Director of Business Excellence, Chief Operating Office, Vocalink Limited

Our Purpose

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

Title and Summary

Director of Business Excellence, Chief Operating Office, Vocalink Limited

Overview:
As a member of the Chief Operating Office (COO) Leadership Team, the role holder will:
• Act as a de facto “Chief of Staff”, providing management support to the EVP and broader business including customer and supplier facing activity
• Oversee employee engagement and communications
• Define, maintain and implement the COO strategy
• Support safe and effective operation of COO services including oversight of key people & capability activities
• Work with peers to initiate, plan, lead, and deliver key business initiatives, including tackling key cross-functional “horizontal” business issues
The role holder is expected to participate actively in the wider management of the COO business with an ability to work seamlessly, in an atmosphere of mutual reinforcement, respect and trust.

Key Responsibilities:
Management support to the EVP, COO
• Undertake delegated tasks from the EVP and/or determine the proper course of action and delegate to the appropriate individual to manage
• Lead and oversee cross-functional business projects where these do not fit specifically in an existing vertical or require cross-business coordination
• Follow up with internal colleagues on behalf of the EVP e.g. where the EVP requests specific information/updates, applying business acumen and understanding to ensure briefings are timely and relevant
• Support and prepare for external and internal meetings and speaking opportunities including preparation of briefing material for senior Mastercard stakeholders up to CEO / Board level
• Support and prepare material for Board meetings, Board-level committees, ExCo meetings, annual reviews, calibrations, other meetings as required.
• Deputise for the EVP and senior team members from time-to-time at internal & external meetings
• Where appropriate, support external engagement activity e.g. publication of external articles and conference speaking opportunities
Employee engagement and internal communications
• Support EVP with embedding and communicating ongoing COO business strategy and key business changes
• Support and drive internal communications activity and employee engagement by organising town halls, staff briefings, staff recognitions
• Work alongside P&C business partner and teams to deliver diversity, employee engagement and business initiatives as required
• Drive and understand employee engagement and satisfaction and provide line-of-sight for EVP and management team on key people matters

Strategy definition and implementation
• Maintain, shape and develop the COO ongoing business strategy
• Support the development and management of KPIs and processes to track key business measures, such as commercial performance, resilience, risks and issues.
• Lead analysis of defined business strategy components
• Lead specific analyses or newly defined KPIs/processes used to shape business decisions

Support the safe and effective operation of COO services
• Identify and manage risks with the CRO and the COO Leadership Team members that may challenge the ability of the organisation to deliver against plans and customer commitments
• Lead COO governance. Smooth implementation of any required governance changes and ongoing work to support effective governance
• Ensure EVP is fully prepared for any Regulatory engagement
• Support efficient operation of COO Leadership Team meetings (working with the Exec Assistant), including ensuring outputs are shared appropriately, actions are carried out, results monitored and momentum maintained with ongoing projects.
• As needed, ensure internal programs driving cost synergies / efficiency / productivity improvements are effectively implemented
• Identify potential problems and opportunities and ensure action plans and responsibilities are aligned to the most appropriate individuals

Strategic initiatives
• Provide management support to the EVP by planning, leading and delivering specific business tasks and initiatives to achieve company objectives
• Initiate and coordinate the execution of new strategic initiatives and provide additional programme leadership as required, including tackling key cross-functional “horizontal” business issues

Skills & Experience:
The successful candidate will possess the following experience and skills:
• Leadership experience, including leading (matrix or directly) cross-functional teams, ideally in a financial services company
• Experience of working with and influencing senior executives.
• Significant financial services business knowledge - able to continually apply this to work
• Impeccable managerial and interpersonal skills
• Able to present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others. Draw from a range of strategies to persuade people in a way that results in agreement or behaviour change
• Ability to work strategically and collaboratively across departments
• Effective, versatile and action oriented
• Consistently display positive, professional and approachable behaviours
• Excellent business acumen and commercial awareness - able to identify and work towards meeting wider organisational goals
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills that clearly consider and support the Company's strategic direction in order to actively influence the development and delivery of an effective global strategy; ability to develop presentation material to communicate clearly at Board and Exec level is key.

Ideally candidate will have worked in Mastercard currently or previously, and in a regulated financial services business.

Corporate Security Responsibility

All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:

• Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices;

• Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;

• Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and

• Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.