EXL is seeking an AVP to join its newly established Digital Operations Transformation practice - a high-energy, execution-focused leadership role sitting at the centre of EXL's transformation delivery capability. Reporting to the Senior AVP (D2), this role is responsible for end-to-end project leadership and delivery of complex transformation programmes across a portfolio of BPM clients.
The AVP will own the delivery of transformation initiatives spanning process excellence, digital automation, AI embedding, and analytics-driven improvement - working closely with client operations teams and EXL's DE and AI Solutions partners. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable running a Six Sigma improvement project, contributing to client-facing solution design, and managing a cross-functional digital delivery team.
Project Leadership & Transformation Delivery
- Own end-to-end delivery of transformation projects - from scoping and diagnostics through design, implementation, and benefits sign-off
- Build and manage detailed project plans, timelines, risk registers, and governance cadence; proactively manage deviations
- Lead cross-functional project teams, ensuring clarity of ownership, accountability, and delivery pace
- Prepare and present progress reports and steering updates for client and internal leadership
Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement
- Lead DMAIC and Lean improvement projects, applying Six Sigma rigour to opportunity identification, root-cause analysis, and solution design
- Conduct operational assessments - evaluating client workflows, systems, and KPIs to surface efficiency and quality opportunities
- Develop and sustain continuous improvement frameworks within client operations, building a healthy pipeline of improvement initiatives
Digital Innovation, Automation & AI
- Identify automation and digital improvement opportunities across client processes; develop business cases and lead implementation
- Manage RPA, AI/GenAI, and process intelligence deployments in collaboration with EXL's technology and solutions teams
- Stay current on automation, AI, and digital tooling relevant to BPM operations; bring practical recommendations to clients and the Senior AVP
Client-Facing Solution & Product Contribution
- Support and contribute to the design of client-facing transformation solutions - participating in requirements gathering, solution design workshops, and UAT
- Work with clients to validate solution designs and ensure they are grounded in operational reality
- Build reusable assets (playbooks, toolkits, templates) that accelerate delivery and raise solution quality across the practice
Data-Driven Insights & Analytics
- Utilize process mining, advanced analytics, and data visualization tools to generate insights that drive transformation priorities
- Develop journey maps, value stream maps, and data narratives to communicate client challenges and opportunities clearly
- Track and report transformation benefits realization against committed KPIs and agreed baselines
Stakeholder Management & Change Management
- Build strong working relationships with client operations teams, engaging regularly at Director and VP level
- Drive change management and adoption - stakeholder communication plans, training design, and embedding transformed ways of working
- Support the Senior AVP in strategic client interactions and executive-level programme governance
Team Contribution & Knowledge Sharing
- Mentor junior team members, analysts, and associates; actively contribute to team capability development
- Contribute to practice-building - methodologies, case studies, and point-of-view documents that strengthen the Digital Ops Transformation brand
- Actively share knowledge and best practices across the Digital Ops Transformation team
Essential – Mandatory Criteria
Education
- Bachelor's degree (any discipline); MBA or postgraduate qualification preferred
Experience
- 10+ years of experience in business transformation, process excellence, and operations management, predominantly in BPO/BPM/ITES environments
- Proven track record of independently leading and delivering transformation projects with measurable, validated business impact
- Experience managing cross-functional project teams and coordinating delivery across multiple stakeholder groups
- Senior client engagement experience - confident operating with client Director and VP-level stakeholders
- Domain knowledge across at least three of: Banking & Capital Markets | Utilities (Water & Gas) | Airlines & Travel | Transport, Shipping & Logistics
Six Sigma & Lean
- Six Sigma Black Belt certification - mandatory
- Demonstrable portfolio of certified Six Sigma and Lean projects with quantified, validated savings
- Hands-on experience deploying Lean/Six Sigma, Kaizen, and DMAIC frameworks in live BPM operational environments
Technical & Digital Skills
- RPA Platforms: UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Blue Prism, or equivalent - requirements definition and bot deployment experience
- Process Mining: Celonis, Signavio, Minit, or similar - independently able to run process discovery and analysis
- Analytics & Visualisation: Power BI, Tableau, Qlik, or equivalent - able to build and present insightful dashboards and narratives
- AI & GenAI: Working knowledge of AI/GenAI capabilities and their application in operations management
- Workflow & BPM: Experience configuring and managing workflow and BPM platforms
- Integration: Functional understanding of ETL processes and API integrations
- Project Management: Jira, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Trello, Asana, or similar - project-level governance
Soft Skills
- Strong project leadership - structured, delivery-oriented, able to maintain momentum across complex workstreams
- Clear, confident communicator - translates technical and analytical outputs into business-readable insights for senior stakeholders
- Analytical and structured problem-solver; comfortable with ambiguity, able to design solutions from first principles
- Collaborative team player with the ability to influence without authority across matrixed organizations
Desirable – Additional Criteria
- Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification or active progression towards it
- Exposure to client-facing product or solution design - co-developing a repeatable tool, framework, or product with or for a client
- Certification in digital transformation, design thinking, or agile methodologies
- Exposure to voice / contact centre operational environments