Managing Director, Investment Services Product & Operations Legal

Why State Street

State Street is one of the world's leading providers of financial services to institutional investors. Investment Services is a core strategic business within State Street, delivering custody, fund administration, accounting, transfer agency, middle-office, and related asset servicing solutions to many of the world's largest asset managers, asset owners, alternatives firms, insurance companies, and institutional investors globally.

As the financial services industry continues to evolve, Investment Services is at the center of significant regulatory change, technology modernization, operational transformation, and product innovation. Legal plays a critical role in helping the business navigate these opportunities and challenges while supporting growth, risk management, client service, and operational excellence.

This role offers an experienced legal executive the opportunity to:

• Serve as a senior legal leader supporting one of State Street's most important global businesses.
• Partner directly with executive leaders across Product, Operations, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Audit, Procurement, and Client organizations.
• Influence product strategy, operating model evolution, regulatory implementation, commercial arrangements, and enterprise transformation initiatives.
• Lead and develop a sophisticated team of attorneys and legal professionals.
• Drive legal strategy across a broad portfolio of products, services, jurisdictions, and client segments.
• Operate at the intersection of business strategy, innovation, operational execution, governance, and risk management.

For a legal executive seeking significant business influence, executive visibility, leadership responsibility, and the opportunity to shape a global asset servicing franchise, this role offers a compelling next step.

Overview of the Investment Services (Americas) Legal Team

The Investment Services (Americas) Legal team provides strategic advice and counsel to business and control colleagues in accordance with the highest standards of judgment, integrity, and ethical leadership.

The team partners closely with clients and internal stakeholders to deliver practical, business-oriented legal solutions that support State Street's alternatives, asset manager, asset owner, and insurance clients throughout the Americas.

The team advises on a broad range of asset servicing products and services, including custody, accounting, trustee, transfer agency, fund administration, and related solutions. Responsibilities span product development, client relationships, operational strategy, technology transformation, regulatory matters, governance, risk management, and complex commercial arrangements across multiple jurisdictions.

Who We Are Looking For

We are seeking a seasoned attorney, strategic advisor, and enterprise leader to serve as Managing Director, Investment Services Product & Operations Legal.

In this highly visible leadership role, you will lead and develop a team of attorneys and legal professionals supporting State Street's Investment Services Product and Operations organizations. You will serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives and key stakeholders on legal, regulatory, operational, commercial, and strategic matters affecting some of the firm's most critical products, services, operating models, and transformation initiatives.

Unlike legal roles focused primarily on a specific client segment or regulatory framework, this position requires a broad enterprise perspective across Investment Services. The successful candidate will develop a comprehensive understanding of State Street's products, services, operating models, and delivery capabilities across client segments, jurisdictions, and functional areas. This individual will help drive consistency, scalability, operational effectiveness, and strategic alignment across a complex global asset servicing platform.

The ideal candidate will combine deep financial services legal expertise with strong business judgment, operational fluency, and leadership capabilities. They will influence key decisions at the most senior levels of the organization while helping shape the future evolution of Investment Services products, operations, technology, and service delivery models.

What You Will Be Responsible For

Strategic Legal and Business Advisory

• Act as a trusted legal advisor to senior business leaders responsible for Investment Services products, operations, and transformation initiatives.
• Provide practical and actionable legal advice regarding Investment Services clients, products, and operations, including custody, accounting, trustee, transfer agency, fund administration, and related asset servicing solutions.
• Counsel business leaders on legal, regulatory, operational, commercial, financial, and reputational risks associated with product strategy, operating model evolution, client service activities, and strategic initiatives.
• Translate complex legal and regulatory matters into practical, commercially oriented guidance that supports business objectives.
• Develop legal strategies that enable innovation while appropriately managing risk.

Enterprise Product and Operating Model Leadership

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of Investment Services products, services, operating models, and delivery capabilities across client segments, jurisdictions, and functional areas.
• Advise business leaders on legal implications associated with product strategy, operating model evolution, service delivery optimization, and cross-business initiatives.
• Support efforts to simplify, standardize, and scale legal support frameworks across products and services operating in multiple geographies and client segments.
• Partner with Product, Operations, Technology, and Transformation leaders to drive consistency, efficiency, governance, and strategic alignment across the Investment Services franchise.
• Evaluate legal and regulatory implications of initiatives that affect multiple products, client segments, jurisdictions, or operating environments.

Product, Operations and Transformation Support

• Provide legal guidance throughout the product lifecycle, including design, enhancement, commercialization, client implementation, and regulatory change.
• Support major transformation initiatives, technology modernization programs, outsourcing arrangements, operating model redesigns, acquisitions, integrations, and organizational changes.
• Advise on legal considerations associated with emerging technologies, digital initiatives, service delivery strategies, and evolving operational capabilities.
• Partner with Product and Operations leadership to support business growth, innovation, and operational excellence.

Commercial and Client Matters

• Oversee the drafting, review, negotiation, and interpretation of complex asset servicing agreements, disclosures, client communications, and related documentation.
• Advise on strategic commercial arrangements involving clients, vendors, third-party providers, and business partners.
• Support significant client negotiations, escalations, and issue resolution efforts.
• Establish consistent legal approaches and governance frameworks across products, services, and contractual arrangements.

