Head of Finance

Client of James Douglas Middle East

Our client is a well-known large financial services organisation based in the UAE. They are looking to hire a Head of Finance - CIBG at an SVP level.

Job Purpose

• This is a critical senior leadership role which sits within the Corporate Affairs function, part of the GCFO Office, and supports the Groups strategic finance agenda through close alignment with CIBG leadership.

• This role is responsible for managing the financial performance of the companys Corporate and Investment Banking Group - a core pillar of the bank contributing to nearly half of the Groups total revenue. The CIBG Finance function spans multiple strategic and high-impact sectors including Real Estate, Trading, Services & Manufacturing, Public Sector & Energy, and Contracting Finance, as well as key product groups like Investment Banking, Global Transaction Banking (GTB), Corporate Origination, Al Islami, and Digital Studio.

• The incumbent acts as the first point of contact and day-to-day finance partner for the Group Head of CIBG, ensuring alignment on financial strategy, performance, and decision-making.

• The role is designed to provide proactive financial advisory to the Head of CIBG and Head of Finance - Wholesale Banking Groups, enable strategic business decision-making, and drive transformation across the finance function.

• The incumbent will ensure rigorous performance management, real-time financial insight, and robust governance to support growth, profitability, and enterprise-wide initiatives.

• This position will also play a pivotal role in driving digital and AI-led transformation across the CIBG finance domain, championing standardization, automation, and predictive analytics.

• The incumbent will play a strategic role in supporting the GCFOs leadership agenda and contribute to Group-wide finance initiatives through the Wholesale Banking Finance leadership platform

Key Result Areas

• Lead business advice, strategic financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance management processes for CIBG, ensuring alignment with Group strategy and enabling data-driven decision-making.

• Oversee the financial processes to ensure risks and opportunities are identified and addressed in a timely manner.

• Serve as the single point of contact for the Finance Head of Wholesale Banking and Group Head of CIBG on all CIBG finance-related matters.

• Drive standardization, digitalization, and alignment across CIBG finance processes and systems.

• Ensure robust financial governance, risk management, and compliance in coordination with Country CFOs.

• Oversee and ensure financial controls are in place across CIBG Finance, supporting the integrity of financial reporting and compliance with Group policies and regulatory standards.

• Lead implementation of finance transformation initiatives and adoption of emerging technologies including AI tools for planning and performance tracking.

• Represent Finance in CIBG and Group-wide steering committees and strategic forums.

• Prepare the consolidated MBO for the Group Head of CIBG, including performance data related to the Financial Institutions (FI) segment, and provide this to the Head of Wholesale Banking Finance to enable an enterprise-wide view.

• Critically review business initiatives, challenge assumptions, and provide actionable recommendations to senior leadership.

• Supervise and develop a high-performing finance team, driving a culture of agility, integrity, and innovation.

• Champion Emiratization, talent development, and succession planning.

• Consolidate CIBG strategic plans into financials and monitor KPIs to ensure performance delivery.

Operating Environment, Framework & Boundaries

• Operates in a dynamic, high-growth business landscape across complex regulatory environments.

• Interacts daily with the Head of Finance - Wholesale Banking, Group Head of CIBG, product heads, segment heads, operations, and risk.

• Provides day-to-day financial oversight to CIBG business segments and works closely with segment/product finance teams, ensuring alignment with Wholesale Banking governance under the Head of Finance - WB.

• Collaborates extensively with Transformation, Digital, Risk, and Operations to drive financial integration and performance initiatives.

• Coordinates with external auditors, regulators, and strategy consultants on key business and financial matters.

• Represents CIBG Finance in senior forums and cross-functional committees at the Group level.

Decision Making Authority & Responsibility

• Approves and oversees financial plans, performance targets, and resource allocations for CIBG.

• Jointly approves major capital and operating expenditures alongside Group Head of CIBG and Head of Finance Wholesale Banking Groups.

• Owns CIBGs financial governance and drives accountability for business unit performance.

• Leads performance evaluation of segment finance leads and supports MBO rating calibrations.

• Contributes to bank-wide strategic decisions through active engagement in key working committees.