SSGA COO-Global Head of Product Technology and Business Services, SVP

State Street; London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job description

The State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) Chief Operating Officer (COO) is seeking to hire a Global Head of Product Technology and Business Services (GHPTBS). This role will report directly to the SSGA COO and will play a critical role in defining and leading the strategy, delivery and management of all technology and business services provided to the Global Chief Business Officer (CBO) and her organization of Product specialists, Client Portfolio Managers and Global Funds Management professionals. The GHPTBS will be a strategic partner and advisor to the COO for all the technology capabilities and business services supporting the Global Advisors Chief Business Organization. Responsibilities of the role include business services provided to the Global Advisors business in the US, EMEA and Asia Pacific locations. The GHPTBS will function as the central point of coordination for all investment product related services including support for product development, delivery to market in collaboration with the COO Leadership Team, and partnership enablement and M&A services both with the State Street affiliates and other third-party vendors used within the SSGA ecosystem globally. The role will provide strategic management support and engaging all product management and COO functions for daily execution and delivery. In addition, the GHPTBS will be the conduit of key technology and COO business services information flow to the SSGA businesses and functions (e.g., Product Development and Management, Client Portfolio Management, Global Funds Management, etc.) as well as partnering with corporate and bank functions across Global Delivery (GD) and Alpha to enable an optimal operating model for the delivery of the GA new investment product roadmap.

This GHPTBS role will include strategic, operational, project and relationship management responsibilities collaborating in a product, platform, and services operating model with their peers on the COO’s senior leadership team and colleagues and peers within Global Advisors (GA) and the wider State Street organization. The role will manage a multi-functional global delivery organization enabling the platforms and business services leveraged by the global chief business officer’s organization. The role will provide an opportunity to work across Global Advisors, State Street Bank and Holding Company, the broader investment management industry with key strategic business partners. The key objectives are to define the future state technology platforms and business services supporting the Global Advisors business, standardize and rationalise the partnership and any M&A integrations and platforms with continued oversight over the future state operating model transforming how the business operates today increasing our operating leverage and competitive advantage in the marketplace. The leader will be accountable for driving results, supporting strategic initiatives, improving processes, fostering collaboration and alignment, to achieve more efficient operational performance enabling innovative industry leading investment product in the global marketplace.

As a key stakeholder in enabling the COO organization’s ability to execute on their priorities, the successful candidate will be highly resourceful, self-motivated and possess strong written and verbal communication, multi-functional global organizational management and technology and data analytical skills. The individual will also possess a high level of personal and professional integrity and sound judgment with the ability to work effectively with senior business leaders across Global Advisors, State Street, boards of directors and across the investment management and regulatory industry.

Responsibilities

Management of the Product Technology and Business Services organization

1. Partners with COO leadership team to set strategic and operational objectives, aligning to GA strategic priorities, to ensure the COO organization is exceeding in technology and business service delivery to the Global Chief Business Officers Organization.
2. Builds strong relationships across the COO, CBO, GA, Global Regulators and State Street Executive Leadership team and their leadership teams to drive an array of global cross functional initiatives.
3. Partner with COO senior leadership team to actively identify and implement process changes and organizational optimization as part of the transformation strategy.
4. Accountability for developing a strong risk and control culture across all regions embedding the control frameworks within the technology platforms and business processes/services.
5. Drives organizational, team and individual development enhancing productivity, team collaboration against defined measurable outcomes.
6. Responsible for working with the GA Chief Business Officers organization for developing 3-year roadmaps per functional area and prioritizing the technology and business services delivery against the business outcomes.
7. Manages and delivers the transformation program in collaboration with the CBO Organization defining the future state operating model for investment product launches, partnerships, and outsourced services to State Street Bank enabling the go to market strategy.
8. Leverages the latest technology including artificial intelligence to transform the way the business services are provided; data and insights are consumed reducing operational risk and enhancing operating leverage for the future.

Strategic Initiatives (SI)

1. Defines and manages projects/initiatives and commitments aligned to both the COO and GA key priorities which are mutually agreed upon with the senior business leaders. In partnership with other key members of the COO leadership team, the GHPTBS develops their organizations critical path projects delivering on the shared organizational objectives and goals. Ensures alignment among key stakeholders, i.e., Investments, Global Client Coverage Group (CCG), Chief Business Office (CBO) and corporate organizations.
2. Partners closely with the GA CAO Office, COO Head of Business Operations to execute on the CEO’s high priority and critical initiatives to achieve annual business goals.
3. Enables the delivery of new product capabilities supporting an evolving investment product roadmap encompassing global multi asset classes and alternatives. Identifies risks and issues that could impact the successful execution of strategic priorities; escalates issues which the CBO and COO should be aware of and presents solutions to resolve the root cause and/or mitigate the risk.
4. Leads special projects/programs whether M&A or partnerships with external companies which delivers on the GA strategic plan.
5. Partners on GA/COO organizational initiatives driving operational efficiencies, risk excellence and an improved client & employee end-user experience.

Skills and qualifications:

1. Strong strategic, analytical, and commercial skills
2. Results driven, service/action-oriented delivery skills.
3. Organizational and political agility; strong negotiation skills
4. High Risk Excellence pedigree
5. Unquestionable personal code of ethics, integrity, inclusion, and trust
6. Demonstrated ability to effectively partner with executive leadership and management and corporate functions as required to execute the GA and COOs strategic objectives.
7. Excellent quantitative, analytical, and critical thinking skills, with meticulous attention to detail
8. The ability to create structured, detailed, and compelling analyses addressed to various audiences within the organization including board of directors’ regulators and the GA Operating Group.
9. Able to successfully navigate within varying degrees of ambiguity in a fast-paced global, cross functional, highly regulated, matrixed environment internally within GA and across the State Street Corporation.
10. Business acumen – ability to pre-empt questions and sense-check the facts and be able to display a detailed business knowledge across all Asset Management business functions.
11. Dynamic Management – be comfortable dealing with various changes and adapting to different circumstances.
12. Decision Making – ability to find data, insights, and proof points very quickly across the organization and synthesize to effectively make decisions to set future direction.
13. Multi-task – ability to effectively manage multiple priorities, but also be able to focus on the most important deliverables of the moment through prioritization and holistic understanding of the broader COO and GA strategy.
14. Advanced communications skills - written/verbal - and interpersonal savvy (EQ) to build trusted relationships across the company.

Job Requirements:

1. Minimum of 20 years of executive management experience in financial services.
2. A minimum of 15 years of experience in leadership roles including technology strategy, multi-year transformational program delivery and third-party acquisition/integration strategy.
3. A minimum of 20 years of experience in managing, leading and developing global high performing cross organizational teams focused on technology and operational service delivery.
4. Minimum of 15 years of Institutional Asset Management and Wealth Management experience required.
5. Global multi-jurisdictional regulatory experience preferred.
6. Undergraduate Degree required in computer science or engineering.

Advanced master’s degree (e.g., MBA, MSc) or other professional certification (e.g., CFA) preferred.