Risk, Regulatory, and Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Compliance, Risk, Audit, Technology, Procurement, Operations, and other control functions on regulatory change, governance enhancements, incident response, remediation efforts, and strategic initiatives.
• Support regulatory examinations, inquiries, remediation programs, claims, disputes, and interactions with regulators and industry utilities.
• Evaluate legal, regulatory, operational, commercial, and reputational risks and escalate significant matters when appropriate.
• Drive consistency and continuous improvement across legal processes, risk assessment frameworks, governance models, and business support activities.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of attorneys and legal professionals supporting a broad portfolio of Investment Services products, operations, and enterprise initiatives.
• Establish the strategic direction and priorities for the team while ensuring effective allocation of legal resources across a complex and evolving global business.
• Serve as a member of the senior Legal leadership team, helping shape talent strategies, risk management approaches, governance frameworks, operating models, and organizational priorities.
• Influence business and legal strategy through active participation in senior management discussions involving products, operations, technology modernization, transformation initiatives, regulatory change, and business growth.
• Build succession plans and develop future legal leaders through coaching, mentorship, sponsorship, and professional development.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, sound judgment, ethical leadership, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Promote alignment and partnership across legal teams supporting different client segments, products, jurisdictions, and functional areas.
• Drive operational excellence through effective delegation, prioritization, governance, resource management, and knowledge sharing.
• Help ensure consistency of legal advice, risk evaluation, and business support across the broader Investment Services franchise.

What We Value

The successful candidate will be a strategic legal executive with broad financial services legal and regulatory expertise, deep knowledge of asset servicing products and operating models, and the ability to advise executive stakeholders on complex strategic, operational, commercial, and regulatory matters.

The individual will bring:

• Executive presence and the credibility to influence senior leaders across a complex global organization.
• A broad enterprise perspective and the ability to understand how products, operations, technology, and client delivery models interact across multiple client segments and jurisdictions.
• Exceptional judgment and the ability to make well-reasoned decisions in complex, high-pressure, or ambiguous situations.
• A practical, commercially focused approach to legal advice and problem solving.
• Strategic leadership skills and the ability to align legal priorities with evolving business objectives.
• The ability to identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, and optimize legal support models across a large-scale global platform.
• Strong leadership capabilities and a demonstrated commitment to developing future legal leaders.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to build trusted relationships across Legal, Product, Operations, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Audit, and client-facing organizations.
• A commitment to integrity, accountability, disciplined risk management, and ethical leadership.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor from an accredited U.S. law school and active license to practice law in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 15+ years of legal experience in financial services, including experience at a law firm, financial institution, or preferably a combination of both.
• Significant experience advising financial institutions, asset servicing organizations, custodian banks, asset managers, or other institutional financial services businesses.
• Deep understanding of institutional asset servicing products, services, operating models, and delivery frameworks, including custody, accounting, trustee services, fund administration, transfer agency, ETF servicing, middle-office services, collateral services, securities lending, and related solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to advise on legal, regulatory, operational, and commercial matters affecting products and services across multiple client segments, jurisdictions, and operating environments.
• Experience supporting enterprise-wide initiatives involving product strategy, operating model evolution, technology modernization, outsourcing, global delivery models, business transformation, or organizational change.
• Strong understanding of how Product, Operations, Technology, Risk, Compliance, and Client Service functions interact within a large-scale financial services organization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead legal teams, manage complex matters, and provide sound judgment in high-pressure environments.
• Proven experience advising senior executives and influencing decision-making across Legal, Operations, Product, Technology, Risk, Compliance, and business leadership teams.
• Experience negotiating and overseeing sophisticated commercial agreements, strategic partnerships, outsourcing arrangements, and client-facing contracts.
• Ability to evaluate legal, regulatory, operational, financial, and reputational risks and provide practical recommendations that support business objectives.
• Experience interacting with regulators, industry organizations, outside counsel, and senior external stakeholders.
• Exceptional analytical, drafting, negotiation, communication, client service, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong organizational, leadership, and resource management capabilities, including talent development, succession planning, and team leadership.
• Experience supporting large-scale operational transformation, technology modernization, regulatory implementation, or enterprise change programs within a highly regulated environment.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic global environment and provide practical, business-oriented legal advice across a broad and evolving portfolio of products and services.

Why This Role Is Distinctive

This position combines the reach of a global financial institution with the influence of a senior legal leadership mandate.

The successful candidate will not simply provide legal advice on individual products or matters. They will help shape how Investment Services products, operations, and delivery models evolve across client segments, jurisdictions, and business functions. They will influence strategic decisions, help drive transformation, optimize risk management approaches, and support the continued evolution of State Street's global asset servicing franchise.

For a legal executive seeking broad business impact, executive visibility, meaningful people leadership, and the opportunity to operate horizontally across one of the industry's leading Investment Services businesses, this role offers a unique and compelling opportunity.

Salary Range:

The range quoted above applies to the role in the primary location specified. If the candidate would ultimately work outside of the primary location above, the applicable range could differ.

Employees are eligible to participate in State Street’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes: our retirement savings plan (401K) with company match; insurance coverage including basic life, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and other optional additional coverages; paid-time off including vacation, sick leave, short term disability, and family care responsibilities; access to our Employee Assistance Program; incentive compensation including eligibility for annual performance-based awards (excluding certain sales roles subject to sales incentive plans); and, eligibility for certain tax advantaged savings plans.

For a full overview, visit https://hrportal.ehr.com/statestreet/Home.

About State Street

Across the globe, institutional investors rely on us to help them manage risk, respond to challenges, and drive performance and profitability. We keep our clients at the heart of everything we do, and smart, engaged employees are essential to our continued success.

We are committed to fostering an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. As an essential partner in our shared success, you’ll benefit from inclusive development opportunities, flexible work-life support, paid volunteer days, and vibrant employee networks that keep you connected to what matters most. Join us in shaping the future.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we consider all qualified applicants for all positions without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, military and veteran status, and other characteristics protected by applicable law.

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It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.