Department: Financial Services Consulting, Strategy& / Advisory
Role Summary
We are looking for an experienced Senior Manager to join our Financial Services Consulting practice with a strong focus on banking business transformation. In this role, you will lead strategic and operational transformation initiatives for financial institutions, helping clients redesign business processes, improve customer journeys, enhance operating models, and deliver business-driven change across retail, SME, corporate, and digital banking.
This is a primarily business-focused role with selective exposure to technology-related topics. The successful candidate will work closely with senior stakeholders across business, operations, transformation, and IT to ensure that business priorities are translated into practical requirements, implementation roadmaps, and sustainable transformation outcomes.
Responsibilities
Business Transformation & Strategy
- Lead business transformation projects for banks and financial institutions across retail, SME, corporate, and digital banking.
- Support clients in defining target operating models, transformation priorities, business cases, and implementation roadmaps.
- Assess current-state business processes, service models, and organizational setup; identify improvement opportunities and define target-state solutions.
- Advise clients on strategic initiatives related to business growth, customer experience, operational efficiency, and channel transformation.
Business Architecture & Process Redesign
- Lead redesign of key banking processes, including onboarding, lending, servicing, sales, collections, and customer support.
- Define business requirements, process frameworks, customer journeys, and business capability needs for transformation programs.
- Identify operational bottlenecks and process inefficiencies; develop practical and value-driven recommendations.
- Ensure alignment between transformation objectives, business requirements, and delivery scope.
Products, Channels & Customer Experience
- Support development and enhancement of banking products, service propositions, and channel strategies.
- Contribute to customer journey transformation across branch, contact center, remote, and digital channels.
- Help clients define business requirements for CRM-enabled sales and service, digital onboarding, customer servicing, and data-driven engagement.
- Analyze market practices, client needs, and customer expectations to shape relevant business recommendations.
Technology Enablement
- Translate business needs into clear functional requirements and high-level solution implications.
- Work with business and technology teams to support implementation planning and ensure business alignment of enabling solutions.
- Contribute business input into initiatives involving core banking systems, CRM, digital channels, AI, and data platforms.
- Support transformation programs where technology is an enabler, while maintaining a primary focus on business value and business outcomes.
Client & Team Leadership
- Manage complex workstreams or full engagements with senior stakeholders across client organizations.
- Facilitate workshops, working sessions, and steering discussions with client leadership.
- Oversee the quality of project deliverables and ensure timely, high-standard execution.
- Lead and develop consulting teams, providing coaching, guidance, and performance oversight.
Business Development & Stakeholder Management
- Support business development activities, including proposals, client presentations, RFP/RFI responses, and commercial discussions.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders across banking and financial services clients.
- Identify opportunities for follow-on work in business transformation, process optimization, customer experience, and digital enablement.
- Contribute to internal knowledge development and thought leadership in banking transformation.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in consulting, banking, or financial services.
- Project management (at least 5 years of experience or 3 successfully completed project – inhouse or managed services)
- Strong track record in banking business transformation, process redesign, operating model improvement, product development, or strategic change initiatives.
- Proven experience in at least two of the following areas:
- Business transformation in retail, SME, or corporate banking
- Process optimization or customer journey redesign in financial services
- Business requirements definition for banking transformation programs
- Strong understanding of banking products, customer journeys, service models, and front-to-back banking processes.
- Experience working with senior business stakeholders and managing transformation initiatives in complex environments.
- Ability to structure business problems, define practical solutions, and translate strategic objectives into implementation priorities.
- Good understanding of banking systems landscape from a business perspective, including core banking, CRM, digital channels, and data platforms.
- Strong leadership, communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
- Experience managing teams and delivering complex consulting engagements.
- Fluency in Russian, Kazakh, and English (at least B1–B2).
Skills
- Banking Business Transformation
- Operating Model Design
- Business Architecture
- Process Optimization
- Customer Journey Design
- Product Development
- Business Requirements Definition
- Functional Requirements
- Retail / SME / Corporate Banking
- Digital Banking Channels
- CRM, Core banking systems
- Stakeholder Management
- Team Leadership
- Analytical Skills
- Communication Skills
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Management, Information Systems, or a related field. MBA as an advantage.
- 10+ years of relevant professional experience in consulting, banking, or financial services.
- Experience leading business transformation programs and managing senior client stakeholders.
- Fluency in Russian, Kazakh, and English (at least B1–B2).
Nice to Have
- Experience in large-scale transformation programs in banking or financial services.
- Background in strategy, customer journey, operating model, or process transformation projects.
- Familiarity with banking platforms such as core banking systems, CRM platforms, digital banking solutions, workflow tools, or data solutions.
- Experience with platforms such as Temenos, Diasoft, NeoFlex, Colvir, FLEXCUBE, or similar.
- Background in management consulting / Big Four or in banking/FS industry.