Director, Asset Management Asia

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Vacancy Name

Vacancy Name Director, Asset Management Asia

Vacancy No

Vacancy No VN141

Description

Description New Forests is seeking a qualified candidate for the position of Director, Asset Management for our Asia business. This role will support the deployment, management, and growth of New Forests' fund products. You will be responsible for managing an international portfolio of plantation forestry, timber processing, and carbon sequestration assets designed to deliver impactful outcomes and financial returns.

About New Forests

About New Forests New Forests is a global investment manager of nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies, with USD 8 billion in assets under management, including over 4.3 million hectares (10.6 million acres) of land across the regions in which we operate. We manage a diversified portfolio of sustainable timber plantations, conservation areas, carbon and conservation finance projects, agriculture, timber processing, and infrastructure. Our aim is to generate shared prosperity for our clients and the communities we serve while accelerating the transition to a sustainable future. Headquartered in Sydney, New Forests is a Certified B Corp and operates in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the United States.

Key Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities In this role, you will be responsible for:

•General

• Assume a leadership role in the Asia business to deliver fund outperformance and regional and team strategic objectives.

• Lead the Asia asset management team by providing advice and coaching, fostering continuous improvement, cultivating a high-performance culture and ensuring active positive collaboration with other business functions.

• Demonstrate best practices in people management for the Asia asset management staff, emphasizing learning and development, succession planning, performance enhancement, mentoring, skill development, and standardization across teams to elevate organizational capability.

• Oversee the review, standardization, implementation, and ongoing improvement of operational processes and systems for Asia assets, including knowledge sharing, software/technology integration, asset environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs, strategic planning, timber and carbon sales and marketing, property management, services procurement, insurance (crop and general), research and development, valuation standards, asset communications, reporting (both financial and non-financial), and industry/stakeholder engagement and advocacy.

• Implement and maintain consistency in operational practices across New Forests Asia and the global asset pool.
Funds Management

• Primary responsibility for the performance of the TAFF and TAFF2 Funds, including financial, environment, social and governance outcomes consistent with Fund constituent documents and New Forests internal processes and systems. Support and oversight of the FFI Fund Lead.

• Co-ordination, management, and reporting of all Fund operations, to optimise the performance of the Funds.

• Oversight of the performance of the Funds asset managers who oversee day to day operations within the Fund assets.

• Co-ordination and management of Fund and New Forests operational staff, engaged in specific funds or assets. This includes staff development, training and mentoring, performance reviews and determining appropriate resourcing allocation across the fund or asset activities.

• Leading major fund or asset strategic projects, in collaboration with asset managers, with a strong focus on landscape sustainability initiatives. Close coordination with other internal New Forests functional teams, including Data Solutions, Investments, Investor Services, Finance, Legal, Risk and Compliance and Business Development.
Acquisitions and Dispositions Support

• Provide subject matter expertise on assumptions and tactics for acquisitions and dispositions.
Fund Governance and Investor Relations

• Supporting the Fund Leads and Asset Managers to ensure all funds and assets comply with investor constituent documents, internal policies, and legal obligations in collaboration with internal and external company secretarial support, and legal risk and compliance staff.

• Filling designated fund operating company Directorships in fund owned assets and operating companies.

• Aggregation and dissemination of all Investor and Management Committee quarterly and annual reporting, and presentation to relevant governance Committee and Boards, Investor Annual Meetings, including ESG reporting requirements and long-term return forecasts for Funds/Assets.

• Responding to Investor enquiries and providing periodic updates and information to meet Investor requirements.
Fund Operations

• Oversight of engagement with asset managers, including performance management and reporting.

• Procurement and supervision of third-party providers including property managers, auditors, consultants, and valuers.

• Driving Fund level ESG performance through strategic initiatives via coordination with the property managers/asset level staff

• Co-ordinating the Fund capital structuring, including review of loan structuring and taxation, actual expenses against budget, payment approvals where relevant, and review of Fund performance fee calculations.

• Leading compilation of Fund strategic plans, and financial model updates consistent with current internal processes including:

• Review of all crop, carbon, land, infrastructure and agricultural financial models and model assumptions provided by property managers. Includes provision of guidance to asset managers on valuation methodology.

• Preparation and reviewing the Fund Operating Model, to ensure asset level models are imported to the fund level. Develop assumptions for Fund level scenario analysis and testing.

• Coordinating generation of Fund/Asset carbon stocks - where relevant through third-party asset managers.

• Leading coordination of:
o Fund level budget for investor approval, ensuring any significant differences to strategic model are explained and the strategic model updated to represent the budget.
o Third-party valuations, including data handover, valuation review/feedback, compilation of valuation change analysis for internal and Investor reporting.
o Relevant tax calculations, for the purpose of calculating annual taxation deductions at fund level.
o Leading the management of Fund insurance coverage, coordinating with asset managers and other New Forests managed assets where appropriate.
o Evaluating and making recommendations for disposition of Funds and/or assets; working with the Investments team to manage an effective sale process.
Corporate Engagement

• Liaising with other New Forests functions which support the Funds, to ensure effective collaboration and task completion including finance, legal, risk and compliance, investor services, investment analytics and investments.

• Where appropriate, supporting fund raising and deployment of other New Forests managed fund vehicles.

• Liaising internally with New Forests ANZ and corporate teams to share operational information and intelligence and contribute to information needs and projects across the business.

• Contributing to corporate strategy, governance, sustainability, and responsible investment activities across New Forests business.
Advocacy

• Contribute to global advocacy of New Forests brand and investment strategy and influence key stakeholders in the pursuit of New Forests corporate objectives and those of its fund investments.

• Develop a strong network across industry, community and government which is complementary to delivery of New Forests objectives.

• Contribute to corporate communications and media liaison, in collaboration with New Forests corporate communication function.

Qualifications, Experience and Strengths

Qualifications, Experience and Strengths
• Extensive experience in managing natural capital (i.e. forests, carbon, agriculture) institutional investment funds.

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills and level financial modelling skills.

• Extensive experience and competence in commercial negotiation.

• Knowledge of corporate governance and responsibilities of company directors.

• Competence in multidisciplinary team leadership within a functional matrix structure.

• In-depth understanding and experience in the valuation of forest, carbon and manufacturing assets.

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline.

How to Apply

How to Apply We pride ourselves on having a supportive New Forests culture that is inclusive to all and we would love to learn how you can bring your unique skills and experience to our business. If you have experience in any of these areas, we encourage you to apply for our roles, even if you only meet some of the criteria.
To apply, please provide your resume in PDF format.
Phone calls will not be accepted however you may contact us through email: .
New Forests is a Certified B Corp and an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity and inclusion. We offer flexible working arrangements to all employees to support their work/life balance.