Director, Strategic Initiatives

Who are we?

At Finastra, we are a dynamic global provider of open finance software solutions, dedicated to expanding access to financial services. Our innovative applications span Lending, Payments, Treasury and Capital Markets, and Universal Banking. Proudly serving over 8,000 customers, including 45 of the world's top 50 banks, we aim to boost financial inclusion for all. Join us and be part of a vibrant company that embraces diverse perspectives, and is committed to doing well by doing good.

Director, Strategic Initiatives

Drive strategic initiatives to the finish line

• Take ambiguous ideas from the CTO. ("We should modernize our developer onboarding") and turn them into scoped, resourced, and time-bound projects.

• Coordinate across engineering, security, and operations to deliver on operational streamlining, delivery process optimization, transformation programs, migrations, or architecture changes.

• Remove blockers that teams can't solve on their own - whether that's budget approvals, tool access, or stakeholder buy-in.

• Partner with BU leadership to define, prioritize, and drive execution of strategic initiatives.

• Represent the Lending BU in enterprise-wide strategic programs and transformation efforts.

• Monitor progress against strategic goals and mitigate risks or blockers as needed.

Be the CTO's communications hub

• Draft CTO updates to the BU leadership, product partners, and the broader tech org.

• Prepare talking points and decks for executive reviews, board meetings, and all-hands.

• Ensure the CTO's messages land clearly with both deeply technical engineers and non-technical business leaders.

Keep the CTO in the right rooms (and out of the wrong ones)

• Vet incoming meeting requests - prioritizing ruthlessly and saying "no" gracefully when needed.

• Attend key meetings in the CTO's place when decisions can be made without them and represent their perspective accurately.

• Brief and debrief the CTO so they always walk into a conversation informed and leave with clear next steps.

Monitor the pulse of the technology organization

• Keep tabs on morale, bandwidth, and risks - not just through dashboards, but by talking to people across teams.

• Spot misalignments early (e.g., architecture vs. product roadmap) and raise them with solutions in hand.

• Partner with HR and Finance to forecast headcount needs, track attrition, and justify investment in tools or talent.

Manage critical cross-team relationships

• Serve as the CTO's connector to product, sales, engineering, Ops, and central IT.

• Ensure dependencies between Lending BU's tech teams and central platform/shared services are documented and actively managed.

• Broker agreements when priorities collide between teams.

What Success Looks Like

• The CTO spends more time on strategy and decision-making and less on chasing updates or resolving miscommunications.

• Key initiatives hit their milestones, even when they require coordination across multiple orgs.

• The technology leadership team operates on a clear, predictable cadence - no more ad-hoc fire drills.

• The CTO's priorities are visible, tracked, and moving forward.

• The org feels aligned, informed, and supported, even during periods of rapid change.

We are proud to offer a range of incentives to our employees worldwide. These benefits are available to everyone, regardless of grade, and reflect the values we uphold:

• Flexibility: Enjoy unlimited vacation, based on your location and business priorities. Hybrid working arrangements, and inclusive policies such as paid time off for voting, bereavement, and sick leave.
• Well-being: Access confidential one-on-one therapy through our Employee Assistance Program, unlimited personalized coaching via our coaching app, and access to our Gather Groups for emotional and mental support.
• Medical, life & disability insurance, retirement plan, lifestyle and other benefits*
• ESG: Benefit from paid time off for volunteering and donation matching.
• DEI: Participate in multiple DE&I groups for open involvement (e.g., Count Me In, Culture@Finastra, Proud@Finastra, Disabilities@Finastra, Women@Finastra).
• Career Development: Access online learning and accredited courses through our Skills & Career Navigator tool.
• Recognition: Be part of our global recognition program, Finastra Celebrates, and contribute to regular employee surveys to help shape Finastra and foster a culture where everyone is engaged and empowered to perform at their best.
• Specific benefits may vary by location.

At Finastra, each individual is unique, bringing their own ideas, thoughts, cultural beliefs, backgrounds, and experiences together. We learn from one another, embrace and celebrate our differences, and create an environment where everyone feels safe to be themselves.

Be unique, be exceptional, and help us make a difference at Finastra!

Applicants for this position need to be located in posted location or their immediate surrounding areas. Due to the requirements of this position, this job posting is not available for, and Finastra will not be considering any applicants who currently reside in New York City or California.