Lead Service Operations Specialist

Ameriprise Financial Services; United States; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Ameriprise Financial Services is seeking a Lead Service Operations Specialist to analyze operations, document requirements, and drive modernization with collaboration across Operations, Technology, Risk, Compliance and other stakeholders. The role emphasizes process optimization and continuous improvement.

The position can be based in Minneapolis, Charlotte, or Las Vegas, with in-office collaboration at least four days per week and one day work-from-home flexibility.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent experience.
• 5 to 7 years of experience in operations, business analysis, process improvement, or related disciplines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience documenting business requirements and process workflows.
• Ability to effectively communicate with both business and technology stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and project coordination skills.

Responsibilities

• Analyze operational workflows to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, control gaps, and automation opportunities.
• Facilitate process mapping, root cause analysis, value stream reviews, and workflow redesign activities.
• Develop recommendations to improve scalability, quality, productivity, risk management, and service outcomes.
• Support Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Measure and report on the results of process improvement initiatives.
• Gather, document, and prioritize business requirements for operational enhancements and modernization initiatives.
• Create business requirements, user stories, process flows, decision trees, and operational procedures.
• Partner with technology teams throughout solution design, development, testing, and implementation.
• Ensure business requirements align with regulatory, operational, and customer experience objectives.
• Support change impact assessments and implementation planning.
• Analyze operational metrics, volumes, trends, and performance indicators.
• Develop reporting and dashboards that provide actionable operational insights.
• Monitor key performance and risk indicators to identify emerging opportunities or issues.
• Present findings and recommendations to leadership.
• Support operational and technology projects from inception through implementation.
• Coordinate testing activities, including creation of test scenarios and execution support.
• Assist with training, communication, and adoption activities for new processes and systems.
• Track project actions, decisions, risks, and dependencies.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Requirements gathering

Process mapping

Stakeholder communication

Project coordination

Education

Associate degree or equivalent experience

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

About Our Company

We're a diversified financial services leader with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management, administration and advisement as of year-end 2024. Our team of 22,000 people across 19 countries, serves more than 3.5 million individual, small business and institutional clients. We are a longstanding leader in financial planning and advice, a global asset manager and an insurer. Our unwavering focus on our clients and strong financial foundation connects each of our unique businesses - Ameriprise Financial, Columbia Threadneedle Investments and RiverSource Insurance and Annuities. Here, we foster meaningful careers, invest in the future, and make a difference for clients, institutions and communities around the world.

Job Description

As a Lead Service Operations Specialist, you will serve as a business analyst and process optimization leader for Brokerage Operations. You will identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, document business requirements, support technology modernization initiatives, analyze operational processes, and drive continuous improvement efforts. You will partner closely with Operations, Technology, Risk, Compliance, and other business stakeholders to streamline processes, reduce manual effort, strengthen controls, and enhance the client and advisor experience.

This position can be based out of our Minneapolis, Charlotte, or Las Vegas office.

Key Responsibilities

Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Analyze operational workflows to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, control gaps, and automation opportunities.
• Facilitate process mapping, root cause analysis, value stream reviews, and workflow redesign activities.
• Develop recommendations to improve scalability, quality, productivity, risk management, and service outcomes.
• Support Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Measure and report on the results of process improvement initiatives.

Business Analysis & Requirements Management

• Gather, document, and prioritize business requirements for operational enhancements and modernization initiatives.
• Create business requirements, user stories, process flows, decision trees, and operational procedures.
• Partner with technology teams throughout solution design, development, testing, and implementation.
• Ensure business requirements align with regulatory, operational, and customer experience objectives.
• Support change impact assessments and implementation planning.

Data Analysis & Reporting

• Analyze operational metrics, volumes, trends, and performance indicators.
• Develop reporting and dashboards that provide actionable operational insights.
• Monitor key performance and risk indicators to identify emerging opportunities or issues.
• Present findings and recommendations to leadership.

Project Support & Change Management

• Support operational and technology projects from inception through implementation.
• Coordinate testing activities, including creation of test scenarios and execution support.
• Assist with training, communication, and adoption activities for new processes and systems.
• Track project actions, decisions, risks, and dependencies.

Required Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent experience.
• 5 to 7 years of experience in operations, business analysis, process improvement, or related disciplines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience documenting business requirements and process workflows.
• Ability to effectively communicate with both business and technology stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and project coordination skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Active FINRA licenses (Series 99, or Series 7) preferred, or an interest in obtaining them.
• Experience in Brokerage, Clearing, Custody, Trust, or Financial Services Operations.
• Experience supporting operational modernization or transformation initiatives.
• Knowledge of Agile delivery methodologies.
• Lean Six Sigma certification or continuous improvement experience.
• Experience with user acceptance testing (UAT) and business system implementations.
• Familiarity with operational risk management and control environments.

In-Office Collaboration

We are a client-centric, relationship-based business. Working together, in-person, is foundational to how we achieve results. By fostering a culture of face-to-face collaboration, idea sharing, productivity and personal connection, we deliver for our stakeholders - clients, advisors, employees and shareholders. Our employees work in the office at least four (4) days per week, with flexibility to work from home one (1) day per week. Some roles may require additional in-office time or different in-office expectations, and specific requirements will be discussed during the hiring process.

Visa Sponsorship

Applicants must have a valid work authorization that does not now, or in the future, require visa sponsorship for employment in the United States (e.g., H-1B, F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, T