Legal & Compliance Director

Noah Holdings Limited; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Noah Holdings in Singapore seeks a highly experienced Legal & Compliance Director to support and oversee the legal and regulatory compliance matters of our Singapore fund management business. The role requires strong fund law expertise, MAS familiarity, VCC structuring, and tax exemption work, with close collaboration across internal teams and external counsel.

The candidate will manage fund formation, operations, documentation, and regulatory reporting, while coordinating with regulators and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or above in law from a reputable university or law school.
• Minimum of 3 years of legal or compliance experience in fund management, private funds, asset management, or related financial services.
• Prior experience in Singapore fund management legal and compliance matters is strongly preferred.
• Hands-on experience in establishing or supporting VCC fund structures in Singapore.
• Prior experience dealing with or supporting communications with the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
• Experience in applying for or coordinating Section 13O and/or Section 13U Singapore fund tax exemption applications is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with Singapore fund management regulations, including MAS requirements applicable to licensed or registered fund management companies.
• Strong understanding of private fund documentation, fund formation processes, fund operations, investor onboarding, AML/KYC, and ongoing regulatory compliance.
• Familiarity with Cayman Islands, BVI, Hong Kong, and Singapore fund structures and legal documentation is preferred.
• Strong contract review, drafting, negotiation, and legal analysis skills.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple external professional parties and drive projects forward efficiently.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to proactively report, provide swift feedback, and explain legal and compliance issues in a clear and practical manner.
• Fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English, with the ability to use both languages as working languages.
• Proactive, responsible, detail-oriented, and able to work efficiently under pressure and tight timelines.
• A valid legal practice qualification in Singapore, Hong Kong, the PRC, or another common law jurisdiction will be preferred but is not mandatory, provided the candidate has strong practical fund legal and compliance experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal and compliance support for the company’s Singapore fund management business, including fund formation, fund operation, investor onboarding, regulatory compliance, and ongoing legal risk management.
• Lead and coordinate the establishment of Singapore fund structures, including VCC funds, sub-funds, feeder funds, master-feeder structures, SPVs, and related investment holding structures.
• Manage and coordinate external Singapore law firms, fund administrators, corporate secretarial service providers, tax advisors, auditors, and other professional service providers.
• Review, draft, and negotiate fund-related legal documents, including private placement memoranda, subscription documents, fund constitutive documents, investment management agreements, advisory agreements, side letters, service provider agreements, and other fund operation documents.
• Support applications and regulatory communications with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, including licence-related matters, fund management compliance matters, regulatory filings, inspections, enquiries, and ongoing reporting obligations.
• Support and coordinate Singapore fund tax incentive applications, including Section 13O and/or Section 13U tax exemption applications, and work with tax advisors to ensure compliance with relevant conditions and ongoing requirements.
• Advise on and monitor compliance with applicable Singapore laws and regulations, including fund management regulations, AML/CFT requirements, investor suitability, marketing restrictions, outsourcing requirements, personal data protection, and other relevant regulatory obligations.
• Establish, update, and implement internal legal and compliance policies, procedures, templates, checklists, and risk control mechanisms for the Singapore fund management business.
• Provide timely legal and compliance advice to internal stakeholders, including senior management, investment teams, operations teams, finance teams, and client-facing teams.
• Identify, assess, and escalade legal, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks in a timely manner, and propose practical solutions.
• Monitor regulatory developments in Singapore and other relevant jurisdictions, and provide internal updates and implementation recommendations.
• Support cross-border fund structuring and investment activities involving Singapore, Cayman Islands, BVI, Hong Kong, and other relevant jurisdictions.
• Provide regular reports to senior management on key legal and compliance matters, regulatory updates, project progress, and risk issues.
• Be willing to accept a reasonable level of overtime and urgent project support when required.

Skills

Contract review

Drafting

Negotiation

Legal analysis

Project management

Communication

Multilingual: Mandarin & English

Education

Bachelor's degree in law

Job description

We are seeking a highly experienced Legal & Compliance Director to support and oversee the legal and regulatory compliance matters of our Singapore fund management business. The ideal candidate should have solid experience in fund legal and compliance work, with strong familiarity with Singapore fund management regulations, MAS regulatory expectations, VCC fund structuring, and Singapore fund tax exemption applications.

