Head of Operational Strategy

Role overview

AI strategy and automation

• Set Operations’ AI strategy and own its end-to-end delivery with functional, product and engineering owners.
• Identify AI opportunities, build business cases, establish evaluation standards and track benefits.
• Ensure AI solutions use appropriate controls and human oversight.
• Set targets for automated work, prioritize high-value processes and measure capacity released.

Roadmap and portfolio

• Build and lead the team translating operational strategy into a prioritized improvement and AI roadmap.
• Define each initiative’s problem, intended benefit, dependencies and delivery accountability.
• Lead key strategic projects and manage the overall improvement portfolio.
• Make dependencies and resource constraints visible and recommend action when priorities compete or benefits no longer justify work.

Planning, processes and controls

• Develop consistent capacity and workforce planning, demand forecasts and capacity models to guide resource allocation.
• Lead cross-functional process redesign with process owners, focusing on handoffs and automation opportunities.
• Establish frameworks for operational-control documentation and first-line testing.
• Work with Risk and Compliance to identify gaps and track corrective actions.
• Measure effects on service quality, controls, capacity and cost using credible baselines.

Required experience and qualifications

• Significant experience in operational strategy, transformation or operational excellence in financial services, fintech, payments or another regulated, high-volume environment.
• Proven experience setting and delivering operational AI or automation strategy, from use cases and business cases to deployment, adoption and measured results.
• Experience building and leading an operations, analytics, planning or improvement team.
• Track record managing an improvement portfolio, prioritizing initiatives, managing dependencies and stopping work that no longer delivers value.
• Understanding of capacity planning, workforce planning, demand forecasting and capacity modeling.
• Cross-functional process improvement expertise, such as Lean, Six Sigma or similar methods, with measured results.
• Working knowledge of first-line controls, documentation and testing, and experience working with Risk and Compliance.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to measure benefits and present recommendations to senior leaders.

Preferred experience and tools

• Online brokerage, trading platform or digital banking experience is a plus.
• Experience with operations across multiple regulated entities or countries is a plus.
• Familiarity with LLM tools, workflow automation, RPA, Tableau, Jira, workforce management or process mining platforms is a plus.
• A recognized portfolio, programme or project management qualification is a plus.

Benefits

• The posting mentions competitive salary, annual leave, medical insurance, pension benefits, an employee referral program and two paid volunteer days each year.
• The company offers up to 30 extra days of remote work from anywhere through a workation benefit, subject to restrictions.

Hiring process