Automation CoE Lead - VP

Role Summary

As a Vice President within the Automation Center of Excellence, you will partner with senior management across Consumer and Community Banking Finance to prioritize, lead, and execute strategic digital transformation initiatives leveraging process automation, low-code technologies, and AI/ML. You will build and scale a federated automation model—combining centralized standards, governance, and reusable assets with distributed delivery through aligned teams and Citizen Developers—promoting measurable outcomes, adoption, and strong controls.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day project management for a portfolio of automation and transformation initiatives; deliver high-quality results on time and within budget.
• Design and oversee solutions using UiPath, Power Automate, and other low-code/RPA tools (e.g., Instabase, Xceptor, and similar platforms as applicable). Apply Python as needed for orchestration, integrations (APIs), data processing, and automation enablement.
• Identify and implement AIML-enabled automation opportunities (e.g., intelligent document processing, classification/extraction, NLP-based routing, anomaly detection) with appropriate controls, model governance, and performance monitoring.
• Own the end-to-end lifecycle of automation solutions: intake, prioritization, design, build, test, release, value tracking, and production support.
• Establish and operate a federated approach to delivery:
  • Define what is built centrally vs. within line teams, and how ownership, support, and controls are maintained. Build a scalable enablement model (playbooks, training, design reviews, certification/guardrails) for Citizen Developers and distributed automation teams. Maintain enterprise standards for documentation, testing, change management, monitoring, auditability, and resiliency.
• Build and maintain a reusable asset library (templates, components, connectors, frameworks, patterns) to accelerate time-to-value and consistency.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to scope problems, identify root causes, and design actionable opportunities; quantify potential financial impact and track benefits realization. Re-imagine business processes and operating models leveraging modern industry innovations (automation + AIML) to improve efficiency, controls, and customer/associate experience.
• Advise and influence business executives to increase adoption of automation solutions; serve as a catalyst for change management across a federated stakeholder landscape. Identify risks, dependencies, and roadblocks; escalate issues as needed and drive resolution across teams.
• Build hypotheses, conduct analyses, capture results and trends, and develop executive-ready presentations with clear recommendations and trade-offs.
• Coach and enable Citizen Developers and junior team members through training, structured reviews, mentoring, and best practices to raise quality and consistency across the federated model.

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Capabilities

• Demonstrated ability to independently lead cross-functional project teams while delivering high-quality outcomes on time and within budget.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to work across all levels—from front-line users to senior leadership—within a federated delivery model.
• Excellent executive communication skills: presenting, influencing decisions, and driving alignment among senior managers.
• Proven structured problem-solving capability—able to solve complex business problems, connect details to the “big picture,” and develop practical solutions collaboratively.
• Experience delivering technology innovations including robotics/RPA and/or emerging cognitive technologies; ability to establish governance to move initiatives forward.
• Primary technical skills: Python, UiPath, Power Automate, ServiceNow, low-code automation tools.

Preferred Qualifications, Skills, and Capabilities

• 10+ years of experience at a consulting/technology firm or in an internal consulting, process re-engineering, transformation, or change management role.
• Financial services experience in robotics/automation, quality, strategy, or operational transformation.
• Demonstrated process improvement experience; Lean/Six Sigma certification preferred.
• Product development experience with exposure to Agile delivery and Scrum methodologies.
• Experience with additional automation/IDP tools (e.g., Instabase) and enterprise integration patterns.
• AIML / Agentic AI: practical experience applying AIML in automation contexts; familiarity with agentic AI concepts (tool-using agents, orchestration, guardrails, evaluation, human-in-the-loop).

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Finance, or equivalent practical experience (advanced degree a plus).