Strategy & Operations Lead - Strategic Technology Partnerships

Morgan Stanley•New York, NY

About The Position

In the Technology division, we leverage innovation to build the connections and capabilities that power our Firm, enabling our clients and colleagues to redefine markets and shape the future of our communities. The Firmwide Innovation team builds long-lasting partnerships with tech innovators that make up the cornerstone of Morgan Stanley's tech strategy. We believe in the power of enduring partnerships to deliver world-class tech solutions for our business and clients. We engage early with companies that have the potential to disrupt the market and provide the capabilities to shape the future of financial services and our integrated Firm. We partner with VCs and PE firms to understand the transformative shifts in our industry. Strategy & Operations position at the VP level on the Strategic Technology Partnerships Team within Firmwide Innovation. Position will play an important role in supporting the optimization of product use and engagement with the Firm's most strategic technology partners. The position is designed for those with proven experience in not only crafting and refining program strategy, but also in implementation and operationalization of complex Firmwide initiatives. Experience facing off to senior C-level executives, identifying opportunities, implementing changes, and driving governance within an enterprise technology sales, partnerships or Innovation organization is a strong plus. A strong understanding of the enterprise technology landscape within fin services is required Your primary focus will be supporting the enhancement of strategic tech partnerships. In this role you would manage the detailed and comprehensive operational framework needed to optimize the adoption of partner products, support the discovery of growth opportunities, and help better position the Firm as the partner of choice. Additionally, you will play an important role in supporting the incubation of opportunities for co-development and co-innovation with strategic partners. Role requires strong attention to detail, program strat dev & execution, governance & reporting, and cross-team collaboration What you'll do in the role: Strategy & Execution Support program leadership in refining and execution of program strategy including building and maintaining artefacts such as dashboards, partnership plans and playbooks that communicate short & long-term objectives Serve as a trusted advisor and partner to senior leadership by proactively identifying new initiatives and driving execution of prioritized work Translate strategy into actionable plans and take ownership of key projects/initiatives with clearly defined milestones and strong attention to details Monitor key industry trends in the external tech landscape as well as internal Firm developments to inform re-alignment of program strategy and goals as needed Interface with other Firmwide Innovation teams like Market Innovation, Emerging Technologies, Innovation Labs, and Operations & Insights as well as take ownership of consolidating agreed cross team metrics Program Operations Cultivate strong working relationships with Account Directors, Product Owners and external partner Account Management teams Establish and manage processes, tools and workflows to support deliverables Lead engagement with cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders across the Firm Champion execution discipline, ensuring all initiatives are delivered accurately, on time, and with demonstratable impact Raise, manage program risks along with ensuring compliance with Firm risk & compliance policies & procedures Drive production of quality content for strategic events like industry conferences, and marquee Firm events Governance & Reporting Manage program governance & reporting framework Drive program marketing, external & internal comms and content distribution Drive automation, continuous improvement in information collection, quality & reporting

Requirements

Demonstrated experience of at least 8 years in managing strategic programs within large, complex organizations, with a strong record of supporting operational excellence and facilitating senior stakeholder engagement.
Deep understanding of the enterprise technology products landscape, particularly with experience supporting strategic relationships and operational activities within enterprise technology sales.
Proven capability in strategy development and execution, with an emphasis on attention to detail, process optimization, and aligning operational activities to the long-term vision and strategic goals of the Firm.
Outstanding written and oral communication skills, with the ability to distill key messages and facilitate effective action within the team, ensuring clarity and precision in supporting day-to-day operations.
Advanced program management skills including meticulous planning, governance strategy design, operational execution, and robust stakeholder management, with a focus on supporting cross-functional teams and internal collaboration with some direct external engagement.

Responsibilities

Support program leadership in refining and execution of program strategy including building and maintaining artefacts such as dashboards, partnership plans and playbooks that communicate short & long-term objectives
Serve as a trusted advisor and partner to senior leadership by proactively identifying new initiatives and driving execution of prioritized work
Translate strategy into actionable plans and take ownership of key projects/initiatives with clearly defined milestones and strong attention to details
Monitor key industry trends in the external tech landscape as well as internal Firm developments to inform re-alignment of program strategy and goals as needed
Interface with other Firmwide Innovation teams like Market Innovation, Emerging Technologies, Innovation Labs, and Operations & Insights as well as take ownership of consolidating agreed cross team metrics
Cultivate strong working relationships with Account Directors, Product Owners and external partner Account Management teams
Establish and manage processes, tools and workflows to support deliverables
Lead engagement with cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders across the Firm
Champion execution discipline, ensuring all initiatives are delivered accurately, on time, and with demonstratable impact
Raise, manage program risks along with ensuring compliance with Firm risk & compliance policies & procedures
Drive production of quality content for strategic events like industry conferences, and marquee Firm events
Manage program governance & reporting framework
Drive program marketing, external & internal comms and content distribution
Drive automation, continuous improvement in information collection, quality & reporting