Principal Launch Manager (f/m/d) [Remote]

At Upvest, we are on a mission to make investing as easy as spending money . Upvest empowers businesses to offer a wide range of investment products and the best experience in the field of capital market investment and retirement planning. Upvest’s Investment API is easy to integrate so that fintechs and financial institutions can save resources and fully focus on their core business.

We are proud to partner with Europe’s leading Fintechs and financial institutions such as DKB, Revolut, N26 and Raisin. Founded in 2017 by Martin Kassing, Upvest now brings together over 270 talented professionals from more than 70 nationalities. We’re backed by world-class investors such as Hedosophia, Sapphire, Bessemer Venture Partners, BlackRock, Earlybird, HV Capital, Notion Capital, and Motive Ventures.

As Principal Launch Manager, you’ll lead Upvest’s most complex, high-stakes launches with established banks in Germany and across Europe. You’ll own end-to-end delivery for full launch programs - spanning scoping, implementation, and (where possible) migration - while serving as the executive-facing driver of the project. Additionally, you will support / drive asset migrations from incumbent custodians to Upvest, ensuring continuity of service, data integrity, and zero-defect go-lives. You are the “spider in the web”

Synthesizing deep product knowledge with operational excellence, running steering committees with Upvest and client executives, and aligning legal, compliance, and technology streams. You’ll set the bar for how Upvest launches complex banking clients, help shape our playbooks, and mentor Launch Managers across the portfolio.

What you’ll do:

• Own bank-grade programs end-to-end - Upvest’s most complex and exciting projects!
• Support or own (depending on experience) custody asset migrations (e.g. equities, ETFs, Mutual Funds etc.) from the client’s previous custodian to Upvest
• Ensure all projects are meticulously planned, executed, and tested
• Create first-class, repeatable enterprise client launch and migration experiences : Lead and standardize securities integration and migration projects, enabling clients to build investment products on our API
• Drive day-to-day execution with Engineering, Product, Operations, and Compliance - removing blockers, negotiate trade-offs, and keep scope, timeline and risk in balance
• Set new standards in client collaboration and communication
• Run steering sessions with senior stakeholders at established banks. Surface options with clear implications, secure decisions, and maintain a crisp narrative of progress and risk
• Build trusted client relationships and foster cross-functional collaboration with a partnership mindset. Your pragmatic leadership style ensures successful integrations, motivates teams, and aligns client needs with our business goals

What you bring:

• Proven track record leading complex, multi-entity programs for tier-1 banks or large financial institutions—ideally covering custody, brokerage, post-trade, or securities operations
• Ideally experience in management consulting
• Executive communication, decision-log discipline, and calm leadership under pressure
• Expert in end-to-end project management: Proven ability to design, plan, and execute large-scale projects
• Superb project and communication skills, with a hands-on attitude
• A client-first mindset and a pragmatic approach to solving problems
• A willingness to dive into the deep end, be challenged and learn at a rapid pace
• Risk Management focus - Ability to identify risks associated with migrations and implement effective mitigation strategies
• Capable of defining and aligning technical and business requirements for seamless migration processes
• Experience in managing the custody transfer of financial instruments, like equities, ETFs and mutual funds
• Passionate about improving tools and processes
• You are proactive in coming up with an informed hypothesis, planning with foresight, and addressing questions or issues early
• You are fluent in English and German (both written and verbal)
• Strong domain fluency across post-trade and custody (settlement, corporate actions, reconciliations, tax/cost basis, reporting) and familiarity with standards (e.g., SWIFT MT/MX/ISO 20022).
• Deep migrations experience: in-specie/on-book transfers, large-scale data & asset moves, reconciliation at scale, and structured cutovers with dry-runs and rollback.
• Regulatory and risk acumen (e.g., MiFID II, CSDR, AML/KYC, outsourcing guidelines) and the ability to embed controls and evidence into the delivery plan.
• Skilled in handling migrations across a range of system architectures, from legacy platforms to modern APIs, ensuring a flexible and efficient approach to integration.
• Oversight in managing post-migration reconciliation to guarantee consistency across systems.

How we Upvest in you:

• Impact-driven work: We’re building the infrastructure that will power the future of investing in Europe. It’s complex, ambitious, and meaningful. You’ll work with modern technologies and create something entirely new. No legacy systems, no limits.
• Wellbeing: Recharge with 30 days of annual leave and maintain a healthy lifestyle with sports benefits. Access confidential professional coaching and enjoy the flexibility to work remotely abroad for up to 183 days a year. Recharge with UpRest, a one-month fully paid sabbatical after every 4 years of working at Upvest.
• Development: Growth is in our DNA. Each Upvenger has access to a personal development budget and the freedom to decide how to use it.
• Flexible work environment: Work from any of our hubs in Berlin, London or Tallinn hybrid or remotely across Europe, depending on the role. We give you the choice and budget to work where you’re most comfortable and productive, either at home or in the office. You choose.
• Compensation and equity: We believe that all Upvengers contribute to our success and deserve a competitive, above-market salary and a participation in our employee equity program.
• Team celebrations: Participate in company-wide events, such as UpFest, dinners, offsites and our Holiday party, to connect with colleagues and celebrate our achievements.
• Inclusion : We’re committed to a culture where everyone belongs and thrives. Our Employee Resources Groups foster inclusion and connection, like Upfem for our female Upvengers, or UpVergent supporting neurodivergent Upvengers and allies.

Our Values:

• Make it easy for others. We simplify the complex and act with the best intentions
• Own the outcome. We are proactive, fast and confident to get the job done, valuing progress over perfection.
• Rise to the challenge. We aim high and push the boundaries. We stay curious, learn and celebrate our wins together.
• Tell the story. We start with the Why to align on purpose. We are transparent and share knowledge to empower and inspire others.

Upvest is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.