Program Manager International Banking Expansion

Program Manager – International Expansion

UAE | Banking / Financial Services

12-Month Contract | Renewable

We're looking for a senior Program Manager MUST HAVE proven experience delivering international expansion / global market-entry / branch establishments of banking operations across multiple countries and regulatory jurisdictions!

INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION / BRANCHING OUT TO NEW COUNTRIES EXPERIENCE IS THE KEY REQUIREMENT

This role requires someone who has genuinely led the establishment and scaling of banking operations across new countries — including Representative Offices, Branches and Subsidiaries — and understands the regulatory, operational and governance complexity involved.

What we're looking for

• MUST come form banking industry

• Proven international expansion / market-entry experience

• Experience establishing branches, subsidiaries and/or representative offices across multiple jurisdictions/ countries

• Strong exposure to multi-jurisdiction regulatory environments

• Experience managing regulatory licensing, approvals and supervisory requirements

• Strong understanding of international regulatory compliance, risk and control frameworks

• Experience working across the Three Lines of Defence

• Track record of successfully engaging regulators and navigating audits

• Experience leading complex multi-country transformation programmes

• Strong stakeholder management across Legal, Compliance, Risk, Operations & Technology

• Ability to operate and influence at ExCo / senior executive level

• 15+ years experience delivering large-scale banking transformation

• PMP, PRINCE2 or SAFe certification

This is a senior, hands-on role with responsibility for delivering international expansion while balancing growth, regulatory requirements, risk, governance and capital considerations.

If you've successfully taken a bank into new countries/jurisdictions and managed the regulatory journey from strategy through to establishment, we'd love to hear from you.