Director, Technical Customer Support

Finastra
Full_timeLisbon, Portugal

📍 Job Overview

  • Job Title: Director, Technical Customer Support
  • Company: Finastra
  • Location: Lisbon, Portugal
  • Job Type: Hybrid (Occasional travel required)
  • Category: Technical Customer Support Management
  • Date Posted: August 1, 2025
  • Experience Level: 10+ years
  • Remote Status: On-site with occasional travel

🚀 Role Summary

  • Lead a global technical customer support team for Finastra's Universal Banking solutions, driving transformation to meet evolving customer needs in both on-premise and cloud environments.
  • Oversee support operations, manage escalations, and maintain executive-level communication during critical incidents.
  • Champion continuous improvement initiatives, including the integration of emerging technologies like GenAI, to enhance customer experience and internal collaboration.
  • Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to align support delivery with business goals and represent the support function in executive forums.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

  • Leadership & Team Management:

    • Lead a global support team of 30-40 professionals across India, the UK, and Lisbon.
    • Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and customer satisfaction.
    • Serve as the senior leader on the ground in Lisbon, supporting the build-out of the local team.
  • Customer Support Strategy & Execution:

    • Oversee support operations for both on-prem and SaaS solutions, ensuring SLAs and KPIs are consistently met.
    • Drive a mindset shift toward cloud-first support practices, aligning processes and tools accordingly.
    • Manage escalations, coordinate cross-functional incident responses, and maintain executive-level communication during critical events.
  • Process Optimization & Innovation:

    • Standardize and streamline support processes to enhance repeatability, efficiency, and effectiveness.
    • Champion continuous improvement initiatives, including the integration of GenAI and other emerging technologies.
    • Implement tools and practices that improve case resolution, customer experience, and internal collaboration.
  • Stakeholder Engagement:

    • Act as a key liaison between support, product, engineering, and IT teams.
    • Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to align support delivery with business goals.
    • Represent the support function in executive forums and contribute to strategic planning.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or a related field. A Master's degree would be an asset.

Experience: Proven experience in a technical customer support leadership role, ideally within banking, core banking, or financial services.

  • Required Skills:

    • Strong leadership and team management skills
    • Experience managing large, distributed teams in a matrixed environment
    • Experience with incident management, metrics-driven performance, and customer escalation handling
    • Familiarity with compliance, regulatory standards, and the criticality of financial systems
    • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, including executive-level reporting
    • A continuous improvement mindset with a track record of innovation and process enhancement
    • Experience with SaaS/cloud support models and driving transformation initiatives
    • Knowledge of banking or financial services industry-specific support processes and best practices
  • Preferred Skills:

    • Experience with GenAI or other emerging technologies in a customer support context
    • Familiarity with Finastra's Universal Banking solutions
    • Knowledge of Agile methodologies and project management tools

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements (N/A - Not Applicable for this role)

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: €80,000 - €120,000 per year (Gross), depending on experience and qualifications. This estimate is based on market research for similar roles in Lisbon, Portugal.

Benefits:

  • Flexibility: Unlimited vacation, hybrid working arrangements, and inclusive policies such as paid time off for voting, bereavement, and sick leave.
  • Well-being: Access to confidential one-on-one therapy through the Employee Assistance Program, unlimited personalized coaching via a coaching app, and access to Gather Groups for emotional and mental support.
  • Medical, life, and disability insurance, retirement plan, lifestyle, and other benefits* (Specific benefits may vary by location).
  • ESG: Paid time off for volunteering and donation matching.
  • DEI: Participation in multiple DE&I groups for open involvement.
  • Career Development: Access to online learning and accredited courses through the Skills & Career Navigator tool.
  • Recognition: Part of the global recognition program, Finastra Celebrates, and regular employee surveys to help shape Finastra and foster a culture where everyone is engaged and empowered to perform at their best.

*Specific benefits may vary by location.

Working Hours: Flexibility required to accommodate global teams and incident response needs.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Finastra is a global provider of open finance software solutions, dedicated to expanding access to financial services. The company operates in the financial technology (Fintech) sector.

Company Size: Finastra employs over 10,000 people across 25 countries, making it a large organization with significant resources and opportunities for career growth.

Founded: 2009 (as a result of the merger of two leading financial software providers, Misys and Alltel)

Team Structure:

  • The Universal Banking team consists of multiple sub-teams, including Product, Engineering, and Support.
  • The Director, Technical Customer Support role reports directly to the Head of Global Customer Support and works closely with other senior leaders within the Universal Banking team and across Finastra.

Development Methodology:

  • Finastra follows Agile methodologies for software development, with a focus on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.
  • The company employs a matrixed organizational structure, with cross-functional collaboration between teams.

Company Website: www.finastra.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Finastra's culture emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and a customer-centric approach. The company values diversity, inclusion, and work-life balance, making it an attractive employer for professionals seeking to grow their careers in the Fintech industry.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Senior leadership role within the technical customer support function, responsible for driving strategic initiatives and managing a large global team.

Reporting Structure: The Director, Technical Customer Support role reports directly to the Head of Global Customer Support and works closely with other senior leaders within the Universal Banking team and across Finastra.

Technical Impact: This role has a significant impact on Finastra's Universal Banking customers, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and driving continuous improvement in support processes and technologies.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Career Progression: With experience and demonstrated success, this role can lead to further senior leadership positions within Finastra's global customer support organization or other areas of the business.
  • Technical Skill Development: The Director, Technical Customer Support role offers opportunities to develop expertise in emerging technologies, such as GenAI, and gain experience in driving transformation initiatives within a large, matrixed organization.
  • Leadership Development: This role provides ample opportunities to refine leadership skills, team management, and stakeholder engagement, preparing the incumbent for future executive-level positions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Finastra's career progression paths are well-defined, with clear expectations for growth and development. The company encourages internal mobility and provides numerous opportunities for professionals to expand their skills and advance their careers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Finastra's Lisbon office is a modern, collaborative workspace designed to facilitate cross-functional teamwork and innovation.

