The Optimization Lead drives process improvement, efficiency, identifies automation opportunities, and continuous improvement initiatives to enable world-class performance and compliance in a regulated environment. The role has a strong focus on supporting the transition of the engagement model to an offshore managed service model while maintaining operational stability and compliance.
- Identify and deliver optimization opportunities that improve throughput, quality, and unit cost within managed service scope.
- Build repeatable process improvement and automation approaches that scale across service lines.
- Identified improvements are measurable by well-defined metrics, dashboards, and benefits can be tracked.
- Ensure improvements are implemented through governed changes to protect service stability and compliance.
Enable offshore managed service transitions by defining current and target state process and sub-processes.
Primary Objectives
- Identify and deliver optimization opportunities that improve throughput, quality, and unit cost within managed service scope.
- Build repeatable process improvement and automation approaches that scale across service lines.
- Identified improvements are measurable by well-defined metrics, dashboards, and benefits can be tracked.
- Ensure improvements are implemented through governed changes to protect service stability and compliance.
- Enable offshore managed service transitions by defining current and target state process and sub-processes.
Key Responsibilities
Process Optimization (& Automation)
- Identify and implement optimization opportunities across key business workflows using Lean, Six Sigma, BPM, or similar methodologies.
- Champion simplification and throughput improvements by removing unnecessary handoffs, reducing rework, and improving data accuracy.
- Rapidly understand end-to-end processes and document current, transitional, and future states (process maps, BPMN, SOP updates).
- Partner with technology and operations teams to evaluate and enable automation opportunities (including RPA where applicable).
- Develop standard work and guidance that enables consistent execution in an offshore managed service delivery model.
Performance & Efficiency Monitoring
- Define, track, and report KPIs related to efficiency, cost savings, productivity, and service outcomes.
- Develop dashboards and reporting mechanisms for visibility (e.g., Power BI) and ensure metric definitions are consistent.
- Establish benefits realization tracking (baseline, expected benefit, actual benefit, and sustainability checks).
- Use data to prioritize improvement opportunities based on impact, feasibility, risk, and alignment to managed service commitments.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with onshore stakeholders, offshore delivery teams, and other functions to support scalable optimization initiatives.
- Work closely with Service Assurance/Quality partners to ensure improvements do not compromise controls, compliance, or stability.
- Coordinate with transition leads to embed optimized processes into transition plans, training, and steady-state operations.
Leadership and Governance
- Lead pilot programs, test-and-learn experiments, and change rollouts across teams.
- Ensure compliance with regulatory standards and internal control frameworks during process changes.
- Apply disciplined change governance: intake, impact assessment, approvals, implementation plan, and post-implementation validation.
- Document decisions, tradeoffs, and risks; escalate blockers and drive closure on actions.
Managed Services Transition Enablement
- Support the transition to an offshore managed service model by identifying standardization and industrialization opportunities.
- Define process readiness criteria for offshore adoption (SOP completeness, control points, tooling, training, and measurement readiness).
- Help establish sustainable operating rhythms (performance reviews, continuous improvement backlog, and benefits tracking) for steady-state operations.
Key Deliverables / Outputs
- Documented process maps (current, transitional, future state) and updated SOPs/standard work.
- Optimization pipeline/backlog with prioritization logic and benefits cases.
- Dashboards and KPI reporting for efficiency, productivity, and benefits realization.
- Automation opportunity assessments and implementation support artifacts (requirements, process definitions, controls considerations).
- Change artifacts (impact assessments, implementation plans, training updates, and post-implementation validation results)
Qualifications
- 7+ years in process optimization, automation, or continuous improvement, preferably in regulated industries (financial services, banking, insurance).
- Proven experience in Lean Six Sigma, BPM, or similar disciplines; familiarity with RPA is beneficial but not required.
- Strong analytical skills and proficiency with reporting/visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects, collaborate across business and technical teams, and drive change.
Key Competencies
- Structured problem solving and hypothesis-driven analysis.
- Change leadership with disciplined execution and follow-through.
- Stakeholder management across onshore/offshore delivery models.
- Process documentation rigor and attention to control/compliance requirements.
- Ability to translate strategy into pragmatic, scalable operating improvements.
- Success Measures
- Measured efficiency gains and benefits realization sustained over time (not one-time improvements).
- Improved throughput and reduced cycle time without degradation to quality or compliance.
- Well-adopted standard work and repeatable improvement methods across managed service delivery.
- Improved performance visibility through consistent KPIs and leadership-ready dashboards.
- Smooth transitions enabled by process standardization and readiness discipline.
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in business, engineering, data analytics, or related field.
- PMP/Scrum Master, Lean Six Sigma, or BPM certification a plus.