Senior Vice President, Head of Valuations

Job description

Job Description Summary For over forty years, HarbourVest has been home to a committed team of professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to deliver impactful solutions to our clients and investing partners. As our global firm grows, we continue to add individuals who seek a collaborative, open-door culture that values diversity and innovative thinking. In our collegial environment that’s marked by low turnover and high energy, you’ll be inspired to grow and thrive. Here, you will be encouraged to build on your strengths and acquire new skills and experiences. We are committed to fostering an environment of inclusion that promotes mutual respect among all employees. Understanding and valuing these differences optimizes the potential of both the individual and the firm. HarbourVest is an equal opportunity employer. This position will be a hybrid work arrangement. You will receive 18 remote workdays per quarter to use at your discretion, subject to manager approval. For example, you may choose to work in the office 4 days per week and take one remote day weekly (typically 13 weeks per quarter), leaving 5 additional remote days to be used as needed. The Head of Valuation is a highly visible leadership role at the center of HarbourVest’s continued growth throughout the private investment landscape! This individual will develop and be responsible for the firm’s valuation strategy across its alternative assets. They will focus on governance, fair value methodology, and operating scalability in investment sectors such as private equity, debt financing, and infrastructure assets. The role also serves as a trusted senior representative of the firm in engagements with auditors, regulators, investors, and fund boards, helping to reinforce HarbourVest’s reputation for rigor, integrity, and innovation! The ideal candidate is an accomplished valuation leader with deep experience across Evergreen and Closed-end fund structures and a strong command of SEC and comparable regulatory frameworks. This person combines technical credibility with executive presence, bringing the judgment, influence, and strategic perspective required to lead through complexity, build institutional-grade processes, and partner effectively with senior team members across Investment Management, Enterprise Risk Management, Fund Accounting, Product Operations, Performance Management, auditors, and third-party providers. What you will do Set the vision for HarbourVest’s valuation function. Continue to develop the function into a world-class capability with scalable governance, policies, and operating models supporting business growth, product innovation, and more frequent valuation cycles. Own and continuously evolve HarbourVest’s fair valuation framework across all investments, crafting methodology standards, governance, documentation, testing, and ongoing process enhancements. Coordinate and manage third-party valuation providers, including onboarding, performance oversight, challenge processes, and long-term vendor strategy. Act as HarbourVest’s senior valuation voice in client communications, operational due diligence processes, and auditor or regulatory engagements, bringing confidence, clarity, and credibility to highly visible conversations. Partner across Fund Accounting, Reporting, Legal, Compliance, and Investment teams to embed valuation insight into NAV processes, financial reporting, investor communications, and board materials across a diverse range of fund structures. Lead valuation governance forums and support fund board reporting, ensuring clarity, rigor, and defensibility of valuation decisions involving all HarbourVest products. Build, lead, and encourage a high-performing valuation team, strengthening the platform for future growth while developing outstanding talent and fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement. Bring forward-looking, industry-informed leadership to valuation across private markets. Serve as an industry leader and orchestrate HarbourVest’s continued evolution of valuation practices. What you bring Deep and credible expertise related to valuation, accounting, audit, or asset management, with important leadership exposure across illiquid and alternative assets including private equity, private credit, and infrastructure. Shown technical grounding in US GAAP or equivalent (and familiarity with IFRS is an advantage) and fair value accounting for Level 3 assets. Proven record with valuation and governance across registered investment companies, evergreen vehicles, and closed-end private fund structures, including strong understanding of SEC Rule 2a-5 and related valuation frameworks. Consistent track record to review sophisticated valuation models and methodologies (e.g., DCF, market approach) and assess valuation risk. Experience handling and challenging third-party valuation agents and fund administrators. Proven ability in leading teams, influencing senior decision-makers, and operating with a high degree of independence, judgment, and accountability. Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate technical valuation concepts for executive, client, and board-level audiences. Education Preferred Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in Accounting, Finance, or a related field MBA, CPA, and/or CFA or equivalent experience preferred Experience 15+ years of experience in valuation, audit, or fund accounting within alternative investments, asset management, or a top valuation firm, with relevant leadership experience spanning private equity, private credit, infrastructure instruments across open-ended and closed-ended products within a diverse set of fund structures. ​#LI-Hybrid Base Salary Range $285,000.00 - $310,000.00 This USD base salary range represents only one component of total compensation for this role and is provided in accordance with local requirements. This role is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, which is determined based on individual and overall firm performance. In addition to salary and bonus, total compensation may include eligibility for long-term reward programs and a comprehensive total rewards package that may include retirement, health, insurance, paid time off, and wellness programs. Our total rewards offerings are influenced by several business factors, and eligibility for certain components will vary by position and geography. Please note the posted ranges do not apply outside the U.S. and should not be converted to other currencies as a proxy for compensation in other countries.