Program Manager, Investor & Internal Compliance

WS Development; Massachusetts; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

WS Development seeks an exceptional communicator to own our internal controls and compliance program end to end. This role sits at the center of two connected work streams: internal controls/audit and JV compliance with institutional partners.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff to the CFO, you will manage complex, deadline-driven programs, coordinate inputs across departments, and produce clear, credible narratives for investors and auditors, while leveraging AI tools to raise efficiency and output

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 5-7 years of relevant professional experience (consulting, project/program management, operations, finance, or a similar structured environment).
• Exceptional written and verbal communication.
• Strong project management skills.
• High attention to detail and a polished, professional presence.

Responsibilities

• Run compliance obligations as projects: scope, timeline, stakeholder coordination, and reliable on-time delivery against hard external deadlines.
• Draft clear, precise, audience-appropriate written responses, certifications, and narratives for institutional investors and auditors.
• Represent the firm professionally and credibly in direct interactions with investors, partners, and external auditors.
• Build frameworks, templates, and documentation that make the compliance function repeatable and scalable.
• Champion the use of AI and other productivity tools to work more efficiently; accelerating drafting, research, evidence review, and workflow.

Skills

Project management

Written communication

Verbal communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

AI tooling

Education

Bachelor's degree

5-7 years experience

Job description

We are looking for a sharp, organized, polished and exceptional communicator to own our internal controls and compliance program end to end. This person sits at the center of two connected bodies of work: (1) the firm's internal controls and audit environment, and (2) the compliance obligations we carry to our institutional joint-venture partners.

This is not a traditional audit seat. The work centers on running complex, deadline-driven workstreams, coordinating inputs across departments, and producing clear, polished, and credible work for external audiences.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff to the CFO, you will own a visible, high-trust function with direct exposure to senior executives, our institutional investor relationships, and the full compliance and controls landscape of a leading commercial real estate firm. It is a role where strong execution is recognized quickly and is a natural launchpad into broader operational and strategic leadership work.

What you'll do

This role is designed to be run as a program. We are looking for someone who can manage these responsibilities with the discipline of an experienced project manager — owning scope, timeline, and stakeholder coordination from start to finish.

Program leadership & communication

• Run compliance obligations as projects: scope, timeline, stakeholder coordination, and reliable on-time delivery against hard external deadlines.
• Draft clear, precise, audience-appropriate written responses, certifications, and narratives for institutional investors and auditors.
• Represent the firm professionally and credibly in direct interactions with investors, partners, and external auditors.
• Build frameworks, templates, and documentation that make the compliance function repeatable and scalable.
• Champion the use of AI and other productivity tools to work more efficiently; accelerating drafting, research, evidence review, and workflow, and helping raise the bar for how the broader team adopts them.

Internal controls & audit

• Coordinate the annual internal controls testing program with our external audit partner, including scoping, evidence collection, remediation tracking, and risk ratings across financial reporting, cash management, lease compliance, and vendor management.
• Drive remediation and process improvements that emerge from testing findings — whether refining an existing workflow, or scoping and managing a follow‑on project through to completion.
• Support and help ensure the execution of annual user access reviews and SOC report reviews for third‑party service providers.
• Maintain and continuously improve the control environment including documentation, testing calendars, and control narratives.
• Administer access governance for key financial systems.

Investor Compliance

• Serve as the lead for institutional investor audits, due diligence questionnaires and inquiries, and for ongoing reporting obligations across our JV partners.
• Manage partner‑specific compliance filings and certifications, pulling inputs from departments and assembling them for submission.
• Track and calendar recurring JV compliance obligations and deadlines, ensuring each is anticipated and met on time.
• Support compliance with joint venture and affiliate agreements — translating partner requirements for internal teams and turning recurring obligations into repeatable internal processes.
• Bachelor's degree and 5-7 years of relevant professional experience (consulting, project/program management, operations, finance, or a similar structured environment).
• Exceptional written and verbal communication. You can take a complex, technical requirement and turn it into clear, precise, well‑organized writing tailored to a demanding audience.
• Strong project management skills. You can run multiple complex workstreams simultaneously and consistently deliver against hard deadlines.
• High attention to detail and comfort with structured, evidence‑based work where accuracy matters.
• Polished, professional presence suitable for direct interaction with institutional investors and external auditors.
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration. You're enthusiastic and comfortable pulling inputs from multiple departments and driving a group to a finished product.
• Fluency with, and enthusiasm for, AI tools. You actively use AI to work smarter and faster, and you're excited to champion its thoughtful adoption to drive efficiency in this role.
• Experience internal controls, audit, or real estate/investment compliance is helpful but not required. We will invest in developing subject‑matter depth for the right candidate.