Head - Operational Excellence

Job Summary:

- A Strategic role partnering with Senior leadership & Global Controller to drive process optimisation and operational efficiency across the financial Controllership function.

- This position leads initiatives that span complex, enterprise-wide processes and diverse technology ecosystems to enhance financial reporting accuracy, accelerate close cycles and modernise financial operations

- This is pivotal role reports directly to the GPLs and partners with central Process Performance Excellence (PPE) team to elevate operational maturity across GCFO workstreams

- Drive PPE Framework & Op Ex Strategy within relevant GPL workstream to identify optimisation opportunities

- Collaborate with GPLs and work on Book of work to focus to uplift the maturity of the processes and making it leaner etc.

- Play a critical role in process mining, identifying KPIs & dashboards to drive process insights.

Key Responsibilities

- Process Transformation & Innovation

- Lead end-to-end process redesign initiatives across financial Controllership operations, managing large-scale, cross functional initiatives that touch multiple geographies, business units and stakeholder groups to standardise workflows and eliminate inefficiencies.

- Architect scalable operating models that support business growth while reducing complexity & operational risk

- Champion automation & digital transformation leveraging RPA, AI/ML, and intelligent workflow solutions

- Establish PPE governance frameworks with clear ownership, controls, & performance metrics

- Drive standardisation & harmonisation of processes across regions & business units

- Drive technology enablement and integration across a complex systems landscape including SAP, non-SAP ERP applications, and emerging AI solutions, ensuring seamless data flow and process automation that reduces manual effort and strengthens controls.

- Pioneer the adoption of Agent AI and intelligent automation within controllership processes, evaluating use cases, managing implementation, and realizing measurable benefits in efficiency, accuracy, and strategic value delivery.

Operational Excellence & Quality Management - Spearhead financial reporting transformation initiatives, streamlining reporting processes and leveraging automation to deliver timely, accurate insights that support strategic decision-making across the organization.

- Design & implement comprehensive quality assurance frameworks with zero-defect mindset

- Deploy Lean Six Sigma methodologies to eliminate waste, reduce variation, & optimise resource utilization

- Build continuous improvement culture through kaizen events, process mining, & root cause analysis

- Operationalise KPI dashboards & real-time monitoring capabilities for proactive issue resolution

- Lead defect prevention programs & implement mistake-proofing techniques across critical processes

INTERNAL:

Strategic Partnership & Change Leadership - Serve as a trusted advisor to senior finance leadership and the Global Controller, providing strategic insights on operational improvements and transformation initiatives that enhance controllership effectiveness and support business growth objectives.

- Lead cross-functional teams through complex change initiatives with strong stakeholder engagement - Champion critical book close excellence by identifying bottlenecks, implementing best practices, and orchestrating improvements that consistently meet aggressive timelines while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and compliance.

- Develop business cases demonstrating ROI for process improvement & technology investments - Foster collaboration between Finance, Technology, Operations & Risk teams

Regulatory & Compliance Excellence:

- Ensure process designs meet regulatory requirements (UK ACG, Basel, PRA, IFRS, tax & Regulatory compliance)

- Strengthen controls environment while simplifying processes & reducing operational burden

- Support audit readiness through robust documentation, testing protocols, & evidence management

- Drive remediation of audit findings & regulatory observations with sustainable solutions

Capability Building:

- Develop training programs to upskill finance teams on process improvement methodologies

- Create centre of excellence for process optimization, automation, and quality management

- Mentor Process leaders on operational excellence principles & change management

Reporting lines:

- (On Hiring) this role will be reporting to Process Performance Excellence GPL

- (From H1'26 onwards) This role will be reporting to Financial Control GPL with matrix reporting line to Process Performance Excellence GPL

Regulatory & Business Conduct:

- Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group's Values and Code of Conduct.

- Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct, across Standard Chartered Bank.

- This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct.

- Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.

Key stakeholders:

- GCFO COO MT - Relevant GPL - PPE Team - Global Op Ex team

INTERNAL

- ARIS GPT - SAP Signavio - ProHance team - Relevant Technology teams - Infrastructure & Security Teams

Qualifications

- MBA, Master's in Finance, or equivalent advanced degree

- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification required; Master Black Belt preferred

- Professional certifications (CA, CPA, CFA, CIMA, or equivalent) highly valued

Experience & Expertise:

- 20+ years in finance operations, with 5+ years leading operational excellence or transformation programs

- Proven track record delivering large-scale process transformation in banking or financial services

- Deep domain expertise across multiple finance functions (Accounting, Financial Reporting, FP&A, Treasury, Tax)

- Hands-on experience with process improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping)

- Demonstrated success implementing automation solutions (RPA, workflow tools, AI-enabled platforms)

- Strong understanding of regulatory environment and compliance requirements in banking

Skills and Experience:

Technical & Analytical Skills:

- Expert in process mapping, analysis, and redesign using tools like ARIS, Signavio, or Celonis

- Proficient in data analytics and visualization platforms (Tableau, Power BI, Alteryx)

- Strong knowledge of ERP systems (SAP, Oracle) and finance technology ecosystem

- Experience with project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid approaches)

- Advanced Excel and data manipulation capabilities for complex analysis

Leadership & Soft Skills:

- Exceptional change management skills with ability to influence without authority

- Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and commercial orientation

- Outstanding communication skills; ability to present complex concepts to C-suite executives

- Proven ability to build consensus and drive results in matrixed, global organizations

- Results-driven leader with high standards, attention to detail, and execution excellence

- Cultural sensitivity and experience managing diverse, geographically dispersed teams