Senior Manager - United Arab Emirates - ADIB Group

Description

Role       : Senior Manager- Strategic Initiative Implementation
Location : Abu Dhabi

Role Purpose:

• Senior Manager of Strategic Initiative Implementation bridges the gap between high-level strategy and day-to-day action, leading cross-functional teams to execute major projects (like new market entry, digital transformation) by setting goals (OKRs/KPIs), solving problems, and ensuring alignment with company vision requiring strong leadership, analytical, and project management skills to drive results. 
• Translate complex data into clear decisions and actions that drive measurable outcomes, influencing cross-functional teams across product, marketing, compliance, and technology. 
• Drive results through strong leadership, analytical and project management skills 
• Play a pivotal role within ADIB's strategy team, closely working with the stakeholders to drive and deliver strategic initiative that strengthens the bank's competitive edge and future readiness
• Represent ADIB in external forums and regulatory engagements, including with the Central Bank, to co-create market-first initiatives.
      
   

Key Accountabilities of the role      
 

Drive Strategic Initiative:

• To lead the effective adoption and execution of critical strategic initiatives, driving transformative change by aligning cross-functional teams leveraging data for informed decisions, and managing complect project lifecycles.
• Translate strategic goals into actionable roadmaps, defining roles and responsibilities for teams. Establish clear and measurable goals and constant review that defines the successful delivery of strategic initiatives
• Accountable for development, implementation and monitoring of all models and strategic deliverables. Setup regular reviews to track the KPIs and adjust the plan based on real-time data. 
• Deliver business & strategy performance update presentation and conduct Monthly Retail Strategy Update sessions with senior management session to update on the progress, results and risk involved
• Perform market and competition research and update business with latest market updates and competition performance, launches and product / offers.
• Address obstacles, resolve conflicts, and adapt strategies to changing market conditions or internal challenges. 

Project & Stakeholder management:

• Lead and support strategic initiatives on behalf of Retail banking on process enhancements, enhance client experience, improve productivity and cost efficiency. 
• Spearhead strategic projects from concept to completion, managing budgets, timelines, and deliverables
• Ensuring Agility and Adaptability by maintaining the flexibility to pivot plans when conditions change.
• Ability to anticipate future trends and prepare for emerging risks.
• Collaborate with leadership and diverse teams (Sales, Marketing, Operations) to ensure buy-in and effective execution.

Leadership Expectations:

• Strategic Influence: Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, shaping the bank's strategy through data-driven insights and foresight.
• Visionary Thinking: Anticipate future trends in retail banking and proactively position ADIB to lead in innovation and customer experience.
• Team Leadership: Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team, fostering a culture of ownership, agility, and continuous learning.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Lead cross-departmental initiatives, aligning analytics with product, marketing, compliance, and technology teams.
• Change Agent: Drive organizational change by embedding analytics into decision-making processes and championing a data-first mindset across the bank.
   

Specialist Skills / Technical Knowledge Required for this role:
 

• Deep understanding of the UAE Banking Sector, with expertise in Retail Banking products, process, portfolio, customer behaviors, and regulatory frameworks. 
• Proven expertise in Project management, including advanced Agile and Iterative Techniques to drive strategic initiatives & goals. 
• Strong ability to define the strategy roadmap and driving organizational alignment. 
• Proficiency in performance management, optimization and efficiency improvement journeys.
• Experience in market study including research, market size, competitors, products, offerings and macroeconomic indicators. 
• Ability to translate data and business insights into strategic business recommendations, influencing senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Foster a culture of innovation, agility, and data-first thinking, enabling impactful analytics within an integrated operating model. 

Qualifications & Experience:

• Education: Qualified Project Management Professional (PMP) with Management accounting (ACMA / CMA / CPA)
• Experience:
  
  1. 10+ years of progressive experience in strategy development & tracking, business planning and program management in banking industry 
  2. Strong track record of applying advanced analytics, financial modeling and process improvement to drive strategic goals in retail banking. 
  3. Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and translate data into commercial impact through actionable insights and optimization. 
  4. Familiarity with UAE banking regulations, risk frameworks, and data governance principles.
  5. Strategic Thinking ability to connect daily tasks to the bigger organizational picture.
  6. Essential Project Management skills like Organizing, planning, and executing complex initiatives
  7. Ability in Influencing teams, presenting to executives, and disseminating information.