The role requires a commercially minded legal professional who is able to work closely with internal business teams, external Singapore counsel, fund administrators, auditors, tax advisors, and regulators, while ensuring that fund structuring, operations, documentation, and compliance processes are properly managed.

Candidates with hands-on experience in MAS communications, VCC fund establishment, Singapore Variable Capital Company structures, and Section 13O/13U fund tax incentive applications will be strongly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide legal and compliance support for the company’s Singapore fund management business, including fund formation, fund operation, investor onboarding, regulatory compliance, and ongoing legal risk management.
• Lead and coordinate the establishment of Singapore fund structures, including VCC funds, sub-funds, feeder funds, master-feeder structures, SPVs, and related investment holding structures.
• Manage and coordinate external Singapore law firms, fund administrators, corporate secretarial service providers, tax advisors, auditors, and other professional service providers.
• Review, draft, and negotiate fund-related legal documents, including private placement memoranda, subscription documents, fund constitutive documents, investment management agreements, advisory agreements, side letters, service provider agreements, and other fund operation documents.
• Support applications and regulatory communications with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, including licence-related matters, fund management compliance matters, regulatory filings, inspections, enquiries, and ongoing reporting obligations.
• Support and coordinate Singapore fund tax incentive applications, including Section 13O and/or Section 13U tax exemption applications, and work with tax advisors to ensure compliance with relevant conditions and ongoing requirements.
• Advise on and monitor compliance with applicable Singapore laws and regulations, including fund management regulations, AML/CFT requirements, investor suitability, marketing restrictions, outsourcing requirements, personal data protection, and other relevant regulatory obligations.
• Establish, update, and implement internal legal and compliance policies, procedures, templates, checklists, and risk control mechanisms for the Singapore fund management business.
• Provide timely legal and compliance advice to internal stakeholders, including senior management, investment teams, operations teams, finance teams, and client-facing teams.
• Identify, assess, and escalade legal, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks in a timely manner, and propose practical solutions.
• Monitor regulatory developments in Singapore and other relevant jurisdictions, and provide internal updates and implementation recommendations.
• Support cross-border fund structuring and investment activities involving Singapore, Cayman Islands, BVI, Hong Kong, and other relevant jurisdictions.
• Provide regular reports to senior management on key legal and compliance matters, regulatory updates, project progress, and risk issues.
• Be willing to accept a reasonable level of overtime and urgent project support when required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or above in law from a reputable university or law school. Overseas legal education background is preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of legal or compliance experience in fund management, private funds, asset management, or related financial services. Experience in a law firm, fund manager, asset manager, family office, or financial institution will be preferred.
• Prior experience in Singapore fund management legal and compliance matters is strongly preferred.
• Hands-on experience in establishing or supporting VCC fund structures in Singapore.
• Prior experience dealing with or supporting communications with the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
• Experience in applying for or coordinating Section 13O and/or Section 13U Singapore fund tax exemption applications is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with Singapore fund management regulations, including MAS requirements applicable to licensed or registered fund management companies.
• Strong understanding of private fund documentation, fund formation processes, fund operations, investor onboarding, AML/KYC, and ongoing regulatory compliance.
• Familiarity with Cayman Islands, BVI, Hong Kong, and Singapore fund structures and legal documentation is preferred.
• Strong contract review, drafting, negotiation, and legal analysis skills.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple external professional parties and drive projects forward efficiently.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to proactively report, provide swift feedback, and explain legal and compliance issues in a clear and practical manner.
• Fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English, with the ability to use both languages as working languages.
• Proactive, responsible, detail-oriented, and able to work efficiently under pressure and tight timelines.
• A valid legal practice qualification in Singapore, Hong Kong, the PRC, or another common law jurisdiction will be preferred but is not mandatory, provided the candidate has strong practical fund legal and compliance experience.