Consultant, Strategy & Innovation
About Our Firm:
Granite Solutions Groupe provides financial services decision makers with people and solutions that deliver. Our clients count on us to deliver the right talent at the right time to achieve critical business results. We leverage our industry knowledge and passion for client priorities to deliver human capital solutions.
GSG was founded in 1998 as a consulting firm delivering project management and technology solutions for the financial services industry. GSG now has a global presence, with team members deployed across the U.S. at Fortune 1000 companies and high-performing Fintech firms.
High-caliber consultants are the face of GSG at our client organizations and offices. We value the deep relationships we have with our consultants that enable us to place them in roles where their skills will have an immediate impact. The GSG consulting team is comprised of diverse, experienced, driven, and dynamic contributors who excel at getting things done.
About the Opportunity:
GSG is seeking an AI Acceleration Lead to join our team. Our client’s Fintech Acceleration team is responsible for managing the discovery, curation and engagement of Financial Technology (FinTech) partnerships and investments and all associated compliance and reporting. Working with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that the right strategic partners are effectively found, projects are efficiently executed, the right opportunities are advanced and reported on and the Banks’ Fintech Strategy is positioned to lead it into the future.
The AI Acceleration Lead ; is part of a team that helps guide Fintech strategy and objectives by assessing business needs and external trends, investment landscape and consumer shifts; responsible for managing the discovery, curation and engagement of Financial Technology (FinTech) partnerships and investments for the Bank’s businesses. Manages Fintech engagements; strategy, sourcing, partnerships, legal, investment and business development for a subset of business lines. Working closely with leaders to build strong relations and flesh out priority areas to focus on. Responsible for products/assignments of highest complexity and/or technological scope. Performs at a highly independent level. Helps project teams to achieve milestones. May manage multiple relationships, with business areas. Applies expert-level knowledge of professional concepts and established technologies.
Extensive understanding of consumer trends and markets. Advanced knowledge and experience researching trends, topics and companies. Involvement in extensive, analysis, due diligence, project management, and use of CRM tools. With advanced skills in using CRM tools, running reporting and performing data analysis. Intensive experience collaborating with large teams using effective communication. Utilizes a high degree of independence in solving problems and has significant latitude to make decision and take action.
Makes decisions that are typically only subject to review by senior management. Usually, they have opportunity to affect a substantial portion of revenue or expenses, substantial loss of production or service, or substantial monetary loss with negative impact on goals. Extensive experience developing business cases in new or advanced product lines. Requires a broad understanding and practical application of applicable laws and regulations.
Essential Functions:
- Research Fintechs and be an expert at evaluating and discovering companies that fit with the Banks strategic needs, able to articulate FinTech trends and their potential implications to the Banks leadership.
- Keep abreast of trends in relevant landscapes and adjacent industries to identify potential opportunities or challenges before they become mainstream.
- Build strong relationships with external partners to help us advance and mature the Fintech Engagement practice at our client.
- Collaborate with FinTech peers across the Bank’s business lines to ensure efficient execution of Fintech projects and serve as pint of escalation for any issues.
- Work closely with senior leaders across the Bank to understand their strategic needs and priorities, being able to turn those into communications tools and marketing collateral to effectively communicate these both externally and internally.
- Attention to detail and deadlines, managing all the necessary portfolio reporting and tracking for all FinTech Engagements across the bank.
- Be able to negotiate, document and manage complex FinTech projects bringing them in on time, in scope and on budget.
- Proven ability to communicate at an senior level, able to articulate complex technical and financial solutions concisely and simply.
- Identify and work as needed on Investment opportunities working alongside Corporate development, the business lines.
Responsibilities:
- Lead end-to-end fintech engagement lifecycle for assigned business lines, including discovery, evaluation, diligence, contracting, pilot execution, scaling, and ongoing relationship management.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to senior business and technology leaders by translating enterprise priorities into actionable fintech partnership strategies.
- Own fintech sourcing pipelines across priority domains (e.g., payments, embedded finance, data, AI, fraud, lending, compliance) and maintain a strong external ecosystem presence.
- Drive rigorous due diligence across technology, business model, risk, regulatory, legal, and financial dimensions in partnership with Legal, Compliance, Risk, Procurement, and Corporate Development.
- Develop and present business cases, investment theses, and partnership recommendations to executive leadership and governance forums.
- Negotiate and manage complex commercial agreements, pilots, and strategic partnerships, ensuring alignment with bank risk appetite, compliance standards, and financial objectives.
- Oversee execution of highly complex, cross-functional fintech initiatives, ensuring delivery on time, within scope, and on budget.
- Act as point of escalation for fintech engagements, proactively identifying risks, resolving issues, and driving informed decision-making.
- Manage portfolio reporting, performance metrics, and executive dashboards using CRM and internal reporting tools.
- Contribute to enterprise fintech strategy, thought leadership, and operating model evolution, helping position U.S. Bank as a market leader in innovation and partnerships.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, technology, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
- 7-10 years of progressive experience in fintech, financial services, technology partnerships, venture investing, product strategy, or corporate innovation.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex, enterprise-scale partnerships or investments in highly regulated environments.
- Strong understanding of financial services ecosystems, fintech business models, and emerging technology trends.
- Proven ability to operate independently with sound judgment, influencing senior executives and making recommendations with material business impact.
- Experience developing business cases, financial models, and executive-level presentations.
- Deep familiarity with regulatory, legal, and risk considerations impacting fintech partnerships and investments.
- Advanced experience with CRM platforms, portfolio management tools, and data-driven reporting.
- Strategic Thinking & Foresight: Anticipates market shifts, connects external trends to enterprise priorities, and informs long-term fintech direction.
- Executive Communication: Clearly and concisely translates complex technical and financial concepts for senior leaders.
- Partnership & Influence: Builds trusted relationships and aligns stakeholders across business, technology, risk, and external partners.
- Analytical Rigor: Applies strong research, diligence, and financial analysis with high attention to detail.
- Decision-Making: Exercises sound judgment in ambiguous environments within established governance frameworks.
- Program & Project Leadership: Manages multiple complex, cross-functional initiatives simultaneously.
- Negotiation & Commercial Acumen: Structures and negotiates sophisticated partnership and investment agreements.
- Adaptability: Thrives in fast-moving innovation environments while maintaining strong governance and control standards.
Preferred:
- MBA or advanced degree.
- Experience working within a large financial institution or similarly regulated enterprise.
- Background in venture capital, corporate development, M&A, or strategic investments.
- Direct experience launching or scaling fintech pilots into production environments.
- Established network across fintech founders, investors, accelerators, and industry partners.
- Experience supporting or presenting to executive committees, investment committees, or governance forums.
- Familiarity with payments, embedded finance, AI/ML, data platforms, or digital banking architectures.
Employee Benefits:
GSG is excited to offer its consultants a robust option of benefits which include comprehensive medical, dental, vision and prescription coverage. You will receive company-paid life insurance. In addition, we hope you will take advantage of eligible commuter benefits-like paying for work-related public transit and parking with pre-tax dollars. Save for your retirement with pre-tax contributions that go directly into your 401K. We also care about your pets with several options for pet insurance, discount card and prescriptions.
GSG’s Commitment to Diversity:
As a diverse-owned business, GSG is committed to creating a diverse workforce, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.