Strategic Initiatives Delivery Manager in Edinburgh

As a forward thinking asset manager, we build dynamic relationships with clients, understand their goals, and navigate complex markets together. We leverage cutting edge strategies and deep insights to unlock opportunities for long term wealth creation. From our welcoming, inclusive, and supportive culture to our globally diverse business, we offer opportunities not only to help you reach your potential, but also to contribute to our clients' success.

About the Department: Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions (FTIS) supports a platform of more than $180B as the firm's multi-asset solutions business, combining capabilities from across Franklin Templeton to create customised investment solutions and diversified portfolios. The Strategy Management team supports the definition and delivery of strategic priorities across FTIS, while also managing key business control functions, budgets and expenses. The team partners with senior leadership and teams across Franklin Templeton to help shape and articulate strategic priorities, translate them into executable initiatives, and deliver change that drives growth, strengthens investment capabilities and enhances the operating model.

Strategy Delivery Managers work across a varied portfolio of strategic initiatives, flexing between strategy development, business analysis, technology-enabled solutioning and project delivery as required.

How you will add value

• Strategy Development and Alignment: Partner with FTIS leadership and business stakeholders to translate strategic priorities into clear objectives, outcomes, measures of success and executable initiatives. Facilitate discussions to evaluate business problems, assumptions, dependencies, trade-offs and priorities, building alignment across stakeholders. Use data, analysis and execution insight to challenge assumptions, inform prioritisation and support decision-making.
• Strategic Delivery & Problem Solving: Lead strategic projects and program workstreams from initiation through planning, execution, implementation, adoption and closure. Develop and maintain project plans, milestones, governance forums, status reporting and delivery controls to keep initiatives on track. Manage risks, issues, dependencies, decisions and competing priorities across cross-functional teams to support timely delivery of agreed outcomes. Structure complex and ambiguous business problems, assess root causes and develop practical recommendations. Use business analysis techniques to define requirements, map current and future-state processes and identify opportunities to improve ways of working. Use technology, including automation, data analytics and AI, to support delivery, improve ways of working and develop practical solutions.

What will help you be successful in this role

• Relevant professional experience, supported by a degree or equivalent qualification, ideally in business, finance, technology, data analytics or a related field.
• Established understanding of the investment management industry and the interaction between investment teams, technology, operations and other enabling functions.
• Demonstrated experience managing cross-functional projects, programs or strategic initiatives, including planning, governance, stakeholder management, risks, issues and delivery tracking.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and business analysis skills, including the ability to structure ambiguous issues, define requirements and develop practical recommendations.
• Strong technology capability, with experience using automation, data analytics and AI-enabled tools to solve business problems, improve ways of working and support delivery.
• Commercial and business acumen, with the ability to link project and delivery activity to tangible business value.
• Relevant professional qualifications in project management, program management, business analysis, data, technology or change management would be desirable.

Key Capabilities

• Successful Strategy Delivery Managers will demonstrate: Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Understand business problems, evaluate options and connect initiatives to strategic priorities.
• Delivery & Ownership - Translate priorities into outcomes, manage execution and drive initiatives through to completion.
• Technology, Data & Continuous Improvement - Apply technology, data, automation and AI to improve capabilities and ways of working.
• Stakeholder, Commercial & Investment Acumen - Build alignment, communicate clearly and connect change activity to investment, client, commercial and operational outcomes.
• Adaptability - Operate effectively across strategy, analysis, technology and delivery, adjusting approach as priorities, stakeholder needs and business conditions evolve.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and existing employees, and we evaluate qualified applicants without regard to ancestry, age, color, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, or gender expression, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation. As part of our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, we welcome applicants with flexible working arrangements in their current roles or those seeking a flexible working pattern. We encourage you to communicate any preferences for flexible working so that we can consider this during our hiring process. As a registered UK Disability Confident Committed Employer, we encourage you to disclose if you consider yourself to have a disability as part of your application. This information enables us to provide the necessary support and leverage your unique talents effectively. Artificial intelligence or automated tools may be used to assist in the screening, assessment, or selection of applicants for this position.