Jobs

Sr. Portfolio & Business Manager

Department Profile

This role holder will be reporting into CIO - Core Banking, MENAT. The HUB Core Banking team is responsible to coordinate Global HUB Core Banking initiatives across all Global Business & Functions in the region.

The role also as Business Manager (BM) is to provide dedicated support and leadership to CIO – Core Banking MENAT. The role holder has the overall responsibility for the governance, control, People, Structure, cost, budget, Charges to Business, Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and overall execution of the RBWM Technology vision.

Job Profile

The Portfolio & Business Manager role has responsibility to manage a huge portfolio and delivery of large and complex projects that meet business needs. This position involves regular interaction with senior stakeholders and therefore requires strong influencing skills and managerial awareness. In addition to this, the scale of the Core Banking Portfolio across MENAT requires someone with strong organizational and leadership skills, with the ability to empower and delegate tasks to more junior members of staff.

Additional processes include: Cost management including both direct and indirect cost, operational metrics, portfolio Management. People and Location Strategy – develop and execute the MENA resource management, location strategy, capability. The role also implements and enforces standards and compliance to Group and internal controls and assists in keeping track of the costs and budget for UAE.

BM will lead or take ownership of business activities, supporting CIO and Technology Products Heads with non-BAU activities, cyclical work pieces such as Annual Reporting and short term initiatives.

The role expects to possess knowledge of financial budgeting, strategic planning, communication, and people management processes in the context of the business area they are located in but are not expected to have specific product knowledge relating to the business or function in which they are located.

Oversight and review of Tech Charges to MENAT Core Banking (circa $25M) ensuring that Business and Country COOs have clear visibility to the overall Tech charges, and help address any disputed charges.

Role Purpose

This position is responsible for project related decisions and must understand the business objectives for their assigned programmes.

The role holder is responsible for the overall set of wide ranging capabilities which include:

• Align to the Core Banking strategy and business objectives in managing the prioritization and planning of all related projects and activities
• Plan, schedule, monitor, and report on activities related to core banking technology in the particular country within the region. Ensure that there are appropriate and effective governance arrangements and controls, supported by comprehensive and effective reporting and communication
• Lead and oversee change initiation, design and delivery and accountable for successful delivery of the specific core banking programme and projects in the particular countries concerned and ensuring benefits realization
• Operate at an executive level and engage and influence a wide spectrum of stakeholders and partners across CLIENT and the third parties, including global, regional and country CIOs, Core banking.
• Leverage the matrix of resources and manage indirect reports in the global and regional Core banking IT team as well as in country IT teams and external vendors for project delivery. They will include Regional Programme Managers, Project Managers, Lead Business Analysts, Lead Engineers, Test Managers as well as external software partners
• Own key programme or project, be accountable for the funding allocated to the particular countries in the region and monitor the utilization through the programme and project life cycle by leveraging PMO resources in the regional team. Re-plan the funding needs in case of any gaps identified and escalate to the appropriate parties in a timely manner.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and senior management
• Leverage excellent negotiation and relationship management skills to satisfy a wide range of internal and external customers with conflicting priorities and the ability to lead and influence
• Manage and work with external vendors with proven experience
• Report progress, issues, dependencies and risks to steering committees and make recommendations to influence decision making in order to maintain progress towards delivery and benefits realization
• Drive the adoption of CLIENT standards and work in alignment with CLIENT methodology at all times.
• Be actively involved in issue and risk management. Assess risks and issues, work with teams to generate and execute effective mitigation and contingency countermeasures. Manage problem situations effectively including stakeholder engagement, and exceptional communication

The BM has four main pillars of responsibilities in his/her remit:

Single Point of Contact for MENAT COO – Core Banking Team

Operational Management and Governance

Financial Management

Key Accountabilities

Impact on the Business

· Delivery of program objectives

· Delivery of well planned projects with clear understanding of the objectives and scope, efficient use of resources and time

· Use negotiation skills when problems arise to achieve consensus amongst project participant’s/stake holders.

· Provide innovative solutions through new technologies, techniques, and process design

• Provide IT expertise and consultancy to regional and global business for the long term benefit of the Group in regards to Core Banking.
• Support the regional program strategy and priorities of IT order books / AOP with understanding and prioritizing initiatives.
• Participate in the appropriate Regional governance structures.
• Direct the leaders of the sub-functions within the department.
• Proactively manage risks and resources to maximise delivery within budgets and headcount.
• Interface with Local & Regional Business as well as MENAT Countries COOs, providing a transparent and an end to end view of Technology Charges.
• Provide governance and manage Change and support costs

Customers / Stakeholders

· Build strong relationships, adopting a joined up approach, to execute change at pace and with minimum conflict

· Act as escalation point for complex issues.

· Produce and publish effective progress reports for assigned programs to keep management appraised of status, major issues, scope changes, resource changes and milestone achievements or misses.

· Understanding of global and regional business and IT strategies and plans in order to ensure effective consulting is provided to MENAT WPB Technology Teams.

· Define and maintain effective engagement, communication and reporting structures and relationships within the RBWM Tech Teams and RBWM Business to ensure full transparency for IT planning and delivery.

· Assist business partners in identifying and managing risks associated with RBWM technology, manage the overall risks and priorities of the function.

· Manage IT relationships globally, regionally and at country level to ensure regional implementation of IT programs and strategies is in line with business priorities.

IT Sourcing & Vendor Management

• Approvals of 3rd party vendors and challenge where necessary
• Ensure any 3rd Party spend follows the standard IT Cost Board approval process
• Planning and provisioning 3rd party spend and ensuring invoices follow the standard Procurement PO process.
• Leveraging the global scale to optimize vendor performance and value, reduce run-rate expenses and budgeted capital expenditures, improve quality (Services, operations, product, supply chain, etc.), improve process efficiency and cycle time
• Measure risk reduction and compliance.

Leadership & Teamwork

· Fostering and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders all levels.

· Oversee the completion of projects including planning, assigning, monitoring and reviewing of projects.

· Act as the catalyst to challenge the status quo and seek opportunities for transformation towards re-engineering.

· Facilitate meetings and monitor progress on all actions providing assistance when required to ensure clearance of any issues with minimal impact to project progress.

Preferred Candidate :

• Expertise and knowledge in relation to the Global IT Function and the services that the IT COO function provides
• Demonstrated business knowledge, ideally experience of working within a complex global business unit
• Ability to manage and mitigate operational risk effectively
• Experience of managing within a complex matrix environment
• Experience working across cultures
• Experience of managing and coordinating a globally dispersed team
• Understanding of the Clients Group and its strategy, structures and processes
• Experience navigating through the Tech COO Tools: Discover, Qlicksense, Pioneer
• Deep understanding in Financial/Project Management and how to manage the same through GPDM
• Effective Business Communication skills