About Arootah

Arootah is a talent solutions firm purpose-built for the alternative investment industry. We advise and we execute, covering the full talent spectrum from entry to exit across five services: Talent Acquisition, Fractional Leadership, Talent Development, Retention & Compensation, and Transition.

Most talent firms solve one problem. Because we cover the full spectrum, we can help clients identify and solve the right one. We start with diagnosis, then deliver.

Our team has run alternative investment firms at the highest levels as COOs, CFOs, and CCOs. That operator experience, combined with 15+ years of alternatives-specific recruiting and a network of 700+ vetted advisors across 18 functional disciplines, is what makes the advice credible and the execution reliable. We also draw on a network of 600+ coaches, deploying those with specific experience guiding senior executives in the alternatives industry.

One industry. One talent partner. Entry to exit.

Learn more: https://arootah.com/

Who We’re Looking For

Arootah is searching for experienced Directors of Technology to consult to our highly prestigious client base. As a consultant, you will work with our Alternative Asset Firm and Family Office clients to provide expert advice. Having previously served in this leadership role, you have specific, hands-on experience strategically supporting the efforts of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in building, maintaining, and overseeing the full technology (hardware and software) infrastructure and operations of a leading Alternative Asset Firm or Family Office. 

Core Areas of Expertise

• Best practice reviews.  

• Developing realistic and effective action plans. 

• Breaking apart goals into actionable steps.  

• Advising on vendor selection and oversight.   

• Creating and implementing policies, procedures, and control measures.  

• Evaluating each client’s advancement toward goal actualization through key performance indicators (KPIs) and scoring matrices.  

• Special projects or other areas of need.   

• Assist and support the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in managing all aspects of the day-to-day management and oversight of the full tech stack across the organization: software (full stack, mobile/web apps, AR/VR, metaverse), hardware (IT, IoT, connected devices), cybersecurity, operations (internal, external), policies, etc. 

• Lead and manage the design, development, and deployment of new applications, systems software, and/or enhancements to existing applications.  

• Ensure application optimization and transformation to enable corporate partners continued business growth and expansion.  

• Supervise and implement a proactive cybersecurity, disaster recovery and business continuity planning mindset across the firm to maintain industry-leading uptime on critical technology infrastructure through successful monitoring, testing processes, and system redundancy. 

• Provide resource management and communication across multiple product and engagement teams that rely on and are impacted by technology. Support and influence user adoption and user understanding, such as through training and demos.  

• Optimize and supervise IT infrastructure to ensure integrity, security, and optimal performance of an office-based and remote, distributed, and growing team of employees and contractors to the standards of leading financial service organizations. 

• Oversee and provide technical direction, management support and daily guidance to IT staff, ensuring adherence to technology policies, security controls, regulatory requirements, and company policies.   

• Working with the CTO, establish and monitor KPIs to continuously track, measure, and drive productivity.  

• Generate new ideas and creative solutions to complex business problems; support the development of technology roadmaps that align with business current and future needs. 

• Advise CTO and senior leadership on issues affecting the operations and/or strategic direction of the Technology team.

What You Bring

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field. 

• MBA or other relevant graduate degree is a plus. 

• 6+ years of proven experience as a Director of Technology at an Alternative Asset Firm or family office.  

• Strong technical knowledge and expertise in all facets of IT, including Application Teams, Information Security, Business Process Management, Program and Portfolio Management, IT Partner and Supplier Management, IT Architecture Management, Digital Platforms, and IT Infrastructure and Operations.   

• Strong experience with Investment Technology vendors for both hosted and on-prem platforms. This could include derivatives platforms (e.g. Calypso, Murex), investment accounting platforms (e.g. Eagle, ePam), OMS vendors (e.g. Aladdin, CRD) and others (e.g. Bloomberg, FactSet). 

• Expertise in budget & resource planning/monitoring to ensure budget optimization.   

• Strong understanding of the business processes in the regulated environment of investment management and financial services firms. 

• Ability to collaborate and succeed in a fast-paced environment while maintaining focus on on-time delivery, customer satisfaction (both internal and external) and team morale.