Manager, Digital Partnerships

Role: Manager, Digital Partnerships 

Location: Abu Dhabi

Role Purpose:

• The Manager, Digital Partnerships - Retail Digital & Innovation is responsible to manage strategic Business partnerships with the objective of driving incremental revenue through Business volumes generated by tapping into the ecosystem offered under these partnerships by leveraging the bank’s digital capabilities.
• The role works closely with Head of Digital & Innovation as well as other cross functional teams to ensure meeting the Business KPIs and timely roll out of digital capabilities under these strategic partnerships.

Key Accountabilities of the role:         

Manage Strategic Partnerships:

• Lead the discussions and create opportunities for Business by driving engagement with strategic partners.
• Negotiate commercial agreements and finalize go to market strategy. 
• Prepare the business case, including budgets and revenue projections. 
• Establish key program criteria metrics & milestones.
• Manage program risks and shortfalls.
• Manage stakeholders across the organization.
• Organize regular program governance meetings.
• Facilitate program comms, including update of action items.
• Find solutions when faced with technical or risk appetite obstacles.
• Keep a track of the program budgets, projections and timeline and escalate wherever necessary.

Program Management:

• Lead efforts to analyze on how we can maximize the returns under each of the strategic partnerships. 
• Facilitates the agreed-upon process that develops plans and prioritization by leadership and governance.
• Instill a learning culture to continuously inspect and adapt methodology and efficiency.
• Ensure alignment to the cross-departmental roadmaps, create a collective plan to manage dependencies.
• Continuous Improvement
• Regular Program review in terms of performance in terms of metrics such as take up rate, penetration, revenue per customer, cost per acquisition etc. 
• Evolve and continually improve the interdependencies between business models and operating practices, integrating waterfall, iterative, and agile delivery models into one, cohesive delivery strategy to best meet the evolving business needs.

Governance & Value Realization:

• Set up and drive the defined forums with cross functional stakeholders.
• Enable stakeholder engagement and alignment.
• Ensure the usage of standardized tools and processes.
• Monitor and evaluate the performance and effectiveness of programs and implement improvements and enhancements as needed.
• Tracks and communicates key organization metrics.
• Escalates and tracks organization impediments, removing them where possible

Cross Functional Alignment & Technology Integration:

• Identify and create stakeholder registers to ensure full coverage for any initiatives and timely involvement.
• Support the Head Digital & Innovation in creating and managing the RACI for any initiatives and ensure the stakeholders are aligned with the same.

Bank’s Policies & Procedure:

• Ensure the initiative are implemented withing the framework of banks’ policies and procedures.
• Keep and manage the audit requirement throughout the lifecycle of any implementation and for the department.

Specialist Skills / Technical Knowledge Required for this role:

• Strong inter-personal skills
• Strong negotiation and presentation skills
• Working knowledge on negotiating and driving partnerships
• Ability to collate & interpret data.
• Ability to gather information.
• Results oriented: is self-motivated driven by the need to succeed.
• Personal organization: demonstrates high levels of personal organization, delivering on time. Plans effectively to deliver goals.
• Proven track record of managing programs and working with senior stakeholders.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements related to banking, new solution, and customer communications is a plus.
• Strategic mindset with a focus on innovation, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
• Excellent analytical, strategic conceptual thinking, strategic planning, and execution skills.

Previous experience (If any):

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 to 7 years of diversified Retail Banking experience in Digital Sales & managing partnerships.
• Proven track record of successfully managing and driving customer-centric programs.