Job Description
1
Job Title
Area Manager – Liability, Business Banking
Department
Business Banking
Direct Supervisor
Head of Liabilities Coverage
2
Job Purpose
The Area Manager – Liability Business Banking is responsible for the strategic and commercial leadership of a large and complex Business Banking liability portfolio comprising approximately to 2,200 to 3,000 high value client accounts. The role has end-to-end accountability for
- Business growth, Revenue and profitability
- Portfolio quality
- Risk and compliance
- Customer experience
- Operational effectiveness
- People leadership
The position is expected to drive sustainable growth in the liability franchise by strengthening client relationships, increasing product penetration, optimizing the asset/liability mix, improving customer engagement, and developing a high-performing Business Banking team.
3
Dimensions
Operating Budget
Liabilities Book : AED 6.5 billion to 7.5 billion
Annual Revenue: AED 300 million to 350 million
Geographic Coverage : Multi‑Emirate
Number of Staff
20 to 22
Capital Exp. Budget
Others
4Key Result Areas
Key Accountabilities5Operating Environment, Framework and Boundaries, Working Relationships6
- Strategy & Business Leadership
- Develop and execute the area's annual business plan in line with the overall Business Banking strategy.
- Drive achievement of revenue, profitability, portfolio growth, client acquisition, retention, and product penetration targets.
- Optimize the portfolio mix to maximize sustainable revenue and relationship profitability.
- Identify opportunities to deepen existing relationships and acquire new high-value Business Banking clients.
- Establish the bank as the preferred primary operating bank for SMEs and self‑employed customers.
- Identify process gaps and implement sustainable improvements in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
- Drive adoption of digital banking solutions and relevant technology-enabled processes.
- Portfolio Management & Client Coverage
- Drive effective portfolio segmentation and differentiated client engagement strategies.
- Strengthen primary banking relationships and increase share of wallet through cross-sell and product penetration
- Monitor client concentration, portfolio trends, attrition, profitability, and emerging business opportunities.
- Ensure effective management of key and strategically important client relationships.
- Provide market and competitor intelligence to inform product development and pricing strategies.
- Risk, Compliance & Governance
- Ensure full adherence to applicable regulatory requirements, AML/KYC standards, internal policies, procedures, and delegated authorities.
- Maintain effective controls and ensure timely resolution of identified risk and compliance issues.
- Ensure the team operates within approved risk appetite and governance frameworks.
- Maintain audit readiness and ensure satisfactory closure of audit and control findings.
- Escalate material risks, exceptions, and breaches through appropriate governance channels.
- People Leadership & Organization Effectiveness
- Lead, coach, and develop the Team Manager, Relationship Managers, and Assistant Relationship Managers.
- Establish clear performance expectations, client excellence, accountability frameworks, and business objectives.
- Build a high-performance, collaborative, and customer-centric culture.
- Identify capability gaps and implement targeted coaching, development, and succession plans.
- Ensure effective performance management, talent development, and retention of high-performing employees.
- Customer Experience & Relationship Management
- Drive a consistently superior customer experience across the Business Banking portfolio.
- Establish strong relationships with key clients and senior client stakeholders.
- Lead the resolution of significant customer issues, complaints, and escalations.
- Ensure proactive engagement with priority clients and identify opportunities to strengthen long-term relationships.
- Promote service excellence while maintaining appropriate risk and control standards.
- Stakeholder Management
- Work closely with:
- Product, Governance, and other support functions.
- Risk, Compliance & Operations
- Digital & Transformation teams
- Maintain strong relationships with key clients, industry bodies, and external stakeholders.
- Operates in a highly competitive, regulated, and performance‑driven environment.
- Requires strong judgment, resilience, and availability to manage scale, complexity, and stakeholder expectations.
- Success depends on strategic clarity, disciplined execution, and people leadership
Problem Solving
- Exercise strong judgment in prioritizing opportunities, resolving escalations, and allocating resources across markets, segments, and teams.
- Interpret internal and external market signals to adjust strategy, pricing, and portfolio actions in a fast-changing competitive and regulatory environment.
- Address non-routine issues requiring cross-functional coordination with Product, Treasury, Risk, Compliance, Operations, and Digital teams.
- Develop practical, commercially sound solutions within policy by combining analytical insight, experience, stakeholder alignment, and governance discipline.
7
Decision Making Authority & Responsibility
- The role is authorized to make decisions within the approved delegation of authority, policies, and governance frameworks, including:
- Business planning and execution of client and portfolio strategies.
- Prioritization of business opportunities and resource allocation within the assigned area.
- Performance management and deployment of team resources.
- Client engagement and relationship strategies within approved authority levels.
- Governance responsibility for risk escalation, suspicious activity reporting, and compliance adherence.
8
Knowledge, Skills And Experience
- 15+ years of progressive experience in Business Banking / Commercial Banking with a strong understanding of products, liability solutions, client acquisition, relationship management, and portfolio economics.
- Proven track record of delivering revenue and portfolio growth.
- Significant experience in leading and developing relationship management teams.
- Experience operating within robust risk, compliance, and governance frameworks.
