Associate Vice President - Client Support Lead, Wholesale Banking Technology

Job Description

What You Will Do

• Build & Lead the IT Client Support Function
• Establish the Wholesale Banking IT Client Support unit from the ground up
• Define operating model, team structure, roles, SLAs, and engagement processes
• Recruit, develop, and lead a small, high-performing team; set clear performance expectations and drive accountability
• Implement performance tracking, reporting, and continuous improvement mechanisms
• Build a scalable model to support growth in the corporate client base

Own Technical Relationship With Priority Clients

• Act as the primary technical point of contact for priority corporate clients
• Build strong, trusted relationships with client IT and treasury teams
• Lead client-facing discussions on integration design, onboarding, and issue resolution
• Engage confidently with UAE/GCC corporates (including large enterprises and government-related entities) with cultural awareness
• Represent technology during client engagements, escalations, and critical incidents
• Provide guidance aligned with corporate treasury needs (cash visibility, working capital, payment automation)

Lead Client Onboarding & Integration

• Drive end-to-end technical onboarding for corporate banking solutions
• Design and implement client connectivity models (H2H, API, file-based, SWIFT where relevant)
• Validate file formats, processing flows, and integration logic
• Oversee UAT, certification, and go-live readiness
• Ensure smooth transition from onboarding to steady-state support

H2h & Integration Domain Leadership Classification

• Act as domain authority for corporate banking integrations across H2H-enabled product areas, including:
• Payments and collections
• Statements and reporting
• Liquidity and cash management
• Trade and supply chain finance
• FX and treasury operations
• Cards, loans, cheques, and virtual accounts
• Understand end-to-end data flows, file exchange patterns, and banking message standards (SWIFT MT, ISO 20022, BAI2)
• Oversee secure connectivity frameworks (SFTP, encryption, VPN, certificates) ensuring compliance with bank standards
• Guide clients and internal teams on integration design, structures, and best practices

Drive Issue Resolution & Operational Excellence

• Own end-to-end resolution of client-impacting issues; act as final escalation point
• Diagnose problems across multiple platforms (channels, payments, core banking, cards, treasury)
• Challenge and push internal teams to ensure timely and high-quality resolution of issues impacting clients
• Maintain strict SLA discipline for priority clients; identify recurring issues and drive permanent fixes 6. Act as Cross-Platform Orchestrator
• Manage dependencies across multiple technology domains and platforms
• Understand full transaction lifecycle across channels, middleware, and core systems
• Drive resolution of critical incidents with clear client communication
• Ensure seamless coordination between business, technology, and operations teams

Continuous Improvement & Client Experience

• Improve onboarding processes, standardization, and documentation
• Develop reusable integration kits, templates, and support playbooks
• Enhance client experience through simplification and proactive support
• Contribute to product and platform improvements based on client feedback

What We Are Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and 15+ years of experience in banking technology, preferably in transaction/wholesale banking
• Proven experience in client onboarding and H2H integrations, and corporate banking products (payments, liquidity, trade, FX, etc.)
• Strong track record in client-facing roles managing corporate relationships
• Experience building or scaling a new function or team (greenfield preferred)
• Strong understanding of banking message formats (SWIFT MT, ISO 20022/CAMT, BAI2), file-based integrations, APIs, middleware, and secure connectivity models (SFTP/PGP/VPN/certificates)
• Knowledge of UAE payment systems and regulatory environment (WPS, UAEFTS, IPP, CBUAE requirements)
• Experience across multiple banking platforms (core, payments, cards, treasury) Classification.
• Strong understanding of corporate treasury operations (cash management, working capital, payment cycles)
• Arabic language skills preferred; cultural fluency engaging UAE/GCC corporate clients
• Strong techno-functional expertise in transaction banking and corporate integrations
• Trusted-advisor mindset with excellent client engagement and communication
• Hands-on problem solver across complex multi-system environments
• Proven ability to build, lead, and hold teams accountable
• Strong ownership mindset with relentless execution focus
• Confident and assertive; willing to challenge internal teams to deliver for clients
• Ability to influence and coordinate across multiple stakeholders