Director, Business Operations

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Director, Business Operations

Full Time Chicago, IL, US

Company Information

Curinos empowers financial institutions to make better, faster and more profitable decisions through industry-leading proprietary data, technologies and insights. With decades-long expertise in the financial services industry and a relentless focus on the future, Curinos technology and analytics ecosystem allows clients to anticipate customer needs and optimize their go-to market decisions in an increasingly competitive market.

Curinos operates under a hybrid modality and has office locations in New York, Chicago, Boston, Toronto, and London. This role is open to remote candidates based in the United States and able to travel as needed.

Responsibilities

Curinos is seeking a high-performing Chief of Staff & Business Operations Leader (Director–VP level) to serve as a force multiplier for the Advisory business. This strategic and execution-focused leader will report to and partner closely with the Executive Vice President and leader of our Professional Services business to run the business day-to-day, drive operational excellence, and ensure our most critical initiatives deliver measurable impact.

Operating at the intersection of business management, operational rigor, and strategic execution, this high-visibility role is effectively the second-in-command (2IC) for Professional Services and Advisory—aligning stakeholders, managing the operating cadence, overseeing staffing, development, and utilization, and ensuring our consultants deliver consistently strong performance. Specific responsibilities include:

Business Operations & Cadence Management

• Run the operating rhythm for the Professional Services and Advisory business, including annual planning, quarterly reviews, weekly business reporting, and leadership updates
• Track, report, and proactively manage key performance metrics—including utilization, project profitability, revenue, and leakage/overruns
• Own business dashboards, KPI reporting, and performance narratives for senior leadership
• Lead coordination and PMO for all Professional Services and Advisory initiatives in flight, ensuring clarity of scope, ownership, timelines, and measurable outcomes
• Manage initiative governance, including RAG status, risks, interdependencies, and execution gaps
• Drive follow-through and accountability across cross-functional workstreams
• Oversee Advisory staffing processes end-to-end, ensuring optimal utilization and balanced deployment across teams, balancing project economics, staff development opportunities, and client needs
• Monitor and manage staffing forecasts, bench dynamics, and project allocation
• Drive core talent processes, including apprenticeship program, operations and capability development efforts

Thought Leadership & Intellectual Capital

• Support the generation, tracking, and publication of Advisory thought leadership and intellectual capital
• Partner with leaders to define deliverables, monitor progress, and ensure high-quality output

Strategic Partner to Executive Vice President Leader of Professional Services

• Act as a business advisor and operational right hand to the Head of Professional Services
• Serve as connective tissue across Professional Services, enabling alignment, momentum, and issue resolution
• Translate performance insights into clear, executive-ready communications
• Identify risks, develop mitigation strategies, and define action plans for talent, projects, and business outcomes or Professional Services

Desired Skills & Expertise

• 8-12+ years of experience in consulting, business operations, PMO, or strategic program leadership
• Proven success running operating cadences, managing complex workstreams, and driving accountability in cross-functional environments
• Strong command of profitability, utilization, and project economics within an advisory or professional services context
• Exceptional project and program management skills; comfortable setting structure and discipline across multiple initiatives
• Adept at identifying interdependencies, managing upstream/downstream impacts, and proactively mitigating risks
• Outstanding communication skills, including executive-level storytelling and business reporting
• Strong influencing skills at all levels of the organization with proven results in influencing others for desired outcomes
• Highly organized, execution-oriented, and comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-ambiguity environments
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred

Why work at Curinos?

• Competitive benefits, including a range of Financial, Health and Lifestyle benefits to choose from
• Flexible working options, including home working, flexible hours and part time options, depending on the role requirements – please ask!
• Competitive annual leave, floating holidays, volunteering days and a day off for your birthday!
• Learning and development tools to assist with your career development
• Work with industry leading Subject Matter Experts and specialist products
• Regular social events and networking opportunities
• Collaborative, supportive culture, including an active DE&I program
• Employee Assistance Program which provides expert third-party advice on well-being, relationships, legal and financial matters, as well as access to counselling services

Inclusivity at Curinos:

We believe strongly in the value of diversity and creating supportive, inclusive environments where our colleagues can succeed. As such, Curinosis proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other protected characteristics