Head of Transformation & Projects

Solaris is Europe's leading embedded finance platform. Solaris’ full German banking license and proprietary modular B2B tech stack empowers its partners – from SMEs to large, multinational, non-financial companies – to offer compliant, customer-centric banking services, providing seamless experiences to customers across all industries. Founded in 2016, Solaris pioneered the Banking-as-a-Service market with an unparalleled combination of tech and banking. Solaris is headquartered in Berlin and employs 300 people in Europe.

We are seeking a visionary and high-integrity Head of Transformation & Projects to lead our project portfolio and define the standards for project execution across the bank. You will report directly to the Chief of Staff be responsible for the strategic alignment, governance, and successful delivery of all business-critical initiatives, ranging from digital transformation and IT infrastructure to regulatory implementation.

The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of the German regulatory landscape (MaRisk, DORA, European AI Act) and has a proven track record of leading large-scale change in complex financial environments.

Your Role

• Strategic Portfolio Management: Oversee the bank’s entire project landscape. Prioritize initiatives based on ROI, strategic value, and regulatory deadlines.
• Regulatory Governance: Ensure all project management processes comply with MaRisk (Minimum Requirements for Risk Management) and DORA.
• Methodology Leadership: Standardize and evolve our project management framework, fostering a hybrid environment that integrates traditional Waterfall (for regulatory/legal) and Agile/Scrum (for digital products).
• Financial Oversight: Manage the total project budget, ensuring cost transparency, resource optimization, and strict adherence to financial forecasts.
• Stakeholder Management: Act as a key advisor to the Executive Board. Translate complex project statuses into actionable insights for senior leadership.
• Risk & Quality Management: Implement robust risk identification and mitigation strategies. Ensure "Three Lines of Defense" principles are integrated into project workflows.
• People Leadership: Lead and mentor a team of Senior Project Managers and PMO specialists, promoting a culture of continuous learning and excellence.

We'd love to see

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Business Informatics, or a Bachelor with related additional trainings in the related fields.
• 10+ years of experience in project/program management, with at least 5 years in a leadership role within a German bank or financial institution.
• Deep expertise in BaFin requirements, specifically MaRisk AT 4.3.2 (Project Management) and DORA.
• Strong negotiation skills to manage conflicting priorities between IT, Business, and Compliance.
• Fluent German language skills (essential for interaction with regulators) and fluent Business English.
• Comfortable working with AI tools, thinking critically about AI outputs, and contributing to a culture of responsible AI use. We expect you to demonstrate comfort with AI-assisted workflows and a willingness to continuously develop their AI capabilities as the technology evolves.
• Ability to dissect complex interdependencies in a highly regulated environment.
• Ability to maintain a "calm hand" during high‑pressure regulatory audits or critical system migrations.

Benefits

• Home office budget.
• Learning & development budget of €1000 per year and a transparent growth framework to support your career goals.
• Competitive salary and a variable remuneration program.
• Monthly meal allowance.
• Deutschland ticket subsidy.
• 28 vacation days, increasing by 2 days after 2 years and 3 days after 3 years with Solaris.
• Opportunity to work abroad for up to 12 weeks per year.

While job ads usually paint an ideal picture of a candidate, studies show that most applicants meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Unfortunately, many promising candidates tend to apply only if they meet all the criteria. So if you think you have what it takes, but don't necessarily meet every single item in the job description, please contact us anyway. We'd love to talk with you and find out if you might be a good fit for us.

At Solaris, we are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment, where all Solarians feel valued, respected and supported. We are dedicated to building a diverse workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of color, ethnicity, religion, sex, origin, disability, marital status, citizenship, or gender identity. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

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The annual gross salary range for this position is:
€100.000 - €130.000 EUR