Operations Director - IFA

Oxley Churchill - a Henley Insights Group Company; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxley Churchill - a Henley Insights Group Company, London, is seeking an Operations Director to lead operational development across a portfolio of financial planning firms. Hybrid role with UK travel, reporting to the CEO.

You will design a scalable operating model, improve efficiency and profitability, and drive post-acquisition integration. Hands-on leader comfortable with regulatory and technology considerations, including AI adoption and governance.

Qualifications

• Direct operational experience within the UK IFA / financial planning sector is essential.
• Commercially minded operations leader with a deep understanding of how financial planning businesses operate—from advice processes and technology platforms to regulatory requirements and commercial performance.
• Experience developing operating models, delivering meaningful operational transformation or leading operations across multiple financial planning businesses.
• Exposure to acquisitions and integration would be particularly valuable.
• Hands-on leader who works directly with businesses, understands challenges, and delivers practical solutions.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution and influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Developing and implementing a scalable operating model across multiple IFA and financial planning businesses.
• Working with business owners and leadership teams to improve operational efficiency, profitability and commercial performance.
• Supporting acquisitions and taking ownership of post-acquisition operational integration.
• Evaluating and implementing technology, CRM systems, automation and AI solutions to improve productivity and capacity.
• Strengthening operational processes, governance and management information across the portfolio.
• Building the operational capability and infrastructure required to support continued expansion.

Job description

Operations Director – Wealth Management & Financial Planning

Location: London / Hybrid, with UK travel

We are representing an ambitious and growing business in the UK wealth management and financial planning sector, seeking an Operations Director to take ownership of operational development across a portfolio of established financial planning firms. The group holds majority ownership stakes in its portfolio businesses and, supported by significant financial investment, is entering an exciting period of expansion. With further acquisitions planned, the priority is to develop the operational infrastructure, systems and capabilities needed to support sustainable growth.

Importantly, this position offers a clear progression route to Chief Operating Officer. As part of our assessment process, we will be evaluating candidates' executive leadership capabilities and board readiness, alongside their operational experience.

The Opportunity

Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the wider executive leadership team, you will be responsible for developing and implementing a scalable operating model across the group's portfolio of financial planning firms.

You will work directly with individual business owners and leadership teams, understanding their operational challenges, identifying opportunities for improvement and leading the changes needed to strengthen performance.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing and implementing a scalable operating model across multiple IFA and financial planning businesses.
• Working with business owners and leadership teams to improve operational efficiency, profitability and commercial performance.
• Supporting acquisitions and taking ownership of post-acquisition operational integration.
• Evaluating and implementing technology, CRM systems, automation and AI solutions to improve productivity and capacity.
• Strengthening operational processes, governance and management information across the portfolio.
• Building the operational capability and infrastructure required to support continued expansion.

Who We're Looking For

Direct operational experience within the UK IFA / financial planning sector is essential.

We are looking for a commercially minded operations leader with a strong understanding of how financial planning businesses operate, from advice processes and technology platforms through to regulatory requirements and commercial performance.

You will have experience developing operating models, delivering meaningful operational transformation or leading operations across multiple financial planning businesses. Exposure to acquisitions and integration would be particularly valuable.

Above all, we are looking for someone who is genuinely hands‑on. Someone who enjoys working directly with businesses, understanding their challenges, developing practical solutions and taking responsibility for delivering them.

You will need to combine strategic thinking with operational execution, bringing the confidence to influence senior stakeholders and the judgement to know where change will create the greatest value.

Experience within a private equity-backed IFA consolidator would be advantageous, but is not essential.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

Few operational leadership roles offer the opportunity to shape how several established financial planning businesses operate while helping build the infrastructure for a significantly larger organisation.