Office Location(s): Lisbon, Portugal (with occasional travel to other Finastra locations)

Workspace Context:

  • Finastra's Lisbon office features open-plan workspaces, meeting rooms, and breakout areas, fostering a dynamic and interactive work environment.
  • The office is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including high-speed internet, video conferencing facilities, and ergonomic workstations.
  • The workspace is designed to accommodate both on-site and hybrid working arrangements, with flexible desk spaces and hot-desking options.

Work Schedule: Flexibility is required to accommodate global teams and incident response needs. The role may involve occasional travel to other Finastra locations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Finastra's Lisbon office provides a modern, collaborative workspace that supports the company's hybrid working arrangements and commitment to employee well-being. The office is centrally located in Lisbon, with easy access to public transportation and nearby amenities.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure (N/A - Not Applicable for this role)

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

  • Finastra's web development values focus on collaboration, innovation, and customer-centric design, with a strong emphasis on continuous improvement and user experience enhancement.

Collaboration Style:

  • Finastra's team culture emphasizes cross-functional collaboration, with regular knowledge-sharing sessions, technical mentoring, and continuous learning opportunities.
  • The company fosters a culture of open involvement, with multiple DE&I groups and employee-led initiatives that drive engagement and empowerment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Finastra's web development values and collaboration style are integral to the company's success in the competitive Fintech industry. The organization's commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and customer-centric design enables it to deliver cutting-edge financial technology solutions that meet the evolving needs of its global customer base.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

  • Cloud Transformation: Drive the shift toward cloud-first support practices, aligning processes and tools accordingly, and ensuring a seamless customer experience across both on-prem and SaaS environments.
  • Emerging Technologies: Integrate GenAI and other emerging technologies into support processes and tools, enhancing case resolution, customer experience, and internal collaboration.
  • Global Team Management: Lead a global support team of 30-40 professionals, fostering a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and customer satisfaction.
  • Incident Management: Manage escalations and coordinate cross-functional incident responses, maintaining executive-level communication during critical events and ensuring minimal customer impact.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Technical Skill Development: Develop expertise in emerging technologies, such as GenAI, and gain experience in driving transformation initiatives within a large, matrixed organization.
  • Leadership Development: Refine leadership skills, team management, and stakeholder engagement, preparing for future executive-level positions within Finastra's global customer support organization or other areas of the business.
  • Industry Knowledge: Deepen understanding of the banking and financial services industry, with a focus on regulatory compliance, customer support best practices, and emerging trends in Fintech.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Director, Technical Customer Support role presents numerous opportunities for professional growth and development. By tackling the technical challenges and embracing learning and development opportunities, the incumbent can build a successful and fulfilling career within Finastra's global customer support organization or other areas of the business.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

  • Leadership & Team Management: Describe your experience managing large, distributed teams in a matrixed environment. How have you fostered a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and customer satisfaction?
  • Customer Support Strategy & Execution: How have you driven a mindset shift toward cloud-first support practices, aligning processes and tools accordingly? Can you provide an example of a successful cloud transformation initiative you have led?
  • Process Optimization & Innovation: How have you championed continuous improvement initiatives, including the integration of emerging technologies like GenAI? Can you share an example of a process enhancement you have implemented that resulted in significant customer experience or internal collaboration improvements?

Company & Culture Questions:

  • Company Fit: How do your leadership style, values, and career aspirations align with Finastra's company culture and the specific needs of the Universal Banking team?
  • Stakeholder Engagement: How have you successfully managed relationships with internal and external stakeholders to align support delivery with business goals and drive strategic initiatives?
  • Customer Experience: How have you ensured high levels of customer satisfaction and maintained executive-level communication during critical incidents? Can you provide an example of a time when you went above and beyond to resolve a customer issue or improve the overall customer experience?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Leadership & Team Management: Highlight your experience managing large, distributed teams and driving process improvements to enhance repeatability, efficiency, and effectiveness. Emphasize your ability to foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and customer satisfaction.
  • Customer Support Strategy & Execution: Demonstrate your understanding of cloud-first support practices and your ability to drive a mindset shift within your team. Showcase your experience in managing escalations, coordinating incident responses, and maintaining executive-level communication during critical events.
  • Process Optimization & Innovation: Highlight your track record in championing continuous improvement initiatives and integrating emerging technologies like GenAI. Provide specific examples of process enhancements you have implemented that have resulted in significant customer experience or internal collaboration improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: To succeed in the Director, Technical Customer Support interview, candidates should demonstrate a strong understanding of Finastra's company culture, the specific needs of the Universal Banking team, and their ability to drive strategic initiatives and manage a large global team. By preparing thoroughly and showcasing their relevant experience and skills, candidates can make a strong impression and increase their chances of securing the role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for the Director, Technical Customer Support position at Finastra:

  1. Submit your application through the application link provided in the job listing.
  2. Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in technical customer support leadership, with a focus on driving process optimization, innovation, and strategic initiatives.
  3. Prepare for the interview by researching Finastra's company culture, the specific needs of the Universal Banking team, and practicing your responses to the technical and behavioral interview questions outlined above.
  4. Familiarize yourself with Finastra's benefits package and consider how the company's commitment to employee well-being, flexibility, and career development aligns with your personal and professional goals.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web technology industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with Finastra before making application decisions.

Application Requirements

Proven experience in a technical customer support leadership role within banking or financial services is essential. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of SaaS/cloud support models and a continuous improvement mindset.