Portfolio Manager & Director (ADGM / VARA)

Animoca Brands Limited; Dubai; Hybrid; AED 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Animoca Brands Limited, a Web3 leader, seeks an experienced Portfolio Manager & Director for ADGM/VARA oversight in Dubai. You will drive investment strategy across regulated asset management, DeFi yield, and real-world assets, coordinating with compliance and fund administration.

Role requires 8–10 years in portfolio management, deep regulatory knowledge, and ability to operate in a build-stage environment. UAE relocation preferred, with direct regulator interaction and governance duties.

Qualifications

• Experience in ADGM and VARA-licensed entities.
• 8–10 years in portfolio management or fund operations.
• Strong communication with boards, regulators and service providers.

Responsibilities

• Execute investment strategy across quantitative fund-of-funds and DeFi yield strategies.
• Oversee regulatory governance and compliance for ADGM/VARA entities.
• Manage fund operations including NAV calculation and on-chain / off-chain reconciliation.
• Monitor fund-level risk limits and report to the Investment Committee.

Skills

Portfolio management

Regulatory compliance

Risk management

Financial analysis

Blockchain knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance, economics, computer science, engineering or a related field

CFA, CAIA or FRM is an advantage

Tools

Ethereum

Block explorers

Job description

Portfolio Manager & Director (ADGM / VARA) Dubai Animoca Brands Limited - NUVA / Consultant / Hybrid

Animoca Brands Corporation Limited (ACN: 122 921 813) is a Web3 leader that leverages tokenization and blockchain to deliver digital property rights to consumers, helping to establish the open metaverse and its associated network effects. Animoca Brands realizes its mission via three integrated business pillars: operating Web3 businesses to advance blockchain adoption with native projects such as Moca Network, Anichess, The Sandbox, Open Campus, NEOM Web3 initiatives, and a regulated stablecoin project in partnership with Standard Chartered and HKT; providing digital asset advisory services including tokenomics advisory, liquidity provisioning, and institutional research to help external Web3 projects grow; and investment management, with a portfolio of investments in over 540 companies including industry leaders Pudgy Penguins, Yuga Labs, Axie Infinity, Polygon, Consensys, Magic Eden, OpenSea, Dapper Labs, YGG, and many others.

Key Responsibilities

Portfolio Management

Execute the investment strategy approved by the Investment Committee across quantitative fund-of-funds, DeFi yield and real world asset strategies. Allocate to underlying quantitative managers and manage onboarding, capital deployment, rebalancing and withdrawals. Deploy capital into whitelisted DeFi protocols and manage position sizing and risk controls.

Fund Operations

Oversee all capital movements: fiat and stablecoin on- and off-ramps, transfers to DeFi wallets and exchange accounts, and redemption payouts. Operate the institutional virtual asset custodian, including transaction execution, policy engine whitelists and wallet architecture. Approve outgoing wire and stablecoin transfer instructions for redemptions, in coordination with the fund administrator. Work with the fund administrator on subscriptions and redemptions, position data for NAV, and daily on-chain / off-chain reconciliation.

Regulatory & Governance

Serve as director for the ADGM entity and act as the ADGM portfolio manager, accountable for the regulated activity of managing assets. Work alongside the Compliance Officer, MLRO, Risk Officer and Finance Officer on the control framework, and support the internal and external audit functions. Flexibility to serve as director for the VARA entity and act as the VARA Responsible Individual, accountable for the day-to-day conduct of the licensed activity and available to the regulator.

Risk & Reporting

Monitor fund-level risk limits: protocol diversification, exposure caps by venue, leverage constraints and drawdown triggers. Maintain operational risk awareness across DeFi protocols (smart contract, oracle and governance risk) and exchange counter parties. Report to the Investment Committee on performance, risk metrics and operational matters. Support the annual audit with investment records, trade logs and rebalancing documentation.

Requirements

Regulatory Eligibility

UAE resident, or willing to relocate to the UAE (preferably in Abu Dhabi) on a full-time basis. Able to satisfy the Fit and Proper standards of both regimes, including having the relevant academic or professional qualifications, adequate virtual asset and management experience, honesty, reputation and integrity, a sound understanding of the applicable regulatory framework. Eligible for VARA and FSRA approval. Prior experience as a regulated approved person or licensed individual is a strong advantage.

Experience

Experience 8 - 10 years in portfolio management, trading or fund operations, including managerial or supervisory experience relevant to the Portfolio Manager function.

Depth in one or more of:

• discretionary portfolio management or proprietary trading at a bank, asset manager or hedge fund, digital asset fund management (DeFi yield, quantitative trading or crypto fund-of-funds), institutional fund operations with direct involvement in trade execution, reconciliation or custodian interaction.

Technical Knowledge

• Understanding of crypto quant strategies: delta-neutral, basis, carry and perpetual futures.
• Understanding of DeFi protocols and mechanics: lending, staking, liquidity provisioning and yield strategies.
• Familiarity with engaging in Ethereum smart contracts, ERC-20 standards, and the ability to read and verify transactions on block explorers.
• Experience with fund operations including institutional digital asset custody, NAV calculation, and fund administration workflows.

Qualifications & Attributes

• Experience in ADGM and/or VARA-licensed entities.
• Bachelor s degree in finance, economics, computer science, engineering or a related field.
• CFA, CAIA or FRM is an advantage.
• Proactive risk identification and escalation.
• Clear, concise communication with boards, regulators and service providers.
• Comfort operating in a build-stage environment where processes are still being established.

The Perks of Joining Animoca Brands

A Vibrant and Diverse Workpl