Strategic Operations Associate
- Full-time
- IFS Referral Bonus Code: SH
- Job Location: Hybrid
Company Description
IFS is a billion-dollar revenue company with 7000+ employees on all continents. Our leading AI technology is the backbone of our award-winning enterprise software solutions, enabling our customers to be their best when it really matters–at the Moment of Service™. Our commitment to internal AI adoption has allowed us to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring our colleagues can unlock their creativity and productivity, and our solutions are always cutting-edge.
At IFS, we’re flexible, we’re innovative, and we’re focused not only on how we can engage with our customers but on how we can make a real change and have a worldwide impact. We help solve some of society’s greatest challenges, fostering a better future through our agility, collaboration, and trust.
We celebrate diversity and understand our responsibility to reflect the diverse world we work in. We are committed to promoting an inclusive workforce that fully represents the many different cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints of our customers, our partners, and our communities. As a truly international company serving people from around the globe, we realize that our success is tantamount to the respect we have for those different points of view.
By joining our team, you will have the opportunity to be part of a global, diverse environment; you will be joining a winning team with a commitment to sustainability; and a company where we get things done so that you can make a positive impact on the world.
We’re looking for innovative and original thinkers to work in an environment where you can #MakeYourMoment so that we can help others make theirs. With the power of our AI-driven solutions, we empower our team to change the status quo and make a real difference.
If you want to change the status quo, we’ll help you make your moment. Join Team Purple. Join IFS.
We embrace flexibility and hybrid work opportunities to support diverse needs and lifestyles, while also valuing inclusive workplace experiences. By fostering a sense of community, we drive innovation, strengthen connections, and nurture belonging. Our commitment ensures you can work in a way that suits you best, while also engaging with colleagues to share ideas and build meaningful relationships
Job Description
Role Purpose
The Strategic Operations Associate is responsible for ensuring cadence, accountability, and follow-through across executive-led initiatives and strategic work.
This role exists to remove the operational burden from executives and senior stakeholders by capturing outcomes from high-level discussions and ensuring agreed actions are progressed, tracked, and completed — quietly, proactively, and without friction.
Success in this role means work progresses as expected, without escalation, surprises, or repeated reminders.
Role Overview
You will sit within a central Strategic Operations team and be aligned day-to-day with a specific executive (or a small number of executives with related remits).
While aligned closely to an executive, you will report centrally, ensuring consistency, clear standards, and development support.
This is a cross-functional execution role, working across sales, product, delivery, marketing, and leadership teams to ensure initiatives move forward as intended.
Key Responsibilities (Level 1 – Core Expectations)
Attend executive-led meetings and capture clear, high-quality notes
Translate discussions into concise actions, owners, and deadlines
Own post-meeting follow-through, ensuring actions progress as agreed
Proactively chase owners in a supportive and professional manner
Maintain trackers and cadence mechanisms to ensure visibility and momentum
Work closely with Executive Assistants to coordinate meetings, manage sequencing, and support effective cadence across initiatives
Act as a point of continuity across initiatives, ensuring nothing stalls or is forgotten
Provide clear status updates when required, focused on action and progress, not reporting for reporting’s sake
What Success Looks Like
When this role is working effectively:
Meetings result in clear outcomes and actionable next steps
Agreed actions are progressed and completed without the need for escalation
Stakeholders experience timely, structured follow-up that supports delivery
Executives have confidence that commitments are being tracked and actioned
Momentum is maintained across initiatives through consistent cadence
Risks, delays, or blockers are identified and surfaced early
What This Role Is Not
This role does not:
Own strategy or direction
Replace executive decision-making
Serve as general admin without purpose
Act as the single point of accountability for outcomes
Behavioural Traits & Mindset
We are looking for someone who:
Is highly organised and detail-oriented
Is comfortable working with senior stakeholders
Follows through relentlessly and reliably
Communicates clearly and professionally
Anticipates issues and acts early
Builds trust through consistency
Takes pride in being the reason things move forward
Demonstrates a growth mindset, with curiosity and a willingness to learn through exposure to senior conversations and complex initiatives
Progression Opportunity (Not a Day-One Expectation)
High performers in this role may progress towards:
Thinking more proactively on behalf of executives
Anticipating needs without instruction
Shaping execution, not just tracking it
Operating with greater autonomy to represent executive priorities
Progression is earned through consistency, judgement, and trust.
Why This Role Matters
This role plays a critical part in ensuring executive time is used effectively and that strategic initiatives translate into real outcomes. It offers exposure to senior leadership, cross-functional work and a clear development pathway for individuals to progress into broader operational, strategic, or functional roles within the areas and leadership teams they support.
Additional Information
We embrace flexibility and hybrid work opportunities to support diverse needs and lifestyles, while also valuing inclusive workplace experiences. By fostering a sense of community, we drive innovation, strengthen connections, and nurture belonging. Our commitment ensures you can work in a way that suits you best, while also engaging with colleagues to share ideas and build meaningful relationships.