Sr. Vice President, Banking Operations

First National Bank of Omaha•Omaha, NE

22d•Onsite

About The Position

The Banking Chief Operations Officer (COO) is a strategic senior leader and key member of the Banking Division leadership team, accountable for operational excellence, scalability, and execution across the Business Segment, Commercial Payments, Individual Segment, and Wealth & Institutional Services. The role translates the division’s growth strategy into operational reality by building the infrastructure, capabilities, and teams needed to deliver business outcomes. It drives division-wide process transformation, technology enablement, and efficiency while supporting the Banking Division’s strategic growth agenda. The position combines strategic leadership with hands-on operational expertise to build strong operational capabilities, optimize resource deployment, and deliver measurable outcomes. The COO defines and executes operational strategy; oversees performance across banking operations; leads process transformation and continuous improvement; and advances technology, automation, analytics, and data-driven decision-making. The role enables strategic priorities such as acquisitions and integrations, product launches, and digital channel expansion, while working with business peers and enterprise functions. It also oversees operational compliance, controls, risk mitigation, regulatory reporting, and remediation of audit and control issues. The position builds and develops a high-performing operations organization through hiring, succession planning, organizational design, talent development, and change management. It communicates operational priorities and progress to senior leaders and governance bodies and represents the Banking Division’s operational perspective in enterprise forums. The incumbent is anticipated to work onsite at the posted location. Work location may change based on business needs. Candidates must have unrestricted work authorization and must not require future sponsorship.

Requirements

Executive presence and credibility to influence senior stakeholders, lead cross-enterprise initiatives, and represent Operations at the highest organizational levels.
Strategic business acumen and a track record of shaping organizational direction.
Demonstrated success leading large-scale process transformation and operational efficiency initiatives.
Strong working knowledge of banking regulations, compliance requirements, and operational practices related to operations and servicing.
Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing, diverse teams across multiple functions.
Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills and a data-informed approach to decision-making.
Technological fluency, including experience using automation, AI, and digital tools to drive operational outcomes.
Outstanding communication skills, including translating complex operational strategies into clear narratives for executive- and board-level audiences.
Demonstrated change leadership ability to initiate, manage, and sustain organizational transformation while maintaining team engagement and operational stability.
Commitment to FNBO’s values, ethical standards, and continuous improvement.
Unrestricted work authorization and no need for future sponsorship.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the division’s operational strategy, aligning infrastructure, capacity, and capabilities with business growth and competitive differentiation.
Ensure operational excellence and performance accountability across transaction processing, account management, customer servicing, loan servicing, payment operations, and deposit operations.
Lead end-to-end process transformation and cross-functional efficiency initiatives with measurable outcomes.
Establish KPIs and performance accountability frameworks to track operational health and progress toward strategic goals.
Promote continuous improvement through process redesign, automation, and AI integration to reduce costs and improve throughput.
Manage expense planning, including multi-year efficiency roadmaps and year-over-year targets.
Drive the operations technology and automation strategy, prioritizing AI, RPA, and digital capabilities.
Partner with Technology and Product teams to align operational capabilities with digital growth initiatives, including digital onboarding, BillPay/transfers, open banking, and dynamic product and pricing capabilities.
Support regulatory technology initiatives such as ISO20022 and 1071 compliance.
Evaluate emerging technologies and industry practices, and drive data-informed decisions using analytics, operational intelligence, and/or predictive modeling.
Enable strategic priorities including acquisitions and integrations, new product launches, and digital channel expansion.
Partner with leaders across the Business Segment, Commercial Payments, Individual Segment, and Wealth & Institutional Services to support growth through scalable infrastructure and collaboration.
Translate division strategy into executable operational plans with milestones, resource requirements, and success metrics.
Lead operational due diligence and integration planning for acquisitions, supporting seamless execution and value realization.
Represent Operations in enterprise strategic and governance forums, advocating for investment, prioritization, and cross-division alignment.
Collaborate with Compliance and Legal to ensure operations comply with applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies.
Mitigate operational risk through controls, process discipline, and proactive identification of vulnerabilities.
Ensure timely remediation of audit findings, regulatory feedback, and control deficiencies, and maintain accurate and timely regulatory reporting.
Build and sustain a high-performing operations organization through hiring, succession planning, talent calibration, and development programs.
Set role expectations, accountability frameworks, and recognition programs that reinforce a performance culture.
Lead organizational design, cross-functional collaboration, career development, internal mobility, and change management.
Model FNBO’s leadership attributes and maintain team engagement, clarity, and operational stability during transitions.
Deliver operational narratives and strategic updates to senior leadership, the Banking Leadership Team, and governance bodies.
Maintain transparent communication across the operations organization and build cross-functional relationships that support execution.