Strategy Sr Director

Citizens Financial Group•Boston, MA

About The Position

Head of Distribution Ecosystem Transformation Background & Context Evolve & Integrate Distribution (E&ID) is a long‑term, customer‑centric growth strategy designed to accelerate durable market share gains by repositioning consumer distribution to win deposits, deepen advice‑led relationships, and expand relevance in priority markets. At its core, E&ID represents a deliberate pivot—from historical optimization for efficiency and transactions toward a future focused on sustainable growth, customer advocacy, and relationship depth. This strategy integrates two inseparable levers: Distribution Network – optimizing branch density, formats, staffing models, and brand presence by market context Distribution Ecosystem – transforming how work gets done across people, roles, workflows, tools, routines, and data, so frontline judgment and advice can scale. Together, these efforts reposition Consumer Distribution as a growth engine, not simply a footprint. Role Purpose The Head of Distribution Ecosystem Transformation is a senior enterprise leader accountable for leading the Ecosystem workstream of Evolve & Integrate Distribution. This role owns the transformation of how work gets done across the consumer distribution channel—integrating physical, digital, human, and AI capabilities into a coherent, advice led operating ecosystem. The objective is to equip and empower colleagues to build deeper relationships, exercise sound judgment at scale, and deliver consistent customer advocacy supported by data driven insights and technology enabled tools. This role exists to ensure that an ambitious strategy translates into a real, executable model—one that reflects frontline realities, workforce implications, and operating constraints, and that is delivered through disciplined execution rather than fragmented initiatives. Serving as the connective tissue across business, network design, operations, HR, digital, data/AI, and change enablement, this leader brings clarity, integration, and momentum to one of the most complex transformations in the Consumer Bank. Scope of Accountability The Head of Distribution Ecosystem Transformation holds enterprise level accountability for: End to End Workforce and Operating Model Transformation Designing and delivering an integrated people and operating model spanning roles, skills, capacity, job architecture, workflows, onboarding, coaching, and performance management Ensuring workforce design is explicitly tied to growth strategy, advice models, and market context, not layered on after the fact Elevating ecosystem readiness as a critical enabler of advisory growth and deposit capture Human in the Center Enablement Shaping an ecosystem where technology and AI augment human judgment rather than bypass it Ensuring AI is thoughtfully embedded into roles and workflows in ways that increase capacity, surface insights, remove low value work, and preserve trust and discretion at the point of customer engagement Driving consistency and adoption across markets while respecting where judgment matters most in the field Change Delivery, Not Rollout Designing and leading a test and learn, multi pilot approach to change; co creating roles, workflows, and tools with frontline and field leaders Ensuring change is built with the field, not designed centrally and rolled out Building credibility, confidence, and belief through early wins, iteration, and disciplined scaling Enterprise Integration and Governance Translating executive direction into a coherent, executable ecosystem design across E&ID pillars Identifying and resolving tradeoffs, dependencies, and sequencing decisions that affect scalability, speed, and adoption Surface and actively manage execution risk associated with capacity, skills, operating rhythm, and change fatigue Leadership Role This is a senior, enterprise leadership role requiring influence as well as line authority. The Head of Distribution Ecosystem Transformation operates as a trusted advisor and integrator to executive sponsors, business leaders, HR, technology, and delivery teams. The role requires strong judgment, comfort operating in ambiguity, and the ability to balance strategic ambition with practical execution realities, particularly branch economics, workforce capacity, adoption risk, and channel interdependencies. Success depends less on designing the “perfect” future state and more on orchestrating focused execution that scales without breaking trust or momentum. Outcomes That Define Success Success is defined by the organization’s ability to move from strategy to real adoption at scale. Key outcomes include: A Distribution channel that grows deposits and takes market share, operating as One Citizens team A clearly defined, consistently applied ecosystem model that integrates roles, workflows, tools, AI, and decision rights across distribution A workforce model that enables advice led growth and reflects real frontline capacity, skills, and judgment Demonstrable progress through pilots and scaled releases, not one time designs Reduced fragmentation across initiatives, with clearer ownership and faster decision making A repeatable transformation toolkit that can be deployed across markets, roles, and formats over time Experience and Capability Profile The ideal candidate brings deep experience leading largescale, frontline heavy enterprise transformations, with a strong track record integrating strategy, workforce design, operating model, and change delivery. They combine strategic clarity with execution discipline, are credible with senior executives and field leaders alike, and are energized by the challenge of turning bold ambition into practical, sustainable change. Experience operating at the intersection of distribution, workforce transformation, and technology enabled execution is critical.

Requirements

Deep experience leading largescale, frontline heavy enterprise transformations.
Strong track record integrating strategy, workforce design, operating model, and change delivery.
Strategic clarity with execution discipline.
Credibility with senior executives and field leaders.
Experience operating at the intersection of distribution, workforce transformation, and technology enabled execution is critical.

Nice To Haves

Comfort operating in ambiguity.
Ability to balance strategic ambition with practical execution realities, particularly branch economics, workforce capacity, adoption risk, and channel interdependencies.

Responsibilities

Leading the Ecosystem workstream of Evolve & Integrate Distribution.
Owning the transformation of how work gets done across the consumer distribution channel—integrating physical, digital, human, and AI capabilities into a coherent, advice led operating ecosystem.
Designing and delivering an integrated people and operating model spanning roles, skills, capacity, job architecture, workflows, onboarding, coaching, and performance management.
Ensuring workforce design is explicitly tied to growth strategy, advice models, and market context.
Shaping an ecosystem where technology and AI augment human judgment rather than bypass it.
Ensuring AI is thoughtfully embedded into roles and workflows in ways that increase capacity, surface insights, remove low value work, and preserve trust and discretion at the point of customer engagement.
Designing and leading a test and learn, multi pilot approach to change; co creating roles, workflows, and tools with frontline and field leaders.
Translating executive direction into a coherent, executable ecosystem design across E&ID pillars.
Identifying and resolving tradeoffs, dependencies, and sequencing decisions that affect scalability, speed, and adoption.
Surface and actively manage execution risk associated with capacity, skills, operating rhythm, and change fatigue.
Operating as a trusted advisor and integrator to executive sponsors, business leaders, HR, technology, and delivery teams.
Orchestrating focused execution that scales without breaking trust or momentum.