Head of Data & Business Excellence

Head of Data & Business Excellence

Ready to lead work that will shape how one of New Zealand’s leading banks operates for the future?

We’re looking for a Head of Data & Business Excellence to join our Strategy, Transformation & Operations leadership team within Personal Banking.

This is a senior leadership role with a broad mandate across business process management, customer data and operational excellence. You’ll lead work that simplifies how we operate, strengthens how we manage customer data and risk, and creates better experiences for our customers and frontline teams.

It’s an opportunity for a leader who can see the bigger picture, bring people together around complex challenges, and turn strategy into practical, measurable change.

Te Tūranga | The role

Reporting to the GM Strategy, Transformation & Operations, you’ll lead a cross-functional Data & Business Excellence team responsible for improving capability, simplifying processes and strengthening customer data management across Personal Banking.

A key part of your role will be shaping and leading our simplification agenda. You’ll build strong process management foundations and identify where work can be stopped, automated or centralised to improve productivity and make things easier for our people and customers.

Alongside this, you’ll lead the strategic uplift of customer data across Personal Banking. This includes improving data quality, governance, records management and controls, as well as reducing risk and supporting the effective management and deletion of data.

You’ll also:

• Build operational excellence into how Personal Banking manages processes, workflow and data.
• Make the most of Mahi Tahi (Pega) to improve workflow, simplify processes and create greater customer value.
• Build strong relationships across Technology & Transformation, Enterprise Data & Analytics and Enterprise Operations to deliver shared outcomes.
• Keep a close eye on industry trends, regulatory change and emerging practices across customer data, workflow and business process management.
• Lead with a strong focus on risk, ensuring effective controls and compliance are embedded in how the team operates.
• Play an active role within the Strategy, Transformation & Operations leadership team, helping create a positive, high-performing culture and delivering against strategic priorities.

Ultimately, you’ll use process and data as levers to simplify Personal Banking, improving efficiency and productivity while delivering better outcomes for customers and our people.

Ngā mea kia whai angitū ahau? | What do I need to be successful?

You’ll be an experienced senior leader who can work comfortably across strategy, transformation and delivery. You’ll know how to bring people together, navigate complexity and turn ambitious ideas into outcomes.

Ideally, you’ll bring strong experience in business process management or process transformation, together with experience or a strong understanding of customer data as a strategic capability. We recognise that these can be distinct areas of expertise, so we’re open to senior leaders who are particularly strong in one and have the ability to lead effectively across the other. 

You’ll also bring:

• Significant senior leadership experience, ideally within banking or financial services, although we’re open to relevant experience from other complex industries.
• Experience leading teams to deliver strategic outcomes and building environments where people can perform and grow.
• A track record of leading and embedding complex, large-scale change.
• Strong commercial and strategic judgement, with the ability to move between the bigger picture and the practical realities of delivery.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills, including the confidence to challenge constructively and work through different perspectives.
• The ability to navigate complexity at pace, identify the issues that matter and drive practical solutions.
• A collaborative leadership style that empowers others and builds capability.
• Clear and confident communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively at senior and executive levels.

Te mahi ki ASB | Working for ASB

At ASB, our values are more than just words. They’re anchors to who we are and where we’ve come from. They guide how we work together, how we show up for our customers and communities, and how we shape the future of ASB.

• Kia Manaaki | Care – Care is about lifting our people, customers and communities to reach their potential
• Kia Māia | Courage – Courage is about doing the right thing even when it feels hard
• Kia Mahira | Curiosity – Curiosity is about better decision making and applying judgement before we act

This is an opportunity to influence how Personal Banking works at scale. You’ll have the scope to shape important work across data, process and simplification, while working alongside senior leaders and teams from across ASB to turn ideas into real outcomes.

We also offer:

• Career growth through training, mentoring and internal opportunities.
• Health & wellbeing support including Southern Cross Wellbeing One.
• Meaningful benefits like discounted banking, insurance, and parental leave top-up.

Me pēhea te tono | How to apply?

If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, apply now and include a brief cover letter outlining your relevant experience.

We know the right person may not come from one specific career path. If your experience spans process transformation, operational excellence, customer data or similar areas, and you’re excited by the opportunity to lead across these capabilities, we’d encourage you to apply.

Successful candidates will be required to complete pre-employment checks, which may include a Police Check, Credit Check, AML compliance checks, verification of qualifications, and relevant overseas checks if applicable.