Investment Management Documentation & Governance Manager, Sr Associate/VP, Investment Management

Role
Investment Management Documentation & Governance Manager

Description
This role serves as the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (Deputy CAO) for MSIM Japan and provides broad oversight of governance, documentation, risk management and key business processes across the Japan business. The successful candidate will combine strategic oversight with hands-on involvement in documentation, account governance, business management and cross-functional initiatives, with significant opportunity to contribute to the continued evolution of the function and broader business initiatives.

About the Firm
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in 42 countries, the firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

About the Division
Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM), together with its investment advisory affiliates, has more than 1300 investment professionals and over $1.8 trillion in assets under management or supervision.  MSIM strives to provide outstanding long-term investment performance, service and a comprehensive suite of investment management solutions to a diverse client base, which includes governments, institutions, corporations and individuals worldwide.

This unique role is part of the Office of the Chief Operating Officer within MSIM. The team’s responsibilities include managing and documenting IMA business activities, handling documentation for ITM Fund (Investment Trust Management Fund), and governance and conflict management. Additionally, we manage the Japan Portfolio Surveillance function, which covers proactive servicing, issue resolution, risk management, and ongoing monitoring.

About the Role
The role holder will be based in Tokyo and will be at the Senior Associate or Vice President level, depending on experience. The position covers Drafting and Portfolio Surveillance within the MSIM Japan Office of the Chief Operating Officer.

The role will have a primary focus on providing general business support of the segregated account business and ITM Fund business within Japan. Team-members will be responsible for documentation, negotiation, project-management matters, and daily account monitoring and risk management, and will be the personnel in the first-line responsible for designing and implementing solutions to manage legal and other risks for supported business areas.

The individual will also be responsible for maintaining/ developing relationships with key stakeholders (e.g. Sales, Client Relationship Management, Product, Legal & Compliance, Portfolio Specialist teams).

Key Responsibilities

• Draft Investment Management Agreements (IMAs) and related documentation for MSIM Japan, liaising with internal stakeholders, inhouse legal and external law firms as needed.

• Maintain and update the IMA list, ensuring accurate entry into internal systems for regulatory and internal reporting purposes.

• Providing general business support of the segregated account business of MSIM Japan.

• Prepare ITM-related documents, including Trust Deeds and notifications to Japanese regulators for fund setup and redemption.

• Manage ITM data within the designated database to ensure integrity and accessibility.

• Develop summary guidelines for specific Japanese segregated accounts and ITM funds, coordinate coding requests with the Portfolio Surveillance teams responsible for these accounts.

• Provide daily data feeds (e.g., trade alerts) from Aladdin to the Tokyo Portfolio Specialist team.

• Support error and incident management processes, coordinating with MSIM offshore teams (e.g., Portfolio Managers, Traders, Portfolio Surveillance, and Operations) and arranging account coding modifications as necessary.

• Work closely with the Singapore Portfolio Surveillance team to ensure compliance with investment guidelines for selected Japanese accounts.

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to support the planning and structuring of new businesses and products.

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• Languages: Japanese (native), English (business-level)

• A motivated, self-starting professional willing to help define the shape of this new role.

• At least 4 years of post-qualification experience at a major law firm and/or in-house at a sell-side or buy-side financial institution.

• Strong legal documentation drafting skills with exceptional attention to detail.

• Solid understanding of regulations applicable to the Japanese asset management industry, including the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.

• Proactive interest and willingness to learn about investment products and portfolio surveillance practices are essential, although prior knowledge or experience in these areas is not required, as training will be provided after joining.

• Ability to balance commercial considerations with legal and compliance requirements.

• Working knowledge of investment funds.

• Ability to communicate effectively with overseas teams, including Portfolio Managers, Traders, Portfolio Surveillance, Operation teams.

• Experience coordinating with multiple internal stakeholders is preferred.

• Recent experience in the asset management industry is preferred.

Why Morgan Stanley?

• A career with Morgan Stanley means being part of an inclusive culture that encourages diverse perspectives, innovation, and cross-collaboration to bring value to our clients. You'll find passionate people from all walks of life working together to make the world a little better every day.

• We invest in the growth and success of our people through mentorship and development programs, as well as abundant opportunities to connect with peers and senior leaders through employee-driven networks and volunteer activities.

• Your wellness and priorities outside of work are important to us. Our competitive compensation and benefits package is designed to support the diverse needs of our employees and take care of you and your family.

• Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer. Our goal is to build and support a workforce that is diverse in experience and background but uniform in reflecting our standards of integrity and excellence. We are committed to support special needs or reasonable accommodations necessary to enable you to work comfortably and effectively.

- Discover our Japan Offerings: https://www.morganstanley.co.jp/ja/people/working-at-morgan-stanley

- Discover our Global Offerings: https://www.morganstanley.com/people/experienced-professionals

Our Commitment to Japan

Everything we do at Morgan Stanley is guided by our five core values: do the right thing, put clients first, lead with exceptional ideas, commit to diversity and inclusion, and give back. Since opening a representative office in Tokyo in 1970, we have been one of the largest and most active foreign financial firms in Japan providing investment banking, sales & trading, real estate, and investment management services.

Our People (English): https://www.morganstanley.com/articles/who-we-are

Our People (Japanese): https://www.morganstanley.co.jp/ja/people

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years.  Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices​ into your browser.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background.  Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.

Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.

For more information, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/people-opportunities/eeo.