Executive Director - Custody Operations and Strategic Change

India Direct Custody Operations – Strategic Change, Governance and Remediation Lead - Executive Director

Are you ready to drive transformation in a world-class custody platform? Join a team where your leadership, market expertise, and vision shape the future of India’s custody operations. You’ll lead strategic change, strengthen governance, and deliver impactful solutions for global clients. Grow your career by collaborating with industry leaders, influencing market infrastructure, and building a high-performing team dedicated to operational excellence.

As the Executive Director within the India Direct Custody Operations team, you will lead transformation initiatives, optimize processes, and remediate operational gaps to deliver exceptional client outcomes. You will establish robust governance frameworks, ensure regulatory compliance, and build strong relationships with clients, market infrastructure partners, and internal teams. You will champion change management, drive data-driven insights, and represent the firm in industry advocacy efforts. Together, we will safeguard client portfolios, enhance efficiency, and unlock new opportunities in India’s dynamic market.

India Direct Custody Operations covers a full suite of services, including account onboarding, trade support and settlement, corporate actions, reference data, reporting, and client service. The team partners with product, compliance, technology, and market infrastructure to deliver seamless solutions and continuous improvement.

Job responsibilities

• Lead strategic change initiatives across custody operations, focusing on process optimization, risk mitigation, and remediation

• Establish and maintain robust governance frameworks, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies

• Monitor and remediate risk indicators to protect the firm’s financial and reputational interests

• Build and sustain strong relationships with clients, internal teams, and external stakeholders, including exchanges, clearing corporations, depositories, registrars, and regulators

• Partner with product, compliance, and technology to manage regulatory and market infrastructure changes, ensuring timely implementation and communication

• Analyze and resolve service delivery issues, client queries, and operational incidents; develop and execute remediation plans to address root causes

• Leverage technology, digital tools, and data analytics to identify opportunities for operational improvement and enhance governance

• Support industry initiatives and advocacy efforts to drive positive changes in market infrastructure and regulatory frameworks

• Lead, develop, and inspire diverse teams, fostering a culture of accountability and high performance

• Represent the firm in client and external counterparty interactions, demonstrating confidence and professionalism

• Proactively identify, escalate, and remediate issues to ensure operational resilience

Required qualifications, capabilities, and skills

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 15 years’ experience in Domestic/Direct Custody and Settlements, including at least 8 years in managerial roles leading diverse teams
• Deep understanding of India market practices, regulatory frameworks, and custody operations, with strong appreciation for the Designated Depository Participant function

• Extensive experience liaising with market infrastructure intermediaries such as depositories, clearing corporations, and exchanges

  Strong knowledge of financial markets and instruments, both domestic and global.

• Proven track record in strategic change management, governance, and remediation within financial services
• Strong focus on controls, risk management, and program/project governance
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels, locally and regionally
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, with a proactive approach to identifying, escalating, and remediating issues
• Demonstrated leadership in high-pressure environments with competing priorities.
• Confident, articulate, and effective in representing the firm in client and external counterparty interactions
• Strong oral and written communication and presentation skills

Preferred qualifications, capabilities, and skills

• Experience leading large-scale transformation or remediation programs in custody or securities services

• Advanced digital literacy and experience leveraging technology and data analytics for operational improvement

• Experience supporting industry advocacy and regulatory change initiatives

• Professional certifications in risk management, project management, or related fields

• Demonstrated ability to drive cross-functional collaboration and deliver results in complex environments

• Experience with automation and digital transformation in custody operations

• Strong quantitative and reporting skills for data-driven decision-making