What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Operational Excellence Specialist – Incident & Problem Management position at swift?
ABOUT US We’re the world’s leading provider of secure financial messaging services, headquartered in Belgium. We are the way the world moves value – across borders, through cities and overseas. No other organisation can address the scale, precision, pace and trust that this demands, and we’re proud to support the global economy. We’re unique too. We were established to find a better way for the global financial community to move value – a reliable, safe and secure approach that the community can trust, completely. We’re always striving to be better and are constantly evolving in an ever-changing landscape, without undermining that trust. Five decades on, our vibrant community reflects the complexity and diversity of the financial ecosystem. We innovate diligently, test exhaustively, then implement fast. In a connected and exciting era, our mission has never been more relevant. Swift now has a presence in 200 countries and legal territories to serve a community of more than 12,000 banks and financial institutions. Operational excellence is essential to maintaining global financial stability. As the Lead Operational Excellence Specialist – Incident & Problem Management, you will shape how Swift anticipates, analyses, and learns from operational disruptions. Your mission is to translate data, trends, and root‑cause insights into high‑impact improvements that keep the world’s value moving—reliably and without interruption. As a senior advisor and thought leader, you will foster a culture of measurement, learning, and accountability. You will use analytics, quality indicators, and performance insights to identify optimisation opportunities, reduce operational risk, and drive meaningful change. You will also translate complex findings into clear narratives for senior leadership, enabling informed, data‑driven decision making across the organisation. This role is designed for someone who embraces complexity, takes ownership, and is energised by shaping enterprise‑wide processes, standards, and behaviours. Incident & Root Cause Analytics Own incident and root‑cause analytics, ensuring accurate and high‑quality reporting. Deliver insight‑driven trend analysis to senior management, including transversal learnings and board‑level summaries. Use data and patterns to influence preventive actions and strengthen operational resilience. Periodic Process Review & Continuous Improvement Lead end‑to‑end assessments of the Post Incident Review (PIR) and Incident Management processes. Conduct targeted deep‑dives on major or complex incidents to identify structural improvements. Drive improvement initiatives and ensure changes are adopted consistently across teams. Strengthen the Incident Management lifecycle and reduce recurrence of issues. Problem Management – Core Responsibilities Own and govern the Post Incident Review (PIR) process in line with ITIL and regulatory expectations. Lead RCA for major and recurring incidents, driving permanent fixes and risk reduction. Maintain process documentation, controls, and audit‑ready evidence. Collaborate across Incident Management, Change, Engineering, and Risk & Compliance to ensure a cohesive ITSM ecosystem. Monitor and report problem trends to senior leadership and external stakeholders. Leverage automation, analytics, and standardisation to enhance efficiency and compliance. Ensure adherence to regulatory frameworks including data integrity and audit traceability. What Will Make You Successful Required Experience in Incident and/or Problem Management within a regulated financial environment. Strong understanding of ITIL and modern service management practices. Familiarity with standards such as GDPR, DORA, or similar frameworks. Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills. Strong communication skills, including presenting to senior leadership and regulators. Proficiency with ServiceNow ITSM and reporting tools. What we offer We give you the freedom to be yourself. We are creating an environment of unique individuals – like you – with different perspectives on the financial industry and the world. A diverse and inclusive environment in which everyone’s voice counts and where you can reach your full potential. We are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation related to accessibility during your application or interview, please contact accessibility-Sysgroup@swift.com or indicate this in your application. Please note that this mailbox is not monitored for general recruitment enquiries and should only be used for accessibility or accommodation-related requests (for example related to vision, hearing or neurodiversity). All requests are confidential and will not affect your candidacy. Don’t meet every single requirement? At Swift, we are dedicated to building a workplace where people can bring their full selves and ideas to the team, so if you are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single qualification. Swift doesn’t stand still. We are constantly evolving and tirelessly innovating. Working at the intersection of finance and technology is a very exciting place to be right now. Swift is transforming cross-border payments, making them faster and more transparent than ever before. We are the way the world moves value — every instant of every day, in almost every country. We are proud that what we do has a critical impact on the global financial community and touches almost every aspect of the financial world. So, what you do at Swift has real impact too — an impact that matters every day. Which is why you matter to us. Joining Swift gives you unparalleled exposure to knowledge, expertise and technologies. If you have what it takes, you’ll be able to take on different career paths and have the opportunity to work in teams, departments and disciplines in countries around the world. Swift is unique. There is no other organisation like ours in the world driving the long-term future of the financial ecosystem. You’ll be surrounded by bright, customer-focused and intellectually curious people in a collaborative, friendly, open and inclusive environment. At Swift we are trusted every instant. Everything we do has an impact that matters. And as a member of our team, you are trusted to make your impact every day. Interested in working at Swift, but the role you are looking for is not available yet? Please create an account and register for a Job Alert and we will let you know when new jobs matching your career interests become available.