VP of Transformation / Project Management

Our client is a regional bank that is poised for significant growth over the coming years and is a trailblazer in the financial services industry. They are undergoing a significant transition period as they expand their geographical footprint via organic growth and M&A, and focus on a fintech future.

The VP of Transformation & Project Management will have a proven track record of working across the organization to deliver projects that enhance traditional processes, products, and solutions to a digital-first approach. They will partner closely with the individuals like the Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Head of Product, Head of Data, and Chief Marketing Officer to help set the roadmap for digital evolution, and will lead the enterprise Project Management Office. In addition to digital transformation projects, this individual will lead M&A integration strategy and execution for future acquisitions the organization enters into.

Our clients is looking for someone to:

• Create and evolve project management processes, rooted in Agile but flexible to accommodate different scenarios, that will scale and support future growth. This should be a transparent and reliable function within the organization, with methods for prioritization.
• Work closely with different fintech vendors to ensure business needs are met through the implementation phase.
• Establish strong relationships across the organization, and build a strong culture of trust, communication, and delivery within the project management function.

Required Skills:

• Strong leadership skills with proven ability to manage diverse teams
• Excellent communicator and able to partner cross-functionally with all levels of the organization, including board-level interactions
• Change agent, continuously looking to improve Customer engagement
• Customer-first mentality and ability to analyze pain points in order to define frictionless solutions
• Strategic mindset – able to define a vision, articulate it clearly and inspire teams to deliver that vision
• Proven influencing and collaboration skills
• Sense of urgency, with strong execution and ability to prioritize
• Metrics-driven, and data-first mindset
• Intellectually curious, always asking why to understand root cause and propose solutions that address the core problems
• Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities
• Collaborative, team-oriented, and focused on building and sustaining team member engagement

Education and/or Experience:

• Degree in business-technology management, technology, engineering, business or related field. Advanced degree preferred
• 12 years progressive experience culminating in executive leadership in financial services project or program management
• 3 years experience leading enterprise or IT project management. PMP or related certification desired. SAFe certification preferred
• Experience leading M&A integration for a past transaction
• 3 years experience with CRM. Salesforce experience preferred
• Demonstrated leadership in large-scale, cross-functional transformation, change management, and digital transformation. Demonstrated experience driving efficiencies through digitalization of process workflows. RPA or related automation experience preferred
• Vendor management experience strongly preferred, including budget and contracts, as well as managing 3rd party service providers, and holding providers accountable to SLAs