Managing Director, Onboarding & Platform Management

Axcelus Financial; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial firm is seeking a Managing Director of Onboarding and Platform Management to oversee their investment platform with over 100 options. The role requires 10+ years of experience in alternative investments, strong analytical and communication skills, and the ability to manage a team. Responsibilities include onboarding asset managers, driving platform strategy, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. This position offers hybrid work options in Philadelphia and New York City, fostering a growth-oriented environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in alternative investments and asset management.
• Deep knowledge of private placement rules and regulations.
• Experience serving RIAs, multifamily offices, and private banks.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Axcelus’ investment platform and ensure best-in-class offerings.
• Source and onboard alternative asset managers.
• Manage a team while driving platform strategy.

Skills

Negotiation with asset managers

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Public speaking

Education

Bachelor's degree

CFA or CAIA or MBA

Job description

About Axcelus

Axcelus is a market leader in the rapidly expanding Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) and Private Placement Variable Annuity (PPVA) marketplace—an industry experiencing exceptional momentum as advisors, family offices, and institutions increasingly turn to insurance-based structures for efficient access to alternative investments. With a multibillion-dollar platform and deep relationships across the world’s top asset managers, Axcelus works with RIAs, multifamily offices, private banks, broker‑dealers, and U.S. and international high‑net‑worth and institutional clients.

Brief Description

The Managing Director of Onboarding and Platform Management will play a critical role in sustaining Axcelus’ leadership position by ensuring our investment platform remains ahead of the industry’s rapid evolution and fully aligned with the needs of HNW clients and their advisors, and institutional clients. This role sits within the Investments & Market Solutions Group and manages a team of two, with hybrid work options in New York City and Philadelphia.

Position Summary

The Managing Director is responsible for building, enhancing, and managing Axcelus’ robust investment platform—currently featuring more than 100 investment options across alternative investment funds and SMAs, and mutual funds. This leader will originate and onboard alternative asset managers, manage $18B platform, drive platform strategy and governance, and translate market intelligence into product enhancements. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast‑paced environment and brings an innovative, forward‑looking mindset paired with a detail‑oriented approach to work.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Axcelus’ investment platform, ensuring offerings remain best‑in‑class and aligned with firm strategy, distribution needs, emerging client trends, and regulatory requirements.
• Continuously benchmark the platform against leading wealth‑management standards and evolving advisor expectations. This includes structure, terms, client experience, use of technology, etc.
• Evaluate investment opportunities across alternatives; ensure each addition is structurally sound, competitively priced, and accretive to the overall platform.
• Lead initiatives to communicate platform updates and fund information through compelling, scalable tools and materials.
• Oversee the ongoing maintenance and administrative demands of Axcelus’ fund and advisory‑program platform, including managing fund additions, mergers, advisor acquisitions, liquidity‑term changes, new share‑class launches, and other updates that require timely coordination across internal and external stakeholders.
• Relationship management responsibilities for asset managers on the platform.

• Maintain a continuous pulse on developments across U.S. wealth‑management distribution channels—including wirehouses, private banks, RIAs, multifamily offices, and independent broker‑dealers—to ensure Axcelus stays aligned with how the industry is packaging and integrating alternative investments.
• Act as Axcelus’ internal “market radar,” synthesizing insights into HNW buying behavior, competitive platform design, and alternative‑investment adoption trends.
• Bring forward strategic recommendations that help Axcelus stay at the forefront of the fast‑moving tax efficient alternatives market.

• Source, originate, and onboard hedged strategies, private equity/credit strategies, real assets, and other alternative strategies in funds and SMAs.
• Educate managers on the structural, operational, and regulatory requirements of insurance‑dedicated funds and the PPLI/PPVA ecosystem.
• Drive commercial negotiations with asset managers, securing terms that align with platform standards and client expectations.

• Partner closely with Sales, Legal, Operations, Compliance, and Due Diligence teams to ensure seamless onboarding, platform governance, and product execution.
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives to strengthen distribution relationships with RIAs, multifamily offices, and broker‑dealer networks.
• Support enterprise‑level strategic projects, contributing insight shaped by real‑time market intelligence.

• Manage, coach, and develop a high‑performing team of two professionals in a way that reinforces Axcelus’ collaborative and respectful culture, fostering growth, experience building, and high‑quality decision‑making.
• Serve as a senior representative of the Investments & Market Solutions Group, fostering cross‑departmental partnership and thought leadership.

• Identify opportunities to streamline onboarding, enhance scalability, and improve the asset manager’s experience.
• Collaborate with technology partners to enhance systems for disseminating platform information to internal and external audiences.
• Drive sales through origination and education of asset manager partners, relationship building, and discovery of uncovered opportunities.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in alternative investments, including sourcing, and negotiating with asset managers, and overseeing a platform of offerings for HNW and institutional clients.
• Deep knowledge of alternative investment structures and terms; and private placement rules and regulations.
• Understanding of HNW client segments and the intersection of alternative investments, wealth management and insurance.
• Experience working with or serving RIAs, multifamily offices, private banks, and broker‑dealer platforms.
• Knowledge of PPLI/PPVA and insurance‑dedicated fund structures preferred.
• Strong analytical, communication, and presentation skills; ability to operate independently and collaboratively.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced credentials (CFA, CAIA, MBA) a plus.
• FINRA Series 6 or 7 required.
• Experience managing a team.
• Comfort with public speaking and ability to communicate complex concepts clearly in person and on video calls, to a variety of audiences.

This job description is not intended to be all‑inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.