Global Head of Professional Services -SMSTR114

About the Role

Smartstream Technologies is seeking a transformational leader to take on the newly created role of Global Head of Professional Services. This is a senior, commercially accountable position that will define how Professional Services operates across Smartstream’s Smart Reconciliations product suite — comprising Smart Reconciliations Premium, Smart Reconciliations Corona, and AIR.

Based in India and leading a globally distributed team through four regional heads, the successful candidate will drive a fundamental shift in the way the function delivers value: harnessing AI-enabled tooling and modern delivery practices to raise productivity, shorten time-to-value for customers, and underpin sustainable commercial growth.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of Professional Services at one of the most established names in financial technology operations — with full P&L ownership and a mandate to innovate.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Transformation

·        Define and execute the global Professional Services strategy, aligned to Smartstream’s growth objectives across the Smart Reconciliations product portfolio.

·        Lead a programme of transformational change across the function, with AI-driven automation and tooling at its core, to materially improve delivery efficiency and scalability.

·        Build a culture of continuous improvement, data-driven decision-making, and customer-centricity across all regions.

·        Act as a senior management sponsor for key strategic customer engagements and escalations.

Commercial Accountability

·        Own and deliver bookings, revenue, and gross margin targets for the Professional Services practice globally.

·        Partner with Sales and Pre-Sales to shape commercial propositions, statements of work, and pricing strategy.

·        Drive cross-sell and upsell opportunities within the existing customer base in close collaboration with Account Management.

·        Monitor and manage the financial health of the practice, including utilisation, billing efficiency, and cost management.

AI & Operational Innovation

·        Champion the adoption of AI tools across Professional Services to accelerate implementation cycles, improve quality, and reduce delivery cost.

·        Identify opportunities to productise repeatable service offerings and build scalable delivery frameworks.

·        Establish and maintain robust programme governance, project controls, and reporting standards.

·        Drive the development of IP, accelerators, and methodologies that differentiate Smartstream’s service delivery.

People Leadership

·        Lead, develop, and inspire four regional heads based in Singapore, Bangalore, Vienna, and New York, fostering a cohesive global team culture.

·        Set clear performance objectives, provide regular coaching, and manage talent development and succession planning.

·        Build capability across the function through structured hiring, training, and knowledge-sharing programmes.

·        Create an inclusive environment that attracts and retains high-calibre professionals in each region.

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

·        Serve as a senior point of contact for strategic customers, ensuring high satisfaction levels and long-term partnership.

·        Work closely with Product Management and Engineering to feed customer and delivery insights back into the product roadmap.

·        Represent Professional Services at industry events, client advisory boards, and executive business reviews.

·        Collaborate with the broader Smartstream leadership team on go-to-market strategy and market positioning.

Essential Experience & Qualifications

·        Significant experience leading Professional Services or Delivery organisations within enterprise software, ideally in financial technology or capital markets.

·        Demonstrable track record of P&L ownership with responsibility for bookings, revenue, and margin performance.

·        Experience leading geographically distributed teams, with the ability to inspire and align across cultures and time zones.

·        Proven success delivering complex, enterprise-scale implementation programmes in financial institutions.

·        Strong commercial acumen with experience in deal structuring, pricing, and negotiation.

·        Hands-on experience with, or a clear vision for, embedding AI and automation into service delivery operations.

Desirable

·        Domain knowledge in reconciliations or data management within capital markets back-office operations.

·        Familiarity with Smartstream product suites or comparable platforms (e.g., Intellimatch, TLM, FIS, Broadridge).

·        Experience working with tier-1 investment banks, custodians, or large asset managers.

·        Track record of building and scaling a professional services practice through periods of organisational change.

·        MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification.

Leadership Attributes

·        Transformational mindset. A genuine change agent who challenges the status quo and builds momentum behind a compelling vision.

·        Commercial drive. Motivated by growth, comfortable with accountability, and skilled at balancing short-term targets with long-term value creation.

·        Customer obsession. Puts client outcomes at the centre of every decision without compromising on commercial sustainability.

·        Collaborative by nature. Builds strong working relationships across Sales, Product, Engineering, and Finance — and earns trust at every level.

·        Decisive under pressure. Able to navigate ambiguity and make well-reasoned decisions in complex, fast-moving environments.

·        Inclusive leadership. Creates psychological safety, values diverse perspectives, and develops people with genuine care and commitment.

·        A senior leadership role with real global scope and executive visibility.

·        Full commercial accountability and the mandate to drive meaningful, lasting change.

·        A supportive culture that values innovation, collaboration, and professional growth.

·        Competitive compensation package commensurate with the seniority and responsibility of the role.

·        The opportunity to leave a lasting mark on how a world-class fintech delivers for its customers.