Optima Partners
Client Director - Financial Services Consulting (Data, AI and Customer Engagement))
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About Us
Want to shape the future of AI led transformation? So do we.
At Optima Partners, we connect business context, advanced analytics and engineering rigour to help organisations solve their most complex challenges and deliver measurable outcomes at speed.
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Edinburgh, Optima is an AI and data consultancy specialising in transformation across Financial Services & Insurance, Energy, Telecoms and Life Sciences. Backed by significant recent investment from Growth Capital Partners (GCP), we are entering an exciting new phase of growth. This funding accelerates our expansion, strengthens our service and innovation propositions, and enables further investment in our people, technology and client delivery capabilities.
As a result, we are looking to appoint a Client Director with deep industry expertise in Financial Services who can translate that into our missions: personalised customer engagement and decisioning, advanced AI and data science, or building modern data foundations at scale.
The role
This role is for someone who is a strong people person, with deep domain knowledge in Banking, Wealth, or Insurance clients. You should have a deep understanding of how FS organisations leverage customer data to drive engagement, loyalty, and growth, including segmentation, journey mapping, lifecycle management, and personalised communications. Awareness of digital channels, marketing automation, CRM platforms, and AI-driven customer insights is essential, as is knowledge of loyalty programmes, customer acquisition and retention strategies.
You’ll shape and drive long-term client accounts, with a focus on delivery excellence, governance, and sustainable growth. Acting as the key client contact, overseeing execution, driving opportunities within accounts, and maintaining operational and financial oversight.
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As a Client Director, you will be accountable for the overall success of a portfolio of accounts or complex client engagements within a single account. You will be the face of Optima to the client, owning strategic direction, commercial performance, and growth opportunities. Critical delivery oversight and financial planning are part of the role, as well as growth, sales, and landing large-scale, enduring programmes of work beyond current engagements.
You will work with outstanding talent across Optima to bring the very best of our capabilities to clients, unlocking value through AI and data, customer engagement, and modern data foundations. Operating confidently at C-suite level, you will build trusted partnerships, drive profitable growth, and ensure exceptional delivery across all engagements.
Your role will include:
- Owning client satisfaction, perception, and long-term success
- Setting account strategy, objectives, and growth plans
- Identifying where the activity and budget is, and connecting that to how Optima can solve problems and deliver measurable value
- Balancing a portfolio of accounts or complex client engagements
- Acting as P&L owner for the client account, ensuring strong commercial performance
- Building and sustaining senior executive (CxO) relationships
- Bringing together the best Optima talent, services, and assets across the business
- Ensuring consistently high-quality delivery across all engagements
- Developing a deep understanding of the client’s industry, organisation, culture, and strategic priorities
- Acting as the central point of coordination across Sales, Delivery, Service Lines, Finance, and HR
About you
You are a business-centric, entrepreneurial leader with deep sector expertise and strong credibility. Highly commercially astute, you balance delivery oversight with a growth-oriented strategy and thrive in complex, fast-moving environments. You translate AI, data science, and technology insight into measurable business outcomes.
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As a natural relationship builder, you engage confidently with senior stakeholders while collaborating effectively with internal delivery teams. Curious and inquisitive by nature, you are motivated to develop a deep understanding of clients and their challenges. Calm under pressure, adaptable, and confident, you operate effectively at executive level while remaining closely connected to delivery.
Essential
- Deep expertise and credibility in Financial Services covering Retail Banking, Pensions and Insurance and/or Wealth Management
- Track record of shaping and growing complex client accounts in consulting or professional services
- Experience driving profitable growth and long-term engagements
- Demonstrated success in landing large-scale, enduring programmes of work
- Ability to balance a portfolio of accounts or complex activity within a single account
- P&L accountability or commercial ownership experience
- Strong understanding of AI, advanced data science, customer engagement, and data foundations at scale
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and leadership skills
- Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to balance strategic vision and execution
Desirable
- Experience working in a challenger consultancy or high-growth environment
- Background in AI, data or digital transformation programmes
- Experience operating within matrixed organisations
What We Offer
- Competitive base salary
- Access to company discretionary bonus in addition to client growth incentive plan.
- Up to 37 days holiday
- Private medical insurance
- Group life and income protection
- Salary sacrifice Pension Scheme
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