Strategic Operations Associate

IFS is a billion-dollar revenue company with 7000+ employees on all continents. Our leading AI technology is the backbone of our award-winning enterprise software solutions, enabling our customers to be their best when it really matters–at the Moment of Service™. Our commitment to internal AI adoption has allowed us to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring our colleagues can unlock their creativity and productivity, and our solutions are always cutting-edge.

At IFS, we’re flexible, we’re innovative, and we’re focused not only on how we can engage with our customers but on how we can make a real change and have a worldwide impact. We help solve some of society’s greatest challenges, fostering a better future through our agility, collaboration, and trust.

We celebrate diversity and understand our responsibility to reflect the diverse world we work in. We are committed to promoting an inclusive workforce that fully represents the many different cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints of our customers, our partners, and our communities. As a truly international company serving people from around the globe, we realize that our success is tantamount to the respect we have for those different points of view.

By joining our team, you will have the opportunity to be part of a global, diverse environment; you will be joining a winning team with a commitment to sustainability; and a company where we get things done so that you can make a positive impact on the world.

We’re looking for innovative and original thinkers to work in an environment where you can #MakeYourMoment so that we can help others make theirs. With the power of our AI-driven solutions, we empower our team to change the status quo and make a real difference.

If you want to change the status quo, we’ll help you make your moment. Join Team Purple. Join IFS.

We embrace flexibility and hybrid work opportunities to support diverse needs and lifestyles, while also valuing inclusive workplace experiences. By fostering a sense of community, we drive innovation, strengthen connections, and nurture belonging. Our commitment ensures you can work in a way that suits you best, while also engaging with colleagues to share ideas and build meaningful relationships

 

Role Purpose 

The Strategic Operations Associate is responsible for ensuring cadence, accountability, and follow-through across executive-led initiatives and strategic work. 

This role exists to remove the operational burden from executives and senior stakeholders by capturing outcomes from high-level discussions and ensuring agreed actions are progressed, tracked, and completed — quietly, proactively, and without friction. 

Success in this role means work progresses as expected, without escalation, surprises, or repeated reminders. 

 

Role Overview 

You will sit within a central Strategic Operations team and be aligned day-to-day with a specific executive (or a small number of executives with related remits). 

While aligned closely to an executive, you will report centrally, ensuring consistency, clear standards, and development support. 

This is a cross-functional execution role, working across sales, product, delivery, marketing, and leadership teams to ensure initiatives move forward as intended. 

 

Key Responsibilities (Level 1 – Core Expectations) 

• Attend executive-led meetings and capture clear, high-quality notes 

• Translate discussions into concise actions, owners, and deadlines 

• Own post-meeting follow-through, ensuring actions progress as agreed 

• Proactively chase owners in a supportive and professional manner 

• Maintain trackers and cadence mechanisms to ensure visibility and momentum 

• Work closely with Executive Assistants to coordinate meetings, manage sequencing, and support effective cadence across initiatives 

• Act as a point of continuity across initiatives, ensuring nothing stalls or is forgotten 

• Provide clear status updates when required, focused on action and progress, not reporting for reporting’s sake 

 

What Success Looks Like 

When this role is working effectively: 

• Meetings result in clear outcomes and actionable next steps 

• Agreed actions are progressed and completed without the need for escalation 

• Stakeholders experience timely, structured follow-up that supports delivery 

• Executives have confidence that commitments are being tracked and actioned 

• Momentum is maintained across initiatives through consistent cadence 

• Risks, delays, or blockers are identified and surfaced early 

 

What This Role Is Not 

This role does not: 

• Own strategy or direction 

• Replace executive decision-making 

• Serve as general admin without purpose 

• Act as the single point of accountability for outcomes 

 

Behavioural Traits & Mindset 

We are looking for someone who: 

• Is highly organised and detail-oriented 

• Is comfortable working with senior stakeholders 

• Follows through relentlessly and reliably 

• Communicates clearly and professionally 

• Anticipates issues and acts early 

• Builds trust through consistency 

• Takes pride in being the reason things move forward 

• Demonstrates a growth mindset, with curiosity and a willingness to learn through exposure to senior conversations and complex initiatives 

 

Progression Opportunity (Not a Day-One Expectation) 

High performers in this role may progress towards: 

• Thinking more proactively on behalf of executives 

• Anticipating needs without instruction 

• Shaping execution, not just tracking it 

• Operating with greater autonomy to represent executive priorities 

Progression is earned through consistency, judgement, and trust. 

 

Why This Role Matters 

This role plays a critical part in ensuring executive time is used effectively and that strategic initiatives translate into real outcomes. It offers exposure to senior leadership, cross-functional work and a clear development pathway for individuals to progress into broader operational, strategic, or functional roles within the areas and leadership teams they support. 

We embrace flexibility and hybrid work opportunities to support diverse needs and lifestyles, while also valuing inclusive workplace experiences. By fostering a sense of community, we drive innovation, strengthen connections, and nurture belonging. Our commitment ensures you can work in a way that suits you best, while also engaging with colleagues to share ideas and build meaningful relationships.