HEAD OF INVESTMENTS | Chief Investment Officer, DUBAI

LOCATION:  Dubai

EXPERIENCE: 12+ years

REPORTS TO:  Founder / Board

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are retained by a Singapore-incorporated Variable Capital Company operating a global multi-asset investment platform across quantitative trading, cross-asset arbitrage, public equities, special situations, and selective private-market investments. The firm is active across Asia, Europe, and North America, deploying proprietary AI and ML-driven research infrastructure with 24/7 execution capability.

This is a firm-building mandate, not a portfolio management assignment. The Head of Investments will serve as the senior investment authority across every sleeve of the portfolio, with full ownership of investment strategy, capital allocation, portfolio construction, risk governance, and team leadership. The title reflects the firm's current stage. The mandate is functionally equivalent to that of a Chief Investment Officer.

THE INVESTMENT PLATFORM

The portfolio spans five integrated strategy sleeves:

Strategy Sleeve

• Quantitative Trading and Cross-Asset Arbitrage
• Core mandate, approximately 75% of AUM
• Global Public Equities and Tactical Allocation
• Systematic and discretionary overlay
• Special Situations and Structured Opportunities
• Opportunistic, high-conviction
• Private Market Investments
• AI, Defense Tech, Edtech, Healthcare
• Digital Assets (within Quant/Arbitrage)
• Integrated into core systematic strategies

To be clear, the quant and arbitrage mandate is the engine of the platform. Candidates who come exclusively from discretionary or venture backgrounds will not be considered.

WHAT THE ROLE REQUIRES

This person will own the full investment function. The scope includes:

Defining and continuously refining the overall investment framework across all strategy sleeves 

Allocating capital across strategies, managing risk budgets, and setting position-level parameters 

Chairing or co-chairing the investment committee and establishing rigorous governance protocols 

Overseeing the full lifecycle of quant strategy development, from research through to live deployment and ongoing monitoring 

Leading or co-leading special situations sourcing, underwriting, and IC approval 

Setting the framework for private market capital allocation, including stage preference and co-investment criteria 

Evaluating digital asset strategies with the same rigour applied to traditional markets, including venue risk, custody architecture, and basis arbitrage mechanics 

Serving as a senior face of the firm with LPs, family offices, and institutional counterparties 

Building, leading, and retaining a high-performance investment team as the platform scales

THE CANDIDATE

We are looking for a high-calibre investment leader who combines institutional rigour, commercial maturity, and genuine cross-asset intelligence. The strongest candidates will typically come from quant or multi-strategy hedge funds, global proprietary trading firms, family offices with active cross-asset mandates, or hybrid investment platforms spanning public and private markets.

Required experience includes:

12 or more years of relevant experience across asset management, hedge funds, proprietary trading, or institutional investment platforms 

Proven portfolio leadership responsibility, not just analytical contribution Strong and demonstrable exposure to quantitative strategies and arbitrage frameworks Track record in global equities and multi-asset investing across different market regimes Experience evaluating or executing special situations and structured transactions Meaningful involvement in private-market investments, particularly in innovation-led sectors Operating history in institutional environments with real risk controls, investment committees, and governance structures

 If you have managed capital but not built and governed an investment process, this is not the right fit.

LOCATION

Dubai. This is a full-time, on-the-ground role. Relocation support is available for the right profile. Remote arrangements are not under consideration.

COMPENSATION

Competitive and commensurate with the calibre of mandate. Structured to reflect the seniority and firm-building nature of the role.

HOW TO APPLY

This search is being conducted exclusively by Emerald Zebra, retained executive search specialists. All enquiries are handled in strict confidence. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

Donna Stephenson | Founder and Principal, Emerald Zebra

Please share your CV alongside a brief note on your most relevant investment leadership experience. Do not apply if you do not meet the quant or multi-asset experience requirements outlined above.

This is a confidential search. The client organisation is not disclosed at this stage. All applications are held in strict confidence by Emerald Zebra.