Head of Client Growth & Relationships

About This Role

Job Description

Job Title: Head of Client Growth & Relationship Management

Reports to: Chief Business Officer

Role: Full time

Location: Abu Dhabi

Company Details

Our client, a bank – Category 1, recently received its IPA from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) and as part of the preparation for its Financial Services Permission is seeking to recruit a proactive, hands-on and diligent Head of Client Growth & Relationship Management to support the Chief Business Officer to build a scalable, data-driven client growth engine aligned with FSRA regulatory standards and the bank’s digital-first operating model.

Job Purpose

The Head of Client Growth & Relationship Management will lead the bank’s end-to-end customer growth, acquisition, onboarding, segmentation, engagement, retention, and relationship strategy.

The successful candidate will combine deep expertise in digital acquisition, digital onboarding, client segmentation, relationship management, and commercial strategy with strong regulatory awareness in a prudentially regulated (Category 1) banking environment.

This is a senior leadership role requiring commercial acumen, regulatory discipline, strong vendor management capabilities, and hands-on digital execution experience.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Duties & Responsibilities

1. Client Growth & Digital Acquisition

• Develop and execute the bank’s digital customer acquisition strategy across all relevant channels.
• Lead performance marketing initiatives across all major social media platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, YouTube, etc.) and digital advertising channels.
• Optimize acquisition funnels using data analytics, A/B testing, and performance metrics (CAC, LTV, conversion rates, retention rates).
• Manage digital campaigns in compliance with FSRA marketing and financial promotion regulations.
• Drive scalable and cost-efficient growth aligned with the bank’s risk appetite and capital strategy.

2. Digital Customer Onboarding

• Ensure successful customer onboarding with improvement of onboarding conversion rates .
• Collaborate with Compliance, Risk, and Operations to ensure onboarding frameworks meet FSRA and ADGM requirements.
• Continuously enhance user experience (UX/UI) to reduce friction and improve activation rates.

3. Client Segmentation & Value Proposition

• Define and continuously refine customer segmentation strategies (e.g., retail, SME, affluent, corporate, sector-based segments).
• Design tailored value propositions, product bundles, and service models for each segment.
• Develop differentiated pricing, fee structures, and promotional strategies per segment.
• Use behavioural, transactional, and demographic data to personalize offerings and improve engagement.
• Monitor segment profitability and adjust strategies to optimize revenue and risk-adjusted returns.

4. Relationship Management Strategy

• Build and lead a client relationship management framework appropriate for a digital bank.
• Develop retention, upsell, and cross-sell strategies.
• Establish high-touch relationship models for priority segments.
• Ensure consistent client communication and experience across all digital and human touchpoints.

5. Third-Party Vendor & Partner Management

• Manage relationships with digital marketing agencies, onboarding technology providers, KYC vendors, CRM providers, analytics firms, and other third-party vendors.
• Negotiate commercial agreements and ensure performance SLAs are met.
• Ensure third-party arrangements comply with FSRA outsourcing and operational risk requirements.
• Continuously evaluate vendor performance and optimize cost structures.

6. Commercial Strategy & Pricing

• Contribute to defining pricing strategies for all client segments.
• Design and evaluate promotional campaigns and incentive structures.
• Support product teams in refining the bank’s overall value proposition.
• Conduct competitive benchmarking and market analysis.
• Align pricing strategies with profitability targets and regulatory constraints.

7. Data, Analytics & Performance Management

• Establish KPIs for acquisition, onboarding, retention, and client engagement.
• Develop dashboards and reporting frameworks for executive management and the Board.
• Leverage analytics to drive decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Ensure accurate reporting in line with internal governance and regulatory expectations.

8. Regulatory & Governance Alignment

• Ensure all growth, marketing, onboarding, and relationship activities comply with FSRA regulations.
• Collaborate with Compliance and Risk to manage conduct risk and customer protection obligations.
• Embed fair treatment of customers principles in segmentation, pricing, and promotions.
• Support regulatory reviews, audits, and reporting requirements.

Core Competencies

• Strong leadership and strategic thinking skills.
• Deep expertise in digital acquisition and performance marketing.
• Proven experience in digital customer onboarding in a regulated financial institution.
• Advanced knowledge of customer segmentation and lifecycle management.
• Strong commercial and pricing strategy capability.
• Exceptional relationship management skills.
• Data-driven mindset with strong analytical ability.
• Strong vendor negotiation and management experience.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Technical & Functional Expertise

• Experience with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, or equivalent).
• Experience with digital onboarding platforms and KYC/AML integration tools.
• Experience managing multi-channel campaigns across all major social media platforms.
• Familiarity with FSRA, ADGM, or comparable regulatory frameworks.
• Strong understanding of banking economics, risk-adjusted returns, and profitability metrics.
• Knowledge of data analytics tools and customer insight platforms.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Marketing, Economics, or related field (required).
• Relevant professional certifications in digital marketing, banking, or financial services are advantageous.

Experience

• Minimum 10–15 years of experience in banking or financial services.
• Significant experience in a digital bank, fintech, or digital transformation environment.
• Demonstrated experience in digital customer acquisition at scale.
• Proven experience designing and managing fully digital onboarding processes.
• Extensive experience in relationship management frameworks.
• Experience managing third-party vendors in a regulated environment.
• Strong background in client segmentation, pricing strategy, and value proposition development.
• Experience working within a prudentially regulated financial institution (preferably FSRA/ADGM, UAE Central Bank, FCA, MAS, or similar).