At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and transform operations, ensuring exceptional service and efficient processes.
- Company: Join Blackfinch, an award-winning investment specialist with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, diverse work environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a team that values diversity and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by driving operational excellence and innovation in a dynamic industry.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in operations, experience with investment platforms, and strong analytical skills.
The predicted salary is between 56059 - 68517 £ per year.
The
Senior Operations Manager is a senior leadership role responsible for leading, developing and transforming Blackfinch’s Operations function, ensuring exceptional service, strong operational control and scalable, efficient processes.
Reporting to the Operations Director, the role will lead the Client Excellence and Investment Operations administrative teams, creating a high-performing culture with clear accountability, strong leadership and a relentless focus on continuous improvement.
The Senior Operations Manager will be responsible for building robust, scalable and resilient operational processes, reducing errors and operational risk, and driving improvements in service, efficiency and control.
They will lead the use of automation and AI within Operations, working closely with Engineering to simplify processes, remove manual activity and support future growth.
The role will also provide senior operational oversight of investment platforms and ensure operational decisions and improvements are always made with advisers and end investors in mind.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor and develop the Client Excellence and Investment Operations teams.
- Build and maintain a high-performing culture centred on ownership, accountability, collaboration, service and continuous improvement.
- Set clear expectations, objectives and performance standards for managers and team members.
- Establish and monitor appropriate OKRs, KPIs and SLAs to drive performance and accountability.
- Develop management capability, succession planning and colleague development across the function.
- Ensure Operations consistently delivers an exceptional service to advisers and end investors.
- Keep the adviser and client at the centre of operational decision-making, process design and change.
- Use service data, feedback, complaints and operational insight to identify and resolve friction points.
- Set clear service expectations across the function and ensure teams understand how their work impacts customer outcomes.
- Operational Excellence & Risk
- Build robust, scalable and resilient operational processes with clear ownership and effective controls.
- Reduce operational errors, rework, manual intervention and key-person dependency.
- Use root-cause analysis to identify and address recurring operational issues.
- Identify, assess and manage operational risks across the teams, ensuring appropriate controls, escalation and remediation.
- Ensure key processes are clearly documented, controlled and regularly reviewed.
- Maintain effective senior operational oversight of investment platforms and related processes.
- Ensure Operations can scale effectively without a disproportionate increase in cost, risk or headcount.
- Automation, AI & Transformation
- Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and automate manual, repetitive or error-prone processes.
- Work closely with Engineering to design and deliver improvements through automation and AI.
- Lead operational change from identification through implementation, adoption and benefits realisation.
- Operational Performance & Oversight
- Provide the Operations Director with clear insight into operational performance, risks, capacity and improvement priorities.
- Use data and management information to identify trends, emerging issues and opportunities for improvement.
- Act as a senior escalation point for material operational, service and platform issues.
Skills & Experience
To be successful in this role, you will be an experienced senior operations leader with a strong track record of leading teams, improving operational performance and delivering meaningful change within investment management, wealth management, investment platforms or another regulated financial-services environment.
You will have
- A strong track record of building high-performing teams with clear accountability, performance standards and service expectations.
- Demonstrable experience working with investment platforms and a strong understanding of platform operating models.
- Proven experience designing, improving and embedding robust, scalable and well-controlled operational processes.
- Strong experience in operational change management, including leading change through implementation and adoption.
- Practical experience of AI and automation, with the ability to identify appropriate use cases and translate operational needs into effective solutions.
- Experience working collaboratively with Engineering and Development teams to improve or automate operational processes.
- Strong operational risk and control experience, including identifying risks, strengthening controls and managing operational incidents.
- Experience using OKRs, KPIs, SLAs and management information to manage performance and drive continuous improvement.
- A proven track record of reducing operational errors and rework through root-cause analysis, stronger controls and process improvement.
- Strong stakeholder-management and influencing skills, with the credibility to work effectively with senior leaders and external partners.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data to identify issues, make decisions and prioritise improvement activity.
- The judgement and leadership capability to balance customer experience, operational efficiency, risk and commercial priorities.
Essential Qualifications
- Industry related qualifications and certifications
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early, should we receive sufficient applications.
Blackfinch is an equal opportunities employer that values diversity and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religious practice or any other perceived differences.
A copy of our Equal Opportunities Policy is available upon request.
About Us
Blackfinch Group is an award-winning investment specialist.
Built on over 20 years of investment track record, the name Blackfinch first came into being on the anniversary of Darwin’s birth, 12th February 2013.
A trusted provider, we work in partnership with advisers.
Our businesses cover tax-efficient solutions, early stage investing, managed portfolio services, property financing and renewable energy.
We’re proud to be entrusted with over £1bn in assets under management.
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Senior Operations Manager employer: Blackfinch Group
Blackfinch Group is an exceptional employer that prioritises employee growth and development, offering a dynamic work culture in the picturesque setting of Elkstone, Gloucestershire. With a strong focus on innovation and collaboration, employees are empowered to lead initiatives that drive meaningful change while enjoying the benefits of a hybrid working model. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team dedicated to achieving ambitious goals in the financial services sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Operations Manager
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We think you need these skills to ace Senior Operations Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Problem-Solving Skills:In management consulting, it's all about problem-solving—so make sure your CV highlights your analytical and critical thinking skills. Include examples from your studies or previous roles where you tackled complex issues or came up with innovative solutions. Quantify your achievements whenever possible to demonstrate your impact!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to explain why you're a perfect fit for the consulting world. Focus on your motivation for joining the industry and how your skills align with the requirements of the role at Blackfinch Group. Remember to mention any relevant coursework or projects that showcase your understanding of strategic frameworks or business models!
Highlight Team Experience:Consultants often work in teams, so it's vital to showcase your collaborative skills. Include experiences where you've worked effectively with others, whether in academic group projects or internships. Discuss your role in the team and how you helped achieve common goals, demonstrating you can thrive in a consultancy environment.
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How to prepare for a job interview at Blackfinch Group
✨Master the Case Study Game
In management consulting, case study interviews are all the rage. Make sure to practice structuring your thoughts and analysing data on the fly. Use resources like example case studies to get comfortable with frameworks and solutions. Remember, it’s not just about getting the right answer but showcasing your thought process, so talk us through your reasoning!
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Be prepared for some numerical and analytical questions. Brush up on your mental math and be ready to interpret data from charts or graphs. We might throw some business scenarios at you that require a quick turnaround on numerical analysis, so practice these skills to feel confident and swift!
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As this is a full-time role, we want to see your potential as a seasoned consultant. Be ready to discuss experiences where you've led a project or a team. Think about times you've influenced decisions or navigated challenges—this is your chance to show how you can thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
✨Be a Cultural Fit
We’re not just looking for brains; we want to see if you vibe with our company culture at Blackfinch Group. Prepare to share how your values align with ours. Have a think about what makes a great team environment for you and how you can contribute to that. A good cultural fit goes a long way in management consulting!
