Area Manager - Business Banking

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

4 Key Result Areas

Key Accountabilities

A. 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.

B. 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.

C. 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.

D. 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.

E. 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.

F. 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.

5 Operating Environment, Framework and Boundaries, Working Relationships

• 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

6 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.