Operational Readiness Analyst (Funds Change) - Assistant Vice President

The Operational Readiness Analyst is responsible for supporting the successful delivery of strategic business, regulatory, client and technology change initiatives from an Operations perspective. The role partners closely with Operations, Product, Technology, Data and Testing teams to ensure operational requirements are defined, readiness activities are executed, and business outcomes are delivered in line with governance and control expectations. Working within a global change organization, the individual will operate across Agile 2.0 delivery teams, contributing to Program Increment (PI) planning, requirements analysis, operational readiness, testing, deployment planning and post-implementation support. The role requires strong stakeholder management skills, a continuous improvement mindset, and a passion for leveraging data and emerging AI capabilities to improve change delivery effectiveness. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to navigate complex, cross-functional environments, influence outcomes across regions and disciplines, and ensure operational teams are prepared to successfully adopt and sustain change. Change Delivery & Operational Readiness • Support the delivery of complex business and technology change initiatives from an Operations perspective. • Partner with Operations, Product and Technology teams to gather, document and refine business requirements and operational impacts. • Coordinate and execute operational readiness activities, ensuring people, processes, controls, documentation and training requirements are completed prior to implementation. • Maintain operational readiness artefacts, implementation plans, go-live checklists and governance documentation. • Facilitate operational sign-off and readiness approval processes for production deployments. • Provide post-implementation support, hypercare coordination and lessons learned activities to enhance future delivery. Agile Delivery & Business Analysis • Participate actively in Agile 2.0 ceremonies including PI Planning, backlog refinement, sprint planning and retrospectives. • Perform detailed analysis to support the development of user stories, acceptance criteria and operational requirements. • Collaborate with Product Owners, Technology and Operations stakeholders to ensure business priorities are understood and delivered. • Identify dependencies, impediments and risks that may impact successful execution and escalate appropriately. Testing & Implementation Support • Support test planning, business scenario development and operational acceptance activities. • Coordinate with Testing, Product and Technology teams to validate solutions align with business and operational requirements. • Participate in functional, end-to-end and user acceptance testing activities as required. • Assist with deployment planning and implementation readiness activities to support successful releases. Process Improvement & Transformation • Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize and improve operational processes. • Support initiatives focused on productivity, automation and reduction of manual or bespoke activities. • Contribute to operational transformation programs through data-driven analysis and continuous improvement practices. • Champion adoption of new ways of working that improve delivery effectiveness and operational outcomes. AI & Innovation • Demonstrate a strong interest in emerging technologies and AI-enabled solutions. • Actively explore opportunities to leverage AI tools to improve analysis, documentation, testing, operational readiness and change delivery activities. • Support the broader organizational AI strategy through experimentation, knowledge sharing and continuous learning. Stakeholder Management • Build effective working relationships across global Operations, Product, Technology, Data, Testing and Change teams. • Communicate project status, risks, dependencies and readiness outcomes clearly to stakeholders at varying levels of seniority. • Partner with teams across multiple regions and time zones to ensure aligned execution and successful delivery. Risk & Control • Ensure all activities are executed in accordance with Citi policies, standards and governance requirements. • Proactively identify, assess and manage risks, issues and control considerations associated with change initiatives. • Demonstrate sound judgement and accountability in safeguarding Citi, its clients and assets, while maintaining a strong culture of compliance and transparency. Qualifications • Experience within Fund Services, Investor Services, Transfer Agency, Custody or Securities Services. • Knowledge of operational readiness, change management, testing or business implementation disciplines. • Experience working within Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and Agile delivery frameworks. • Experience using or adopting AI-enabled productivity tools to improve delivery outcomes. • Familiarity with process improvement, automation or operational transformation initiatives. • Bachelor’s/University degree or equivalent experience. • 5 to 8 years of relevant experience. ------------------------------------------------------ Job Family Group: Operations - Core ------------------------------------------------------ Job Family: Operations Project Management ------------------------------------------------------ Time Type: Full time ------------------------------------------------------ Most Relevant Skills Please see the requirements listed above. ------------------------------------------------------ Other Relevant Skills For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter. ------------------------------------------------------ Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or…