Department Head, Operations Strategy & Transformation

ALL-STAR AGENCY; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 3,000,000 - 4,500,000; Full time

Job summary

ALL-STAR AGENCY in Hong Kong seeks a senior leader to head Operations Strategy & Transformation, shaping the future operating model for the bank's platforms. You will guide a high-performing team to redesign end-to-end workflows across Securities, Payments, Trade Finance, Loan Ops and Account Services.

The role requires 15+ years in banking operations and 7–10 years of large-scale transformation leadership, with strong stakeholder management and multilingual communication.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in banking/financial services with operations and risk controls knowledge.
• 7–10+ years leading complex transformation portfolios in banking/FinTech.
• Deep domain expertise across core banking operations and front-to-back impact assessment.
• Proven ability to lead sizeable multi-disciplinary teams (15–20+ staff).

Responsibilities

• Lead Operations Strategy & Transformation, directing 10+ BAs and PMs to deliver transformation.
• Define roadmaps across Securities, Payments, Trade Finance, Loan Ops and Accounts Services.
• Sponsor major change programmes including migrations, digitization and regionalization.
• Partner with Front Office, Operations, Tech, Risk, Compliance and Finance for alignment.
• Apply front-to-back banking ops expertise to improve efficiency, controls and service quality.
• Drive automation and data-driven performance management for measurable gains.

Skills

Banking operations

Business analysis

Process mapping

Operating-model design

Change management

Leadership

Stakeholder management

English & Chinese (Cantonese/Mandarin)

Job description

Join a leading financial institution as Department Head, Operations Strategy & Transformation and play a pivotal role in shaping the future operating model of its banking operations platform. You will lead a high-performing team of Business Analysts and Project/Programme Managers to deliver enterprise-wide transformation across Securities, Payments, Trade Finance, Loan Operations and Account Services.

This role is ideal for a senior banking operations and transformation leader who can translate strategy into practical execution-redesigning complex end-to-end workflows, building scalable operating models and delivering sustainable improvements in efficiency, control, cost and client service.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Operations Strategy & Transformation function, managing a team of 10+ Business Analysts and Project/Programme Managers to deliver the bank's operational transformation agenda.
• Define and execute transformation roadmaps across Securities, Payments, Trade Finance, Loan Operations and Account Services, including process standardization, workflow redesign and target operating-model development.
• Sponsor and oversee major change programmes, including system migrations, process re-engineering, digitization initiatives and the transition of selected activities to regional service centers.
• Partner with senior stakeholders across Front Office, Operations, Technology, Risk, Compliance and Finance to secure alignment, manage dependencies and maintain executive sponsorship for transformation priorities.
• Apply strong front-to-back banking operations expertise to ensure transformation initiatives improve efficiency, productivity, controls and service quality without creating unacceptable operational or regulatory risk.
• Drive the adoption of automation, data-led performance management and continuous-improvement practices to deliver measurable capacity, cost and customer-service benefits.

Requirements

• At least 15 years of banking or financial-services experience, with strong knowledge of banking operations, business processes, risk controls and regulatory frameworks.
• At least 7-10 years of experience leading complex transformation, change, operational-excellence or strategic programme portfolios within banking, financial services or Fintech.
• Deep understanding of one or more core banking operations domains, including Securities and Payments, Trade Finance, Loan Operations and Account Services, with an ability to assess front-to-back impacts across functions.
• Demonstrated expertise in business analysis, process mapping, requirements gathering, gap analysis, operating-model design and delivery of large-scale change initiatives.
• Proven experience leading and developing sizeable multi-disciplinary teams of Business Analysts, Project Managers and transformation professionals, ideally with responsibility for 15-20 or more staff.
• Strong executive stakeholder-management, influencing, problem-solving and communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English and Chinese, including Cantonese and Mandarin.