Head of Product

Client of James Douglas Middle East

They are seeking a Head of Product to lead the design, development, and management of the firms investment product suite, including traditional, alternative, and innovative asset management offerings. This role plays a central part in shaping the firm's commercial success by ensuring its product strategy is forward-thinking, client-centric, and scalable. The Head of Product will be responsible for both launching new products, maintaining and optimising existing ones, ensuring strong alignment with regulatory standards, client demands, and global market trends. The role also supports efforts to bring innovative, differentiated products to market, leveraging emerging technologies and structural trends to build a compelling competitive edge.

Operates within a governance framework that ensures regulatory compliance and risk controls while enabling innovation and commercial agility - the job holder will be reporting directly to the CEO, while working closely with internal teams and broader parent company stakeholders in portfolio management, operations, compliance, marketing, sales, legal, finance, and technology. Additionally, he/she will engage with external clients, service providers, regulators, and business partners to ensure product viability and competitive positioning.

Key Result Areas

• Shape and drive the firms current and future product strategy, aligned with business growth and market demands.
• Oversee end-to-end product development and ongoing product management across mutual funds, private asset structures, REITs, institutional mandates, and emerging areas like fund tokenisation.
• Conduct market and competitor analysis to identify opportunities and perform gap assessments relative to investor needs.
• Ensure rigorous governance across the full product lifecycle, from initial concept to launch, monitoring, enhancement, and closure.
• Ensure alignment with local and international regulations, including Islamic investment requirements where relevant.
• Work with investment, technology, sales, and risk teams to ensure products are designed for operational efficiency and client impact.
• Integrate emerging technologies and AI tools with the product platform to deliver more tailored, responsive, and efficient investment solutions.
• Help the firm navigate the regional, highly competitive asset management landscape and to position itself as a leader and innovator in client centric products and solutions.
• Lead the firms efforts to identify gaps and opportunities within the investment landscape to develop products that are compelling, differentiated, and aligned with investor preferences.
• Proactively address product-related issues across structure, pricing, positioning, and regulation.
• Champions innovation in product offerings and delivery mechanisms, using evolving market dynamics, client insights, and technology to design relevant and effective solutions.
• Responsible for shaping the firms overall product strategy and priorities.
• Lead the streamlining of the firms product development and product management processes.
• Recommend new product opportunities and changes to existing products, including repositioning or closures where required.
• Contribute to firm-wide commercial, investment, and client engagement strategies from a product lens.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience in product development and/or management within asset management.
• Finance-related Bachelors or Masters degree preferred.
• Strong understanding of a broad range of investment products, including passive and active strategies, money market funds, absolute return, outcome-based funds, private assets (equity, debt, infrastructure), structured products, and REITs.
• Familiar with at least one of the major international markets (US, Europe, or Asia), with additional understanding of the regulatory and client environment in the GCC.
• Experience with both institutional and retail product offerings, including fund structuring, pricing, positioning, and lifecycle governance.
• Up-to-date knowledge of global product trends, including tokenization, blockchain applications, and digital asset vehicles.
• Experience integrating technological innovation (e.g., AI, automation) to support investment product delivery and enhance client outcomes.
• Demonstrated success in leading cross-functional projects and aligning internal and external stakeholders behind product goals.
• Strong project management, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.