Operational Change Product Owner - Onboarding & KYC Transformation - Director (AVP Equivalent)

96 Morgan Stanley UK Ltd; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan Stanley is seeking an Operational Change Product Owner to shape and deliver changes across Onboarding and KYC within a global banking environment. You will work with Operations, Technology, Compliance and Risk to improve how onboarding and KYC processes are designed, delivered and embedded.

You will own the product roadmap, translate requirements into clear user stories and acceptance criteria, and drive end-to-end delivery with a strong emphasis on automation, efficiency and risk

Qualifications

• Strong experience in operational change, product ownership, transformation, or delivery within financial services.
• Good understanding of Onboarding and KYC, AML, client lifecycle processes.
• Proactive, delivery-focused mindset with ability to challenge and move work forward.
• Strong communication skills to engage senior stakeholders and align teams.
• Ownership mindset and practical delivery experience valued.

Responsibilities

• Own and shape the product roadmap for onboarding and KYC changes.
• Prioritise outcomes using data, insights and stakeholder feedback.
• Act as a connector across Operations, Technology, Compliance, Risk and senior stakeholders.
• Translate complex requirements into clear outcomes and delivery plans.
• Build alignment and momentum across a broad stakeholder group.
• Drive end-to-end delivery with pace and quality outcomes.
• Prioritise backlog by customer impact, risk, regulatory timelines and value.
• Identify opportunities to simplify onboarding and KYC workflows and reduce manual effort.
• Deliver scalable, sustainable solutions for a connected change ecosystem.
• Champion continuous improvement, automation, and practical innovation.
• Maintain alignment with AML, KYC, sanctions screening and monitoring standards.
• Embed risk controls into product design with risk/compliance teams.

Skills

Operational change

Product ownership

Business analysis

Transformation

Delivery focus

Job description

About the Role We are looking for a driven and hands-on Operational Change Product Owner to help shape and deliver meaningful change across the Onboarding and KYC ecosystem within a global banking environment. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about change, enjoys solving complex operational problems, and can bring energy, structure, and pace to delivery. You will work closely with Operations, Technology, Compliance, Risk, and senior stakeholders to improve how onboarding and KYC processes are designed, delivered, and embedded.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Own and shape the product roadmap for operational change across onboarding and KYC, aligned to business priorities, regulatory expectations, and user needs.
• Bring a delivery mindset, using data, insights, and stakeholder feedback to prioritise the right outcomes and drive measurable impact.

Stakeholder Engagement & Influence

• Act as a key connector across Operations, Technology, Compliance, Risk, and senior business stakeholders.
• Turn complex requirements into clear business outcomes, practical delivery plans, and simple messages that teams can act on.
• Build strong relationships, create alignment, and keep momentum across a broad and fast-moving stakeholder group.

Delivery & Execution Excellence

• Translate operational pain points, regulatory needs, and business priorities into clear requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
• Drive end-to-end delivery with pace, ownership, and a strong focus on quality outcomes.
• Prioritise the backlog based on customer impact, operational risk, regulatory timelines, and business value.

Innovation & Process Optimization

• Identify opportunities to simplify onboarding and KYC workflows, reduce manual effort, and improve the colleague and client experience.
• Help deliver scalable, sustainable solutions that support a stronger and more connected operational change ecosystem.
• Champion continuous improvement, automation, and practical innovation across the change agenda.

Governance & Compliance

• Maintain alignment with global regulatory standards (AML, KYC, sanctions screening and monitoring).
• Partner with risk and compliance teams to embed controls into product design.

What Success Looks Like

• Clear, measurable improvements in process efficiency and risk mitigation.
• Strong stakeholder trust and executive buy-in for product strategy.
• Delivery of automation initiatives that reduce manual intervention and errors.
• A roadmap that balances innovation with compliance, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Strong experience in operational change, product ownership, business analysis, transformation, or delivery within financial services.
• Good understanding of Onboarding, KYC, AML, client lifecycle management, or related risk and regulatory processes.
• A proactive, go-getter mindset with the confidence to challenge, solve problems, and move work forward.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage senior stakeholders and bring teams with you.
• A delivery-focused approach, with the resilience, curiosity, and ownership needed to succeed in a fast‑paced change environment.
• Relevant qualifications in business, operations, finance, risk, technology, change management, or a related discipline would be helpful; practical delivery experience and a strong ownership mindset are equally valued.

#LI-GB1 #GLOPS

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work‑life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

Certified Persons Regulatory Requirements:

If this role is deemed a Certified role and may require the role holder to hold mandatory regulatory qualifications or the minimum qualifications to meet internal company benchmarks.

Flexible work statement

Interested in flexible working opportunities? Morgan Stanley empowers employees to have greater freedom of choice through flexible working arrangements.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents. Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.

In each line of business, we strive to demonstrate our belief in the power of transformative thinking, innovative strategies and leading-edge solutions—and in the ability of capital to work for the benefit of all society.