Operations Transformation Manager

About the role

The Operations Transformation Manager leads the transformation of the Bank's central and branch operations by identifying, prioritizing and delivering initiatives that first simplify processes and then apply automation, document intelligence or AI, aligned with the Bank's strategic objectives. The role coordinates with the Chief Operating Officer, operations departments, IT, Finance, the AI Unit and Model Validation to improve efficiency and cost-to-serve.

Key responsibilities

• Map and baseline end-to-end operations processes, maintaining the operations process inventory and the technical-debt view.
• Own the operations initiative portfolio, scoring and sequencing initiatives by value, complexity and risk.
• Redesign processes before automation and recommend the right solution: process redesign, RPA, document intelligence, AI or system change.
• Take initiatives through the G0 to G4 governance gates with the AI Unit and Model Validation, with a baseline and named benefit owner for each.
• Lead delivery with Operations, IT and Data teams, including fusion teams, and resolve blockers to keep initiatives on scope, timeline and budget.
• Lead change management, training and adoption, and ensure changes are reflected in policies and day-to-day practice.
• Track realized benefits with Finance and report progress, challenges and achievements to the COO, the Chief Data & AI Officer and the Executive Committee.
• Define KPIs such as cycle-time and cost-to-serve reduction and adoption, and promote continuous improvement by removing work before automation.
• Coordinate with technology and automation vendors, and with advisory firms and industry peers as required.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Engineering or a related field; a master's degree is preferred.
• Minimum 10 to 12 years of experience in banking operations, including at least 5 years leading transformation, process re-engineering or automation at a bank.
• Hands-on experience in payments, remittances, clearing, deposits, loan processing or card operations.
• Professional certification in Project Management (PMP), Agile or Lean Six Sigma is preferred.
• Excellent written and spoken communication in Arabic and English.
• Experience with a foreign-branch or cross-border operation is an advantage.

Required skills

• Strong knowledge of BPMN process mapping and Lean or Six Sigma methods, with measurable cost or turnaround savings delivered.
• Working knowledge of RPA, intelligent document processing and AI use cases, sufficient to challenge vendors.
• Strong business-case and benefits-tracking discipline, with comfort working with data.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills at department-head level, with proven change leadership.