Job Description

Interim COO of Private Market Alternatives (Consultant)
YOU MUST HAVE SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE SETTING UP AND MANAGING FUNDS IN MAURITIUS

• Duration: 6-month consultancy with defined deliverables; possibility of extension or full-time conversion (optional)
• Availability: Part-time (~3 days/week) or full-time depending on candidate and deliverables
• Location: Remote / Hybrid (Mauritius or London preferred, EMEA but flexible)
• Start: ASAP
• Compensation: Competitive monthly rate; commensurate with global COO consulting standards

My client:

• A leading Nigerian investment manager with over 30 years of experience across public and private markets
• Their vision is to build a pan-African institutional investment platform that integrates traditional asset management and alternatives into a unified structure aligned with global best practices
• As part of this vision, they are seeking to scale private credit, infrastructure, and structured capital funds - this will require strong operational leadership to bring its Mauritius-based structures and investor interfaces to international standards

The Role:

• My client is seeking an experienced Interim COO of Alternatives (Private Markets) to help institutionalize its alternatives platform during this key growth phase. This individual will provide expert guidance on fund structuring, operations, compliance, and LP-aligned workflows - especially for Mauritius-domiciled funds
• You will work closely with the Group CEO and CIO to design, benchmark, and stress-test my client's fund architecture and operating model across private credit, infrastructure, and trade finance funds. The goal is to build a globally credible, regulator-compliant, LP-friendly alternatives platform ready for scale and syndication

Key Objectives:

• Fund Operating Model Design - Design a scalable operating and legal architecture for the Mauritius-based fund platform

• Assess and recommend appropriate GP/LP structures, sub-fund creation, SPV use, feeder arrangements, and fund admin integrations
• Align fund operations with LP preferences (e.g., segregated accounts, waterfall mechanics, investor onboarding flows)
• Process & Workflow Blueprinting
• Map and refine end-to-end workflows across fund formation, capital calls, NAV calculation, reporting, and redemption/liquidity
• Recommend roles and responsibilities across legal, ops, IR, and compliance, especially in Mauritius vs. Nigeria handoffs
• Design onboarding workflows compatible with DFIs, SWFs, and family offices
• LP-Ready Fund Administration

• Recommend service providers and systems (fund admin, data room, KYC/AML, custodians)
• Design LP reporting templates (capital account statements, cash flow waterfalls, ESG reports)
• Set up controls for FX movement, subscription/redemption processes, and SPV transparency
• Regulatory and Tax Coordination

• Coordinate legal/tax structuring with Mauritius counsel to ensure fund design is regulatory-compliant and tax-efficient
• Clarify interactions between fund platform (Mauritius) and deal origination teams (Nigeria + Pan-Africa)
• Build Internal Capacity

• Provide recommendations for permanent COO staffing - structure, responsibilities, required experience
• Support handover to a full-time COO if appointed at end of consultancy period

Your Experience:

• You must have 15+ years of experience in private markets fund operations, preferably across private credit, infrastructure, or hybrid strategies
• Significant experience setting up and managing funds in Mauritius (e.g., LP-GP structures, GBL licensing, NAV oversight). I sense that experience across a broader range of domiciles (assuming some Mauritius experience) may be considered
• Background in PE firm operations, fund administration, or alternatives COO/CFO roles
• You will be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of LP preferences: onboarding, cash flow tracking, reporting cadence, liquidity structuring
• Familiarity with working alongside fund legal counsel, tax advisors, and fund administrators
• Proven ability to set up or optimize cross-jurisdictional operations between onshore investment teams and offshore fund structures
• Prior Africa experience is not required but must be able to structure for emerging markets
• Practical, execution-oriented, and highly collaborative
• Comfortable working with both senior management and ground-level operations teams

Skills Required