Manager, Investment Operations

Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, National Christian Foundation (NCF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable grantmaking ministry that provides creative giving solutions and inspires biblical generosity among Christian families, advisors, and charities. NCF has received more than $33 billion in contributions and made more than $25 billion in giver-recommended grants to 90,000 charities. NCF is an industry leader in accepting gifts of appreciated assets such as stocks, real estate, and business interests, which enable givers to save taxes and maximize charitable gifts. We combine a faith-based approach and like-minded local presence with the support and expertise of a trusted national organization. Learn more at Position Overview The Manager, Investment Operations provides leadership, coaching, and operational oversight for NCF’s Separately Managed Accounts (SMA) service offering. This role ensures excellence in day-to-day operations, builds strong relationships with financial advisors and internal partners, and drives continuous improvement across investment processes, policies, and team capabilities. Leading a team of four Investment Operations Associates, the Manager is responsible for developing talent, refining workflows, ensuring compliance with NCF investment policies, and serving as an escalation point for complex SMA inquiries and operational challenges. This leader plays a key role in strengthening the consistency, quality, and scalability of NCF’s investment operations in support of our mission to mobilize biblical generosity. This position is hybrid based out of our office in Alpharetta, GA. Reports to Director, Investment Operations Management/Supervision Investment Associates and Senior Investment Associates Duties and Responsibilities Team Leadership & Development Provides day-to-day leadership, coaching, and performance management for the Investment Operations Associates. Establishes clear goals, accountability standards, and developmental plans to support team growth and operational excellence. Monitors workload and resource allocation; adjusts priorities to ensure efficient team execution. Fosters a culture of collaboration, service, professionalism, and continuous improvement. Operational Oversight of SMA Lifecycle Oversees the end-to-end SMA process, including account establishment, documentation review, onboarding coordination, and cash movement execution. Serves as an escalation point for complex advisor questions, operational issues, and brokerage or custodial inquiries. Ensures timely, accurate processing of account maintenance activities and charitable contribution reporting. Maintains deep knowledge of the SMA offering in order to support the team and internal stakeholders. Relationship Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration Strengthens partnerships with financial advisor teams, NCF local offices, and internal departments including Legal, Cash Operations, Donor Operations, and the broader Investments Team. Provides subject matter expertise on SMA operations and helps resolve multi-department challenges. Represents the Investment Operations function in cross-department initiatives and strategic efforts. Compliance & Policy Stewardship Ensures team adherence to NCF’s investment policies, required documentation standards, and SMA eligibility guidelines. Works with the Investments Team to address emerging compliance issues or complicated account situations. Contributes to the development and refinement of policies, role definitions, and operational standards. Process Management & Continuous Improvement Identifies inefficiencies and leads initiatives to streamline workflows, enhance accuracy, and improve the user experience for advisors and NCF offices. Partners with the Director, Investment Operations to implement process enhancements, system improvements, and new operational capabilities. Supports cross-functional strategic projects that strengthen the scalability of NCF’s investment operations. Other Duties Assists with department-wide initiatives, special projects, and other tasks as assigned. Serves as a representative of the Investments team in business planning, audits, and organizational improvement efforts. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily and have reliable attendance. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Christ Centered Profession that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and a growing, committed relationship with Jesus Christ Dedication to biblical Christianity and a lifestyle that is consistent with the teachings of Jesus and the Bible Agreement, support, and alignment of NCF’s Statement of Faith, mission, vision, and values Demonstrates the values of faithfulness, love, and service Education Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting, economics, or related field preferred. Experience 5-7 years of experience in investment operations, advisory support, or a related financial services environment. Minimum 2-3 years of leadership, team lead, or supervisory experience strongly preferred. Experience working directly with financial advisors, broker-dealers, or asset managers. Working knowledge of investment products including SMAs, mutual funds, ETFs, and brokerage operations. Familiarity with charitable giving, foundations, or nonprofit environments helpful. Knowledge & Skills Strong understanding of SMA structures, investment account operations, and related compliance requirements. Solid accounting knowledge including debits, credits, and reconciliation concepts. Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook); comfort learning new systems. Demonstrated problem-solving ability, especially in fast-moving or complex situations. Ability to balance relational engagement with operational accuracy and discipline. Competencies Strong leadership, coaching, and team-building capabilities. Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities. Keen attention to detail and commitment to high accuracy. Professionalism, integrity, discretion, and sound judgment. Effective relationship-building skills across diverse teams and organizational levels. Adaptability and proactive mindset with a service orientation. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. A giver-centered, mission-aligned approach to work. #J-18808-Ljbffr