Business Manager

Albany Beck; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Albany Beck, a specialist Financial Services consultancy, seeks a Senior Business Manager for the Chief of Staff office within a major global Risk function. The role focuses on strategic planning, performance management and operating model evolution in a high‑visibility leadership environment.

You will translate priorities into actionable plans, manage governance, budgets and workforce planning, and work with senior Risk leadership to deliver objectives.

Qualifications

• Strong banking or financial services experience.
• Experience in senior business planning or COO/Chief of Staff roles.
• Proven ability to manage strategic and annual planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead annual and strategic planning across the Risk organisation.
• Translate strategic priorities into clear plans, milestones and actions.
• Provide analysis on upcoming challenges, dependencies and interventions.
• Own ongoing performance management rhythm, tracking objectives and budgets.
• Develop executive reporting and briefing materials for senior decision-making.
• Run governance and operating structures with clear actions and follow-through.
• Oversee budgets, headcount and resource planning with Finance stakeholders.
• Support evolution of Target Operating Model and organisational design.
• Maintain the functions service catalogue and responsibilities.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Financial management

Change management

Operating model

Job description

Albany Beck is a specialist Financial Services Consultancy helping institutions deliver complex change and transformation while building the internal capability to sustain it. We combine subject matter expertise with innovative delivery models that help clients scale efficiently, while offering meaningful, long-term career opportunities to our people. At Albany Beck, you’ll be choosing to work with an organisation that’s passionate about your development and committed to delivering meaningful outcomes for our clients.

Overview

We are looking for an experienced Business Manager to join the office of the Chief of Staff within a major global Risk function.

This is a broad and highly visible business management role supporting the effective planning, performance and operation of a complex Risk organisation. The successful candidate will work closely with senior leadership, with particular focus on strategic and annual planning, performance management, financial management, operating model evolution and organisational effectiveness.

The role requires someone who can quickly understand a complex Risk organisation, anticipate what is coming down the line and translate strategic priorities into clear and actionable business plans.

This is not primarily a delivery or programme management role. We are looking for someone with the experience and judgement to operate effectively within a senior Risk leadership environment, understand the implications of change and ensure the function has the plans, governance and operating disciplines required to deliver its objectives.

What You’ll Do

As a Business Manager, you will work closely with senior Risk leadership to support the strategic and day-to-day management of the function, ensuring priorities are translated into effective plans and supported by appropriate governance, financial management and operating structures.

You will

• Lead and coordinate annual and strategic planning across the Risk organisation.
• Translate strategic objectives into clear plans, priorities, milestones and management actions.
• Provide forward-looking analysis to senior leadership on upcoming challenges, dependencies and areas requiring intervention.
• Own and coordinate the ongoing performance management rhythm for the function, tracking progress against objectives, financial commitments and organisational plans.
• Develop management information, executive reporting and briefing materials to support effective senior-level decision-making.
• Run and continuously improve key operational and management meetings, ensuring clear governance, actions and follow-through.
• Manage and provide oversight of financials, budgets and forecasts, working closely with Finance and senior stakeholders on costs, headcount and resource planning.
• Support the continued evolution of the function’s Target Operating Model, including organisational design, restructuring and changes to roles, accountabilities and ways of working.
• Maintain and evolve the function’s service catalogue, ensuring services, responsibilities and accountabilities are clearly defined.
• Support effective interaction between Risk teams, Risk Stewards and wider functions across the organisation.
• Develop and coordinate communications, training and capability plans supporting key Risk priorities and organisational initiatives.
• Identify areas of underperformance or emerging risk and coordinate appropriate management actions.
• Build credibility quickly with senior stakeholders and take ownership of a broad portfolio of business management responsibilities from the outset.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for an experienced Senior Business Manager, Chief of Staff, COO Office professional or senior business planning specialist who is comfortable operating with senior stakeholders in a large and complex banking environment.

You should combine strong strategic and commercial thinking with the ability to manage the practical day-to-day operation of a senior leadership function.

You should have

• Strong banking or financial services experience, ideally gained within a large global bank.
• A good understanding of Risk Management and how a major banking Risk function operates.
• Previous experience in a Senior Business Manager, Chief of Staff, COO Office, Business Planning or equivalent role.
• Strong annual and strategic planning experience.
• Experience of performance management, management information and executive reporting.
• Strong financial management, budgeting and forecasting experience.
• Experience supporting Target Operating Model and organisational design initiatives.
• An understanding of Risk governance and the role of Risk Stewards within a banking environment.
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to turn complex information into clear executive insight.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to work directly with senior Risk leaders.
• The ability to operate independently, manage competing priorities and become effective quickly within a complex organisation.
• The ability to operate effectively at both a strategic and operational level.
• Previous experience within an Enterprise Risk, COO, Chief of Staff or Risk Transformation environment.
• A combination of banking and management consulting experience.
• Experience supporting significant organisational change or transformation within a regulated financial services environment.
• Experience working closely with senior Risk leadership within a large and complex banking organisation.
• Experience supporting the evolution of Target Operating Models and organisational structures.