Operations Manager, Pacific

As a member of the Pacific Business Operations team within WTW’s global Enterprise Delivery Organisation (WE DO), the role works in partnership with the Risk and Broking segment, across regional and international geographies and functions, providing operational expertise to drive efficiencies and improve outcomes for colleagues and clients.

The primary purpose of the role is to support efficient / effective client delivery, achieve business-specific objectives and deliver on our common transformation agenda. This includes a broad range of activities spanning implementation of the operations strategy, projects, change and continuous improvement, operational risk management, and engagement with other corporate functions and day-to-day client service delivery with our Global Service Delivery centres.

The Pacific Operations team, has a regional focus on the Risk and Broking segment across Australia and New Zealand with an operating model that emphasises:

• Business Partnering (50%): acting as the central escalation point for all operational related queries and issues within dedicated regional offices.
• Service Ownership (50%): providing day-to-day technical and subject matter expertise to the business on nominated specialism(s) and partnering with cross functional teams to successfully deliver key solutions (as required).

The Role

As a Business Partner for the Sydney & Brisbane regional offices, you will: 

• Act as the central escalation point for all operational related queries and issues ensuring colleagues are directed to the appropriate Pacific Operations team Service Owner.
• Participate in regular local team meetings to consolidate any feedback on standard operating procedures, quality and process related matters and relay to the appropriate Pacific Operations team Service Owner to help resolve / manage.
• Identify learning and development opportunities and relay to the appropriate Pacific Operations team Service Owner to help resolve / manage.
• Review MI reporting in conjunction with the Director of Operations and support change initiatives by identifying and implementing systems, polices and controls that further improve accountability and growth across the Pacific region.
• Ensure successful service delivery by the Mumbai Operations team by being a conduit between local client facing teams to resolve any processing issues / concerns in conjunction with the appropriate Pacific Operations team Service Owner.
• Drive the “one-way same-way” process methodology across the Pacific region.

As a Service Owner you will:

• Lead our Operational Risk activities across the Pacific region including WTW frameworks / policies including Know Your Client (KYC), Second Pair of Eyes (2POE) and Placement Model / Client Excellence Model.
• Support and enhance the management of the Excellence Review process and root cause analysis to continue to achieve results well above the minimum 85% threshold.
• Be responsible for identifying and documenting business analysis deliverables including requirements specifications, process and data models, and be able to provide recommendations relating to the high-level options available to meet those requirements. 
• Be strategic and demonstrate analytical thinking, expert problem-solving and coaching abilities, and ability to communicate with diverse stakeholders.
• Act as a point of escalation for local delivery and client facing teams across the Pacific region by providing day-to-day technical and subject matter expertise.
• Engage with local stakeholders to ensure adherence to the appropriate business processes and company frameworks / policies or drive increases in utilisation / adoption of a technology.
• Partner with local, regional and global teams to identify, prioritise and implement functionality enhancements and/or improvements.
• Collaborate with Business Partners to champion and role model a culture of operational excellence and superior client service ensuring all queries / issues are resolved in a timely manner that meet internal / external customer expectations.
• Lead the knowledge management initiatives across the Pacific region including content of the local intranet pages and presentations as part of the onboarding program for new starters or refresher training initiatives.
• Ensure all relevant compliance, legal and operational risk obligations across are met.
• Support the execution of strategic change programs or initiatives as required and help ensure operational readiness for a successful transition.

By being involved in Business Projects you will:

• Lead or support nominated BAU / Operational Improvement projects identified by Service Owners and Business Partners.
• Work with local, regional and global stakeholders to help plan and oversee projects (from the initial ideation through to completion) to deliver on time, within budget and with the desired outcomes aligned to objectives.
   

The Requirements

• Relevant tertiary qualification and/or professional insurance qualification preferred.
• Proven ability to lead operations, process improvement initiatives, and change management activities within complex environments.
• Strong project management skills, including designing, coordinating, and delivering action plans to achieve shared business objectives.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders, build effective relationships, and communicate clearly at all levels.
• Demonstrated drive for excellence, with a track record of delivering significant change and measurable outcomes within tight timeframes.
• Comfortable working in complex and ambiguous environments, managing multiple stakeholders and competing priorities under pressure.
• Strong analytical and organisational skills, including knowledge of process modelling, KPI management, quality improvement, and Lean methodologies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and the ability to collaborate effectively with virtual teams.