Associate Vice President – SME Acquisition Manager

RAKBANK; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading bank in the UAE is seeking an experienced Associate Vice President to lead its Client Acquisition Team focused on SME Lending. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in SME finance and demonstrated leadership skills. Key responsibilities include developing acquisition strategies, mentoring the team, and ensuring compliance with regulatory guidelines. This role offers a significant opportunity for business growth in a dynamic banking environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years in sales, business development, or client acquisition within SME and commercial lending.
• Track record of consistently achieving sales targets.
• Exposure to Banking or financial services focusing on relationship management.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute strategies to acquire SME clients.
• Develop strong connections with business owners and referral partners.
• Lead and mentor a client acquisition team.
• Conduct regular market analysis and refine sales strategies.
• Oversee client onboarding process for efficiency and satisfaction.
• Track and report KPIs, presenting insights to management.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies and regulatory guidelines.

Skills

In-depth knowledge of SME lending solutions

Strong leadership and coaching abilities

Stakeholder management and interpersonal skills

Data-driven performance monitoring

Exceptional communication and negotiation skills

Goal-oriented and adaptable

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Business Administration

MBA or professional certifications in banking/finance

Job description

Company Description

RAKBANK, also known as the National Bank of Ras Al-Khaimah, is a Public Joint Stock Company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was founded in 1976 and is one of the oldest banks in the UAE. The Bank operates within retail and corporate banking, offering a range of services including personal and business banking, credit cards, loans, investment services, and wealth management.

In the recent years, the Bank has achieved significant milestones which includes being named as one of the world’s best banks by Forbes ME (2022) and was awarded UAE’s SME Bank of the year by the Asian Banking and Finance Awards. The Bank has been successful in achieving the highest profitability and lowest cost of risk since 2015. It has also seen significant growth in its acquiring business, card spending, and business loans.

Being on a transformational journey, in partnership with Honeywell, RAKBANK has also taken steps towards sustainability by reducing its overall energy consumption.

We are a diverse team comprising of over 3,000 employees from across 58 countries. We make conscious efforts to build talented and diversified teams and encourage people to develop their full potential. We are committed to providing a working environment that promotes work-life balance, career development, recognition and security for the future.

In line with our strategy, a major part of our transformation journey is to future proof our bank and establish ourselves as a ‘Digital bank with human touch’, for our customers.

So, join us in co‑creating the future of RAKBANK.

Job Description

About the Role

RAKBANK is seeking a dynamic and strategic Associate Vice President to lead our Client Acquisition Team focused on SME Lending. This senior leadership role is pivotal in driving growth across our Working Capital, Trade Finance, Commercial Loans, Merchant POS Loans, Asset‑Backed Lending, and Supply Chain Finance portfolios. The role reports to Vice President & Head of SME Acquisition and successful candidate will combine deep expertise in SME finance with proven sales leadership, building high‑performing teams that deliver sustainable business growth.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Design and execute innovative strategies to acquire SME clients, leveraging direct channels, partnerships, and networks
• Develop and maintain strong connections with business owners, referral partners, brokers, and internal stakeholders to maximize acquisition and cross‑sell opportunities
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of client acquisition professionals, fostering a high‑performance culture through coaching, clear goal setting, and collaboration
• Conduct regular market analysis to identify opportunities, threats, and emerging trends, refining sales strategies accordingly
• Client Onboarding: Oversee the end‑to‑end onboarding process, ensuring efficiency, compliance, and client satisfaction
• Performance Monitoring: Track and report KPIs including acquisition rates, conversion ratios, and portfolio growth, presenting insights and recommendations to senior management
• Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure adherence to internal policies and regulatory guidelines, promoting a strong risk management culture

Qualifications

What We Are Looking For

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, or a related field. An MBA or professional certifications in banking/finance are advantageous.
• Experience: Minimum of 10 years in sales, business development, or client acquisition within SME and commercial lending, with a track record of consistently achieving sales targets
• Industry: Exposure to Banking or financial services, with a focus on relationship management, or financial services sales

Skills

• In‑depth knowledge of SME lending solutions including trade products, supply chain finance, commercial loans, asset‑backed loans, and capex loans.
• Strong ability to lead, coach, and inspire teams, with excellent stakeholder management and interpersonal skills.
• Data‑driven approach to performance monitoring, with the ability to translate metrics into actionable strategies.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with strong negotiation and relationship‑building capabilities
• Goal‑oriented, adaptable, resilient under pressure, and committed to high ethical standards