Director - Finance and Portfolio Operations

Director - Finance and Portfolio Operations

Director, Finance and Portfolio Operations

Location: Lugano, Switzerland or Turin, Italy Reports to: Senior leadership team (GP-level and CFO)

About our client:

Lithe People is delighted to once again be working with this financial and investments organisation. Our client invests venture capital in digital assets, financial infrastructure, and broader technology opportunities across the global financial ecosystem. Operating in an entrepreneurial, international, and multi-entity environment, the firm works closely with portfolio companies and external counterparties across jurisdictions.

As they continue to grow, they are looking for a highly capable finance professional to serve as a true “Swiss army knife” across fund-related finance, offshore structures, finance operations, and portfolio support. This role is ideal for someone who combines strong technical finance skills with practical operational judgment and the ability to work directly with senior leadership.

The Role

We are seeking a hands‑on Director, Finance and Portfolio Operations to support senior leadership across a wide range of responsibilities, including primarily portfolio construction and portfolio management across a range of investment cohorts from early stage to pre‑IPO and public companies. In addition, the role will cover finance back‑office operations, legal entity administration, treasury, budgeting, forecasting, and selected portfolio company support.

This is a high‑trust, high‑exposure role for someone who can operate with maturity, discretion, and independence in a venture‑like environment relying on financial metrics and robust finance operations support. The successful candidate will help manage day‑to‑day financial analysis needs of a venture firm and routine operational processes across multiple entities, support offshore structures and related governance workflows, coordinate with external advisors and service providers, and bring discipline to planning, reporting, and execution.

The right person will be commercially minded, detail oriented, and comfortable moving between strategy and execution. One day may involve working through a treasury or banking issue, and the next may involve coordinating legal entity matters, supporting budget planning, or helping leadership with a portfolio company finance question.

Key responsibilities:

• Financial analytics and market intelligence
  • Support board‑level and CxO‑level decision making with precise data obtained through desk research, market intelligence, and operational metrics across portfolio companies
  • Evaluate and quantify strategic business opportunities through high‑level business modelling using assumptions and scenario‑based approaches
  • Provide insights on market dynamics, business models, and revenue generation opportunities aligned to investment theses
• Finance operations and execution
  • Own and support core finance operations across relevant entities, including treasury, payroll, AP/AR, expense tracking, intercompany matters, and cash management
  • Coordinate payment workflows, banking activity, liquidity planning, and cash movement across multiple jurisdictions
  • Oversee execution of recurring finance processes, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and proper documentation
  • Support development of scalable finance processes, controls, and reporting disciplines
• Legal entities, structuring, and offshore administration
  • Support management and coordination of multiple legal entities, including offshore structures
  • Work with external legal counsel, corporate service providers, banks, and accountants
  • Coordinate KYC, AML, banking, signatory, and corporate records processes
  • Assist with legal structure tracking, entity mapping, and corporate administration
• FP&A and management reporting
  • Support budgeting, forecasting, and long‑range planning
  • Prepare cash flow analysis, budget vs actuals, and management reporting
  • Identify liquidity needs, timing issues, and financial risks
  • Support ad hoc financial analysis tied to investments and operations
  • Act as a finance and operations resource to leadership in portfolio company interactions
  • Coordinate information requests, financial reviews, and reporting
  • Support budgeting, reporting discipline, treasury setup, and finance processes
  • Serve as a credible point of contact with founders and stakeholders
• Audit, compliance, and controls
  • Support audit processes, financial statements, and regulatory filings
  • Maintain internal controls, documentation standards, and audit readiness
  • Ensure records, reconciliations, and approvals are properly maintained
  • Support compliance processes across finance and corporate administration
• Cross‑functional and executive support
  • Work closely with senior leadership and external advisors on strategic initiatives
  • Bring structure and follow‑through across finance, legal, tax, and operations
  • Act as a trusted problem‑solver able to progress issues independently

The ideal candidate will have:

• Strong background in finance, accounting, audit, or financial planning
• Experience with multi‑entity and cross‑border structures
• Practical understanding of offshore entities and corporate administration
• Hands‑on experience across treasury, payroll, AP/AR, cash management, and controls
• Strong FP&A capability
• Confidence working with senior executives and external advisors
• High levels of discretion, ownership, and responsiveness

Preferred qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• ACCA, CPA, or equivalent (completed or in progress)
• 7–12 years’ experience in finance, accounting, fund operations, private equity, or similar environments
• Strong technical grounding in accounting and financial reporting
• Experience with holding companies and international structures
• Exposure to private equity, venture capital, or portfolio company support
• Background in Big 4, advisory, fund administration, or family office environments
• Strong Excel and financial modelling skills
• Ability to operate in a lean, entrepreneurial environment

Languages

• Fluent or native Italian strongly preferred
• Chinese or Spanish is a plus

Personal characteristics

• Highly organised and detail oriented
• Commercially minded and practical
• Able to balance precision with speed
• Comfortable with ambiguity and shifting priorities
• Strong communicator with a service mindset
• Credible, low ego, and hands‑on

This role offers the opportunity to work closely with senior leadership in a unique international investment environment. It provides broad exposure across finance, entity management, treasury, portfolio support, and executive‑level problem solving. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting leadership across multiple companies, jurisdictions, and priorities.