Head of Operational Strategy

As Head of Operational Strategy, you will shape how Operations works in the future, with AI and automation at its core. You will set the department’s AI strategy, lead its delivery and drive automation of operational processes. You will also own the improvement roadmap, capacity planning and first-line controls. You will build a small team and give the COO and functional leaders clear evidence and recommendations when priorities compete.

AI strategy and delivery. Set the AI strategy for Operations and own its delivery end to end. Find where AI can remove manual work, build the business cases and lead implementation with functional, product and engineering owners. Set common evaluation standards, track benefits and make sure every solution runs with appropriate controls and human oversight.

AI automation. Treat automation of operational processes as a core objective. Set targets for the share of work automated, prioritise the highest-value processes and measure the capacity released.

Strategy and roadmap. Own and build the team that translates operational strategy into a prioritised improvement and AI roadmap. Define the problem each initiative addresses, the intended benefit, its dependencies and who is accountable for delivery, and lead delivery of key strategic projects.

Capacity and workforce planning. Build a consistent approach to capacity and workforce planning. Develop demand forecasts and capacity models that help the business allocate resources.

Process redesign. Lead cross-functional process redesign, focusing on how work moves between functions and where it can be automated. Work with the Head of Operations, who owns day-to-day process performance, and agree changes with process owners.

Operational controls. Establish a practical framework for documenting operational controls and coordinating first-line testing. Help process owners identify gaps and track corrective actions, working with Risk and Compliance on the approach.

Portfolio management. Manage the overall improvement portfolio, making dependencies and resource constraints visible. Bring clear recommendations to the COO and functional leaders when priorities compete or expected benefits no longer justify the work.

Measuring benefits. Define how improvements will be measured, establish credible starting points and assess the effect of changes on service quality, control performance, capacity and cost.

• Significant experience in operational strategy, transformation or operational excellence in financial services, fintech, payments or another regulated, high-volume environment.
• A proven record of setting an AI or automation strategy and delivering it in an operational setting, from use cases and business cases through to deployment, adoption and measured results such as reduced manual effort or capacity released.
• Experience building and leading a team of operations managers, analysts, planners or improvement specialists.
• A track record of running an improvement portfolio: building business cases, prioritising competing initiatives, managing dependencies and stopping work that no longer pays off.
• Understanding of capacity and workforce planning, including demand forecasting and how to build capacity models that leaders use to make resourcing decisions.
• Process improvement expertise (for example Lean, Six Sigma or similar methods) applied across functions, with measured results.
• Working knowledge of first-line control frameworks, control documentation and testing, and experience working with Risk and Compliance.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to set credible baselines, measure benefits and present clear recommendations to the COO and senior leaders.