Head of Operations

The Opportunity

Olea, a digital infrastructure platform majority-owned by Standard Chartered and incubated within Standard Chartered Ventures, directs global liquidity to supply chain and trade assets. Leveraging advance technology, Olea provides financing solutions to global supply chain participants, empowering sustainable trade and supporting sustainable economic development. Headquartered in Singapore, Olea’s business spans 70+ trade corridors globally, predominantly Asia-linked.

e are seeking for a Head of Operations who will lead the strategic and day-to-day execution of client on-boarding(KYC/CDD), trade and payment operation

What you will be doing:

• Oversee daily operations of client on-boarding, trade and payment operations and related customer services, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
• Lead operational planning and execution, balancing hands-on process detail with strategic thinking and scalability.
• Manage and grow a high-performing operations team with empathy, patience, and coaching – supporting the development of junior talent and building long-term capability.
• Operate as the primary lead in Chennai, taking ownership of daily execution while driving continuous improvement across onboarding, documentation, and transaction monitoring.
• Define SLAs and monitor performance to uphold accountability and high service quality.
• Drive process efficiency through structured problem-solving, automation, and adoption of tech-enabled solutions.
• Contribute to the enhancement of operational systems and tools, with a sharp eye for process design and scalability.
• Maintain operational dashboards and reporting, ensuring clarity and visibility for senior management.
• Actively manage operational risk and controls, working closely with compliance on regulatory, sanctions, and audit matters.
• Collaborate across product, tech, risk, and commercial teams to ensure operational readiness and client-centric delivery.

What you will need to be successful:

• At least 15 years of experience, including 5+ years in operational leadership within trade finance, payments, or broader financial services.
• Proven experience managing end-to-end operations across geographies, preferably in a regulated financial environment/fintech environment.
• Strong understanding of operational risk, control frameworks, sanctions compliance, and regulatory requirements in financial services.
• Hands-on experience in managing customer services (enquiry and complaint management) transaction execution, monitoring workflows, and improving turnaround times and efficiency.
• Experience with process optimization, automation tools and in the technology development lifecycle.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and scale teams in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Be structured, self-driven, and able to independently manage business-as-usual (BAU) while identifying and acting on improvement opportunities.

Even better if you have:

• Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree or professional certification in operations, finance, or a related field
• Familiarity with trade finance platforms, core banking systems, and operational tools in FinTech environments.
• Lean Six Sigma or similar certifications preferred.

Olea is committed to diversity and inclusion. By providing equal opportunities we foster a work environment which embraces diversity and gets the best out of the broadest spectrum of people to sustain business performance and competitive advantage. We build an inclusive culture by demonstrating respect for each other’s unique strengths and perspectives to enable every employee to develop a sense of belonging and have the opportunity to maximise their potential.