Client Finance Operations Team Lead - Automation & Process Improvement

PRIMARY PURPOSE:
• The Team Leader manages a team delivering client administrative, financial processing and operational support tasks through a smarter offshore operating model using automation, artificial intelligence and structured controls.
• Act as the day-to-day bridge between client requirements, SmartOps team delivery and Automation/Technology teams to ensure client work is delivered accurately, on time and with strong customer service.
• Partner with the onshore resource responsible for maintaining the client relationship and act as the operational delivery contact for assigned SmartOps clients.
• Own the day-to-day maintenance of client-facing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), internal SmartOps operating runbooks, automation requirements, testing feedback and workflow improvement actions for assigned clients.
• Lead identification of automation opportunities for new client projects and continuous improvement of existing project automations.
• In addition to the details listed above and below, you may be required to perform additional duties that are considered within your role and skill level.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Manage SmartOps project streams that may include FinOps, RetailOps, retail data administration, AP/AR-related reconciliation and other client operational or financial administration workflows.
• Manages a SmartOps team working across client administrative, financial processing, automation and operational support streams.
• Assigns, prioritises and balances workloads across team members to ensure optimal utilisation, SLA adherence and high-quality customer service.
• Oversees complex administrative workflows, reconciliations, payroll validations, accrual reviews, claims administration, reporting activities and other client support processes.
• Leads identification of automation opportunities for new client projects and continuously improves automations for existing projects.
• Works closely with Automation and Technology teams to design, build, test and refine workflow automations and operational tools.
• Work closely with the onshore resource responsible for maintaining the client relationship, acting as the operational point of contact for day-to-day SmartOps delivery.
• Provide timely operational updates, issue details, process documentation and automation progress feedback to onshore resources and internal onshore teams.
• Ensure client questions or issues shared by onshore resources are investigated and responded to quickly with clear actions, owners and expected timeframes.
• Coordinate with onshore teams before material SOP changes, process changes, automation changes or client communications are finalised.
• Owns the assigned client SOP library, including client-facing SOPs, supporting documentation, process maps, change logs and review cycles.
• Ensures clients have visibility of relevant client-facing SOPs, agreed service processes, escalation pathways, reporting expectations and operational responsibilities.
• Maintains internal SmartOps operating runbooks where required, including detailed staff instructions, automation steps, exception handling procedures, manual fallback steps, quality checks and automation developer notes.
• Prepares or reviews detailed requirements documentation, process maps, step-by-step workflow guides, sample scenarios, exception rules and test cases for automation developers.
• Coordinates User Acceptance Testing (UAT), testing evidence, issue logs and structured feedback loops with automation developers.
• Reviews and approves complex deliverables prior to client or stakeholder distribution.
• Ensures team members provide timely responses and professional communication to clients and internal stakeholders.
• Attends client meetings as required to discuss operational performance, issue resolution, workflow improvements, SOP updates and automation opportunities.
• Identifies delivery, capacity, customer service and utilisation risks and proactively implements mitigation strategies.
• Escalates structured operational, financial, customer service or automation risks to Senior Team Leader or Manager with clear impact analysis.
• Leads onboarding, training, performance management and development discussions for team members.
• Chairs operational review meetings and ensures accountability for open items and performance metrics.