Kotak Life Insurance—Head Branch Ops (Central Function ) - Mumbai (Goregaon E, HO)

Job description

Description: Dept: Branch Operations Role: Head - Central Branch Operations Sub Dept: Branch Ops – Central Team Experience: 12 years + Education: Post Graduate Work Location: Goregaon (East), Mumbai Role Purpose The Head - Central Branch Operations will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and governance across all centralized branch operations functions, enabling seamless business execution across the branch network. The role will drive operational excellence, service quality, regulatory compliance, customer experience, cost optimization, and digital transformation while serving as the key operational bridge between frontline distribution teams and corporate functions. Key Responsibilities - Provide strategic leadership and oversight for centralized functions including Branch Support, Mandate Registration, Agent Centralization, Vendor Governance, Budget Management, Audit & Compliance Coordination. Service Quality Assurance (SQA). - Act as the custodian of branch operations governance, ensuring seamless support and service delivery across the PAN India branch network. - Drive operational excellence through process standardization, productivity enhancement, SLA governance, and continuous improvement initiatives. - Partner closely with Distribution, Sales, Finance, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Technology, and Operations teams to enable business growth and superior stakeholder experience. - Lead the organization's operational risk, compliance, and control framework, ensuring adherence to regulatory and internal governance requirements. - Own end-to-end management of Internal, External, Statutory, and Regulatory Audits, ensuring audit readiness and timely closure of observations. - Drive customer experience and service quality enhancement through robust quality assurance frameworks, operational analytics, and process optimization. - Oversee vendor governance, contract compliance, performance management, and cost optimization initiatives. - Manage departmental budgets, financial controls, and resource optimization to deliver maximum operational efficiency. - Spearhead digital transformation, automation, and operational modernization initiatives to create a future-ready operating model. - Develop high-performing teams and foster a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. Desired Profile - Proven leadership experience in Operations, Service Delivery, or Customer Service Operations. - Strong expertise in governance, audits, compliance, stakeholder management, operational excellence, and transformation initiatives. - Demonstrated ability to lead large teams, manage cross-functional stakeholders, and drive enterprise-wide business impact.