourVest is an equal opportunity employer.

This position will be a hybrid work arrangement, which translates to 4 days minimum per week in the office with extra 5 days available per quarter for remote work arrangement pursuant to the firm’s remote work policy.

HarbourVest is seeking a Singapore-based [Assistant] Director to serve as a key contributor to our global Tax Structuring team. The ideal candidate is someone that has deep understanding of tax matters impacting private markets investment managers in relation to investments, product offering and support in client reporting in the APAC region, particularly in India, Japan, Australia, Korea, and China.

This role will report to the Singapore-based Senior Vice President of Tax Structuring, and is encouraged to work across jurisdictions with Boston- and London-based Tax Structuring colleagues, as well as with the Boston-based team focusing on tax compliance matters, to support internal and external clients on a broad range of tax matters spanning the Firm’s diverse investments and offerings in the APAC region.

What you will do:

Transactional Support

• Assist and work with the Singapore-based Senior Vice President of Tax Structuring in the following:

  • Working with investment teams on transactions for HarbourVest funds and accounts, to identify tax risks and opportunities through participation in weekly reviews of investment opportunities brought by the APAC investment teams and assistance with initial tax due diligence.

  • Supervising of, and collaborating with, external legal and tax advisers.

  • Making risk assessments and identifying creative solutions to meet Firm and client objectives.

  • Work with outside advisers to identify transactions requiring blockers, aggregators, AIVs, or other structures.

• Act as liaison to internal teams, including tax compliance, accounting, and client services to ensure ongoing obligations with respect to investments are satisfied, and providing in-region support, as needed.

• Keep track of transactional structures and determinations, including maintaining and updating trackers for specific tax structuring matters of each target jurisdiction in the region (e.g., India, Australia, Japan, Korea)

Product Development:

• Participate in analysis of newly proposed entities/vehicles for HarbourVest platform.

• Support APAC tax reporting (including Australia and India) for new and existing products, including engaging with investors on reporting requirements for new products, while serving as the in-region lead for compliance—owning delivery of filing obligations, overseeing external service providers, and working closely with the Boston-based Tax Compliance team.

Ongoing activities

• Help draft policies and procedures and update standard forms and checklists.

• Stay on top of developments in tax law of relevant countries in the region impacting alternatives fund managers.

• Update fund documentation, as needed.

• Prepare materials for and lead trainings on tax topics for internal customers.

What you bring:

The ideal candidate brings significant experience with the tax issues impacting private markets funds operating in APAC, their sponsors, and their investors, including, but not limited to: structuring for tax-efficient treatment of gains and income in different APAC jurisdictions, as well as managing risk of local filings for funds and investors; tax reporting requirements for investors in different APAC jurisdictions, considerations for both open- and closed-end funds as well as for both pass-through and opaque structures; experience across a range of asset classes (including fund of funds, equity and debt co-investments, real assets/infrastructure); developments in global tax practice, including BEPS/Pillar 2, CRS/FATCA, or international tax policies, etc.

Familiarity with US tax concepts as well as tax compliance issues is desirable.

Education Preferred:

Degree in Law, Accounting, or a related field, with relevant qualifications.

Experience:

7+ years’ relevant post-qualification experience at a law firm, accounting firm, or in-house tax department at an investment manager.