Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives

Morgan Stanley•Calgary, AB

21d

About The Position

The Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives will play a pivotal role within Morgan Stanley At Work, co-reporting to the Head of At Work Infrastructure and the Head of Workplace Innovation. This leader will be responsible for driving critical strategic and business initiatives across the At Work portfolio, ensuring alignment between product, technology, and operational teams as the organization continues its evolution toward an integrated Universal Participant Experience (UPE) platform across Shareworks and ETRADE systems. A core focus of this role will be partnering with high-growth private market franchise clients as they prepare for public-market transitions. The Executive Director will lead cross-functional strategies, collaborate with senior client leadership, and ensure seamless enablement onto the UPE platform. The ideal candidate brings deep technical and operational expertise across equity compensation products, an understanding of At Work’s end-to-end ecosystem, and proven experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder transformation programs.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in equity compensation, financial services, private markets, or related domains.
Extensive experience supporting private-to-public transitions (IPOs), including operational, product, and technology considerations.
Broad understanding of Morgan Stanley At Work’s products, workflows, operational models, infrastructure components, and technology stack.
Strong technical aptitude with hands-on experience in technologies such as Java, SQL, and Python.
Ability to analyze complex systems and translate business requirements into technical and operational strategies.
Demonstrated success driving enterprise-level transformation initiatives involving multi-disciplinary teams.
Experience working directly with senior client leadership and navigating high-stakes executive environments.
Proven ability to build trust, influence cross-functional groups, and lead programs without a direct reporting chain.
Willingness and ability to travel frequently, including to major client sites and Morgan Stanley offices.
Experience managing complex organizational changes including merger integrations, corporate actions, and operational restructures.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, particularly in executive-level and cross-functional settings.
Strong problem-solving capabilities, with ability to navigate ambiguity and provide structured, strategic guidance.

Responsibilities

Lead strategic, cross-enterprise programs that accelerate delivery of key At Work initiatives, with emphasis on private-to-public transition readiness and enablement on the UPE platform.
Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership across Product, Technology, Operations, and Client Coverage teams, ensuring alignment across business objectives and program outcomes.
Partner directly with major private markets franchise clients to assess readiness for IPO, define transition strategies, and ensure seamless platform integration.
Develop and maintain comprehensive execution plans, including program roadmaps, governance models, risk frameworks, and stakeholder communication structures.
Integrate operational, technical, and product workflows to ensure unified delivery across Shareworks and ETRADE technology stacks.
Identify capability gaps and drive requirements across engineering and product organizations to support long-term platform strategy.
Coordinate with infrastructure, architecture, and engineering teams to ensure that client enablement programs are resilient, scalable, and aligned with At Work’s technical direction.
Act as an escalation point for complex client scenarios requiring deep technical, operational, and product expertise.
Represent At Work with senior client stakeholders, including executive sponsors, technical leadership, operations teams, and equity plan administrators.
Develop and implement change-management frameworks to support major organizational transitions, including corporate actions, restructures, and platform migrations.
Influence without direct authority across cross-functional teams, driving clarity, accountability, and execution discipline.
Serve as a key contributor to the long-term UPE strategy, ensuring that private market client needs are represented in platform evolution.
Maintain strong awareness of regulatory, operational, and system considerations impacting private and public company equity administration.