Head of Cards- Credit/Lending

PayTech Nexus Ltd; Dubai; On-site; AED 700,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Job summary

PayTech Nexus Ltd. seeks a seasoned Head of Credit / Lending to lead the strategic setup and launch of a new independent credit card business in Dubai. You will shape the product vision, build and mentor a high-performing team, and ensure regulatory compliance across GCC jurisdictions.

The role requires deep expertise in card lifecycle management, stand-alone or co-branded programs, and strong P&L ownership, with a focus on digital onboarding, AI-enabled scoring and omnichannel experiences.

Qualifications

• 15 years in retail banking with 8 years in credit card leadership.
• Experience launching standalone or co-branded card programmes.
• Familiarity with GCC regulatory frameworks (e.g. UAE Central Bank).
• End-to-End Cards Expertise: lifecycle, issuing and acquiring.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic setup and operational launch of a new independent credit card business.
• Define the product vision and build the team; ensure regulatory compliance.
• Drive market penetration, profitability and P&L ownership.
• Collaborate with regulators, fintechs, networks and partners to deliver card experiences.
• Oversee vendor selection and platform integrations and manage risk & compliance.

Skills

Credit risk management

Strategic leadership

Regulatory compliance GCC

Product lifecycle management

Digital onboarding & AI

Education

Bachelor’s degree in finance/economics/business

Master’s degree (MBA/MSc) preferred

Job description

JOB TITLE: Head of Credit / Lending

TERM: 12 months

CLIENT LOCATION: Dubai UAE

DIVISION: Consumer

REPORTS TO: Group CEO

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Minimum 15 years in retail banking with 8 years of credit card business leadership. Proven success in launching and scaling card portfolios in the Middle East.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

• Deep expertise in credit card product lifecycle management
• Experience launching standalone or co-branded card programmes
• Familiarity with GCC regulatory frameworks (e.g. UAE Central Bank)
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills
• Fluent in English; Arabic is a plus

PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

To lead the strategic setup and operational launch of a new independent credit card business. The role will define the product vision, build and lead the team, ensure regulatory compliance and drive market penetration and profitability.

Key Activities

• Strategic Leadership: Shape the credit card business model aligning with the bank's broader retail strategy and segment-specific goals (mass affluent SME).
• Product Development: Design and launch a suite of credit card products with differentiated value propositions including digital-first and premium offerings.
• Risk & Compliance: Establish robust credit risk frameworks, underwriting policies and ensure adherence to local and international regulations.
• P&L Ownership: Manage the full P&L of the credit card business including revenue, cost and profitability levers.
• Team Building: Recruit, structure and mentor a high-performing team across product, analytics, operations and sales.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders including regulators, fintechs, payment networks and loyalty partners.
• Innovation & Digitalisation: Leverage AI/ML tools for credit scoring, fraud detection and personalised offers. Drive digital onboarding and omnichannel customer experiences.
• Regional Coordination: Align with regional hubs and support regional product innovation and compliance.
• Vendor & Partner Management: Oversee selection and integration of processing platforms, loyalty engines and collections partners, etc.

KPIs

• Time-to-market for product launch
• Customer acquisition and activation rates
• Portfolio profitability (NIM, fee income, cost of risk)
• Credit loss ratios and delinquency metrics
• Digital origination and usage rates
• Customer satisfaction and NPS

Knowledge and Experience

• 15 years in cards management with 8 years in a Head Of / EVP level
• Education: Bachelor's degree in finance, economics, business or related field. A Master's degree (e.g. MBA or MSc in Finance) is highly preferred.
• End-to-End Cards Expertise: Proven experience managing the full lifecycle of card products, credit and virtual including issuing and acquiring businesses.
• Strategic Market Insight: Deep understanding of regional and global cards market trends including competitor analysis, pricing strategies and product positioning.
• Digital Channel Integration: Demonstrated ability to leverage digital platforms (e.g. mobile banking, internet banking, e-wallets) to drive card acquisition, activation and usage.
• E-commerce & Omni-Channel Fluency: Strong grasp of e-commerce ecosystems and omni-channel strategies to enhance customer experience and card penetration.
• Product Innovation & Development: Track record of launching differentiated card products and value propositions tailored to mass affluent and SME segments.
• Risk & Compliance Acumen: Familiarity with credit risk frameworks, fraud prevention and regulatory compliance across GCC jurisdictions.
• P&L Ownership: Experience managing the cards business P&L including budgeting, forecasting and profitability optimisation.
• Customer Lifecycle Management: Expertise in designing and executing activation, usage, rewards and retention programmes to boost engagement and reduce churn.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Ability to collaborate with IT, operations, marketing and third-party vendors to deliver seamless card experiences.

Mandatory Skills

• Strategic planning and execution
• Product innovation and lifecycle management
• Credit risk and portfolio analytics
• Regulatory compliance and governance
• Cross-functional leadership and communication
• Agile project delivery and digital transformation