Chief Operating Officer (COO), Growth Debt - Vice President / Director

Chief Operating Officer (COO), Growth Debt - Vice President / Director

Sector: Banking and Financial Services
Role: Executive
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time

About this role
Business Unit Overview:
BlackRock's integrated global credit platform invests across the spectrum of risk, geography, and liquidity. Our dedicated private credit professionals leverage extensive industry relationships across direct lending, venture & growth debt, opportunistic and special situations markets with locations spanning 19 cities around the world. This reach allows us to offer clients a "boots on the ground" approach that pairs local expertise with BlackRock's expansive global network.
Venture Debt & Growth Investment:
In August 2023, BlackRock acquired Kreos Capital, the leading venture and growth debt fund manager across Europe and Israel, focused on investing in high-growth companies in the technology and healthcare sector through every stage of their growth life cycle, from entry-level growth, mid-stage development, through to late stage & pre-IPO / exit funding, as well as publicly listed growth funding.
We are looking to add an experienced and energized operational professional to our leadership team in London. The successful candidate will likely have experience in fund management and be adept at navigating complexities and solving problems across various fronts in a high-tempo environment.
The existing COO is relocating within BlackRock to the Middle East and will remain available to support the incoming Growth Debt COO, presenting an excellent opportunity for the ideal candidate to learn and develop under the guidance of the current COO.
The Growth Debt COO is a pivotal part of our business, both in London and in collaboration with offices in Dublin, Stockholm, and Tel Aviv. This role encompasses a broad range of responsibilities and serves as the connective tissue to the wider Private Debt platform and BlackRock. The individual must be a highly personable team player who can effectively influence without formal authority to achieve the desired outcomes when engaging across the Firm.
This individual will be part of the senior team that delivers the Growth Debt strategy within the BlackRock Private Debt platform.

Key Responsibilities:
Tax and Finance:

• Collaborate with various internal stakeholders, including the BlackRock Tax and Finance middle office teams on several core activities, including working with tax on filings, fund-level strategy and structuring, and collaborating with Finance on producing quarterly reports.
• Oversee the annual audited financial statements of the Growth Debt funds and assist corporate accounting as appropriate.
• Have a working knowledge of carried interest models to oversee current awards and manage the EBT scheme.

Portfolio Management:

• Oversee the Growth Debt CorePM team across various activities, including portfolio monitoring, data analytics, fund cash flow management, and portfolio data analytics.

Compensation and HR:

• Play a key role in several HR and compensation-related processes, including the legacy Kreos Carried Interest scheme.

Legal and Compliance:

• Partner across BlackRock's three lines of defense - Legal, Compliance, Risk, and Internal Audit - to ensure that the business meets its regulatory obligations.

Product oversight and delivery:

• Own the structuring, legal and tax strategy on any new BLK Growth Debt Fund within the BlackRock architecture.
• Engage across multiple internal teams to drive a successful outcome.

Our investors expect a first-class experience; the Growth Debt COO partners with Product Strategy (Investor Relations) to ensure this and to seek continuous improvement in the delivery.

Skills and Experience:

• Excellent operational experience and skill set.
• Operational knowledge of portfolio monitoring analytics, currency hedging, and fund cash flow management.
• Experience in Carried Interest models.
• Motivated team player with the ability to work independently.
• Must demonstrate integrity and alignment with BlackRock's principles.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to build strong relationships with internal parties, portfolio companies, and VC/Equity sponsors.
• Ability to manage transaction processes with internal and external parties.
• Open-minded thought process and intellectual honesty.

Our benefits:
To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of employee benefits including retirement investment tools, access to education reimbursement, comprehensive resources for physical health and emotional well-being, family support programs, and Flexible Time Off (FTO).

Our hybrid work model:
BlackRock's hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with flexibility to work from home 1 day a week.

About BlackRock:
At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more people experience financial well-being. Our clients are saving for retirement, paying for their children's education, and starting businesses. Our mission would not be possible without our investment in our employees.

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics at law.