Head of Cards- Credit/Lending

JOB TITLE: Head of Credit / Lending

TERM: 12 months

CLIENT LOCATION: Dubai, UAE

DIVISION: Consumer

REPORTS TO: Group CEO

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Minimum 15 years in retail banking, with 8+ years of credit card business leadership. Proven success in launching and scaling card portfolios in the Middle East.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS:**

• Deep expertise in credit card product lifecycle management
• Experience launching standalone or co- branded card programmes
• Familiarity with GCC regulatory frameworks (e.g. UAE Central Bank)
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills
• Fluent in English; Arabic is a plus

PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

To lead the strategic setup and operational launch of a new, independent credit card business. The role will define the product vision, build and lead the team, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive market penetration and profitability.

Key ActivitiesCore Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Strategic Leadership: Shape the credit card business model, aligning with the banks broader retail strategy and segment-specific goals (mass, affluent, SME).
• Product Development: Design and launch a suite of credit card products with differentiated value propositions, including digital-first and premium offerings.
• Risk & Compliance: Establish robust credit risk frameworks, underwriting policies, and ensure adherence to local and international regulations.
• P&L Ownership: Manage the full P&L of the credit card business, including revenue, cost, and profitability levers.
• Team Building: Recruit, structure, and mentor a high-performing team across product, analytics, operations, and sales.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders including regulators, fintechs, payment networks, and loyalty partners.
• Innovation & Digitalisation: Leverage AI/ML tools for credit scoring, fraud detection, and personalised offers. Drive digital onboarding and omnichannel customer experiences.
• Regional Coordination: Align with regional hubs and support regional product innovation and compliance.
• Vendor & Partner Management: Oversee selection and integration of processing platforms, loyalty engines, and collections partners etc

KPIs

• Time-to-market for product launch
• Customer acquisition and activation rates
• Portfolio profitability (NIM, fee income, cost of risk)
• Credit loss ratios and delinquency metrics
• Digital origination and usage rates
• Customer satisfaction and NPS

Knowledge and Experience

• 15years + in Cards Management with 8years + in a Head Of/EVP level
• Education: Bachelor's degree in finance, Economics, Business, or related field. A Masters degree (e.g., MBA or MSc in Finance) is highly preferred
• End-to-End Cards Expertise: Proven experience managing the full lifecycle of card products credit, and virtual including issuing and acquiring businesses.
• Strategic Market Insight: Deep understanding of regional and global cards market trends, including competitor analysis, pricing strategies, and product positioning
• Digital Channel Integration: Demonstrated ability to leverage digital platforms (e.g. mobile banking, internet banking, e-wallets) to drive card acquisition, activation, and usage
• E-commerce & Omni-Channel Fluency: Strong grasp of e-commerce ecosystems and omni-channel strategies to enhance customer experience and card penetration
• Product Innovation & Development: Track record of launching differentiated card products and value propositions tailored to mass, affluent, and SME segments.
• Risk & Compliance Acumen: Familiarity with credit risk frameworks, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance across GCC jurisdictions.
• P&L Ownership: Experience managing the cards business P&L, including budgeting, forecasting, and profitability optimisation.
• Customer Lifecycle Management: Expertise in designing and executing activation, usage, rewards, and retention programmes to boost engagement and reduce churn.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Ability to collaborate with IT, operations, marketing, and third-party vendors to deliver seamless card experiences.

**Mandatory Skills

• Strategic planning and execution
• Product innovation and lifecycle management
• Credit risk and portfolio analytics
• Regulatory compliance and governance
• Cross-functional leadership and communication
• Agile project delivery and digital transformation