Solutions Consultant, Operations Domain Specialist

Vanguard; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard in Manchester, United Kingdom, is seeking a Solutions Consultant in the Operations Domain Specialist role. You will partner with business stakeholders to advise on how operational transformation, process innovation, technology, and organisational change can help achieve business goals.

You will build relationships, translate complex problems into strategic, cost-effective solutions, and collaborate with Product Owners, Operations leaders, and IT teams to shape roadmaps and

Qualifications

• Strong written, oral communication, workshop facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Proven experience leading operational transformation, business process improvement, operating model design, or service delivery optimisation initiatives.
• Understanding of operational resilience principles, business continuity considerations, vendor risk management, and the assessment of solution resilience within complex operational environments.
• Experience applying quantitative and qualitative analysis to inform recommendations and investment decisions.

Responsibilities

• Build productive working relationships with internal clients, team members, senior management, project teams, and IT partners to ensure recommendations and priorities are understood by all impacted parties.
• Translate complex operational business problems into strategic and cost-effective solution alternatives, supported by recommendations, implementation considerations, and expected business value.
• Partner with business and IT leaders to align operational initiatives, priorities, and delivery roadmaps with strategic business and enterprise objectives.
• Influence the broader organisation to increase maturity in operational excellence, business process management, value measurement, service delivery management, workflow optimisation, automation adoption, and capability-oriented thinking.
• Own and manage capability blueprints for one or more business lines and their operational functions as business needs and industry expectations evolve.
• Partner with Product Owners, Operations leaders, Solution Architects, Engineering leaders, Risk and Resilience partners, and Change teams to develop implementation approaches and ensure alignment with governance and resilience requirements.
• Lead complex discovery initiatives, business process assessments, operating model reviews, and operational transformation engagements.
• Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to identify opportunities, evaluate options, measure operational performance, assess costs and benefits, and inform strategic recommendations.
• Develop business cases and investment recommendations for operational transformation initiatives, supported by clearly articulated business outcomes, benefits, risks, and implementation considerations.
• Participate in special projects and performs other duties as assigned

Skills

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Cross-functional leadership

Adaptability

Industry knowledge

Problem solving

Education

Undergraduate degree

Job description

Solutions Consultant, Operations Domain Specialist

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

Solutions Consultant, Operations Domain Specialist

The Role

Work as a Solutions Consultant in the Operations Domain as part of the Solutions Consulting Team which partners with business stakeholders to strategically advise how operational transformation, process innovation, technology, and organisational change can help them achieve their business goals. With a high level of business, operational, and technology acumen, proactively identifies opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, service quality, operational resilience, risk management, and client outcomes.

In this role you will

• Build productive working relationships with internal clients, team members, senior management, project teams, and IT partners to ensure recommendations and priorities are understood by all impacted parties. Leverage influencing and negotiation skills to champion optimal solutions. Act as a change agent by driving adoption of new ways of working and promoting operational excellence across the organisation
• Translate complex operational business problems into strategic and cost-effective solution alternatives, supported by recommendations, implementation considerations, and expected business value. Leverage broad business and technology knowledge to optimise operating models, improve service delivery, strengthen operational resilience, reduce operational risk, and enhance efficiency. Evaluate solution options against availability, recoverability, control, and resilience requirements to ensure sustainable business outcomes
• Partner with business and IT leaders to align operational initiatives, priorities, and delivery roadmaps with strategic business and enterprise objectives
• Influence the broader organisation to increase maturity in operational excellence, business process management, value measurement, service delivery management, workflow optimisation, automation adoption, and capability-oriented thinking. Identifies opportunities to leverage existing capabilities and introduce new approaches that improve business outcomes
• Own and manage capability blueprints for one or more business lines and their operational functions as business needs and industry expectations evolve. Develop deep knowledge of supported business areas and assists stakeholders in shaping multi-year operational transformation roadmaps. Develop broad understanding of industry trends, operating model approaches, and vendor, and operational resilience considerations to provide context for strategic decision-making
• Partner with Product Owners, Operations leaders, Solution Architects, Engineering leaders, Risk and Resilience partners, and Change teams to develop implementation approaches and ensure alignment with enterprise governance, architecture, controls, resilience requirements, and strategic objectives
• Lead complex discovery initiatives, business process assessments, operating model reviews, and operational transformation engagements. Facilitate workshops and drives alignment across multiple stakeholder groups to define future-state capabilities and implementation strategies
• Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to identify opportunities, evaluate options, measure operational performance, assess costs and benefits, and inform strategic recommendations
• Develop business cases and investment recommendations for operational transformation initiatives, supported by clearly articulated business outcomes, benefits, risks, and implementation considerations
• Participate in special projects and performs other duties as assigned

What It Takes

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience
• Broad knowledge of the financial services industry, and large-scale operational environments
• Strong written, oral communication, workshop facilitation, and presentation skills
• Exceptional conceptual, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Strong planning, organisational, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills
• Proven experience leading operational transformation, business process improvement, operating model design, or service delivery optimisation initiatives
• Understanding of operational resilience principles, business continuity considerations, vendor risk management, and the assessment of solution resilience within complex operational environments
• Experience applying quantitative and qualitative analysis to inform recommendations and investment decisions
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence senior stakeholders
• Proven ability to adapt quickly, learn new business domains, evaluate issues, identify and validate problem areas, and negotiate scope changes

Special Factors

• Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position
• This is a hybrid position and would require you to work in the office 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)
• Please note that we review applications on a rolling basis and may close this role early if there is a high level of interest. To avoid missing out, we recommend applying as soon as possible

Why Vanguard?

Vanguard is a different kind of investment company. It was founded in the United States in 1975 on a simple but revolutionary idea: that an investment company should manage its funds solely in the interests of its clients.

This is a philosophy that has helped millions of people around the world to achieve their goals with low-cost, uncomplicated investments.

It's what we stand for: value to investors.

Inclusion Statement

Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.”

We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values.

When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose: to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.