Operations Director - Wealth & Investment Management Operations

Operations Director Wealth & Investment Management Operations

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We are seeking a seasoned Operations Director to lead Wealth & Investment Management (WIM) Operations for a multinational financial services institution. This leadership role is responsible for driving operational strategy, transformation, risk control, and people leadership across a large, complex operations environment.
The role directly oversees 8 - 12 senior managers/LOB leads and indirectly manages ~1,400+ processing and servicing team members across multiple sites.
Key Responsibilities :
- Align departmental initiatives with core business objectives
- Identify opportunities for process improvement and risk control development within Operations
- Provide expertise on highly complex technical/operational processes with cross-group impact
- Lead Operations management team to resolve high-risk, complex issues
- Develop and interpret policies/procedures for Operations management
- Collaborate with and influence functional teams on operational processes and initiatives
- Manage allocation of people and financial resources
- Build a culture of talent development to meet business strategy
- Lead transformation of operational functions in financial services to build efficient, client-journey-aligned capabilities
- Ensure regulatory compliance and SLA adherence
- Contribute to digital strategy to improve client experience and operational efficiency
- Implement continuous improvement programs (Lean, Six Sigma)
- Develop measurement strategies in partnership with finance
- Benchmark with industry best practices
Key Qualifications :
Required :
- 8+ years of Operations experience (work experience, training, military, or education equivalent)
- 4+ years of management or leadership experience
- Expertise in Wealth Management or Financial Services industry operations
- Demonstrated ability to lead a major function or large geographic segment of a financial services organization
- Strong budget forecasting and risk management skills
- Proven experience driving companywide strategy to achieve results
- Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and senior stakeholder influencing skills
- Good understanding of Six Sigma, Lean, and continuous improvement frameworks
- Experience in process improvement and quality frameworks
Preferred :
- FINRA Series 99 (not mandatory)
- Multi-cultural sensitivity and ability to work in complex business environments
Competencies & Soft Skills :
- High reliability, integrity, and trustworthiness
- Seasoned, relationship-driven executive presence
- Strong project management, stakeholder engagement, and people leadership
- Ability to articulate issues/risks/solutions across levels
- Timely, independent judgment in fast-paced environments
- Negotiation and issue resolution facilitation
- Team collaboration and adaptability across organizational levels
Reporting & Team Structure :
- Direct span of control : 8 - 12 senior managers / LOB leads
- Indirect span of control : - 1,400+ team members (processing & servicing) across same/multiple sites