Head of Priority Direct

ADIB - Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank; Dubai; On-site; AED 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

ADIB – Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank in Dubai seeks a strategic Head of Priority Direct (VRM) to oversee regional operations, drive acquisition, portfolio growth, and service excellence while ensuring Sharia-compliant standards across teams.

You will lead Cluster Managers and VRMs, set targets, manage HC planning, and collaborate with cross-functional partners to deliver strong business results and high customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of UAE banking experience.
• Proven regional leadership across multiple teams.
• Strong focus on sales, acquisition, and customer experience.
• Deep knowledge of Sharia-compliant banking standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor Cluster Managers and VRM teams.
• Drive regional sales targets and service KPIs.
• Ensure compliance with ADIB policies and Islamic guidelines.
• Oversee end-to-end reporting to senior management.
• Foster high-performance culture and stakeholder collaboration.
• Oversee recruitment and HC planning for VRMs/ARMs/Cluster Managers.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Thinking

Business Acumen

Ownership

Customer Focus

Decision Quality

Drive for Excellence

Problem Solving & Judgment

Communication & Influence

Job description

Role : Head of Priority Direct (VRM)

Location : Dubai

Role Purpose

To oversee Priority Direct operations across multiple Teams, ensuring strong leadership, high-quality service delivery, achievement of regional business targets, and effective management of Cluster Managers and VRM teams. The role focuses on driving acquisition, portfolio growth, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence in alignment with ADIB’s strategic priorities and Sharia-compliant standards.

Key Accountabilities of the role

Regional Team Leadership & People Management:

• Lead, mentor, and manage Cluster Managers across the assigned region.
• Oversee VRM teams indirectly through Cluster Managers.
• Set regional performance expectations, sales targets, and service KPIs.
• Responsible of hiring the planned HC in VRMs, ARMs, and Cluster Managers, maintaining the active HC and ensuring to replace any resigned HC on time.
• Conduct regular one-to-one reviews with Cluster Managers to monitor progress and address gaps.
• Team engagement through regular VRM meetings, discussions, and motivational face to face and teams meetings.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and capability development across the region.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, ownership, and service excellence.

Business Growth & Acquisition Oversight:

• Drive acquisition of Priority Banking customers across all assigned Teams.
• Monitor the quality of new-to-bank acquisition, ensuring alignment with segment criteria.
• Ensure strong pipeline generation and end to end sales for investments, takaful, and cross-sell opportunities.
• Review performance of campaigns and contribute to designing new business initiatives.
• Track monthly, quarterly, and annual performance against targets and MBO plans.
• Support Cluster Managers in improving conversion rates and achieving portfolio growth.
• Ensure that all required reports, summaries, information to be delivered on time to high level management.

Customer Experience & Service Excellence:

• Ensure all Teams deliver a consistent, high-quality service experience.
• Address escalated customer cases from Cluster Managers and coordinate with support teams to resolve them promptly.
• Monitor service turnaround times, complaint trends, and customer satisfaction scores.
• Implement best practices to enhance customer retention, reduce attrition, and increase loyalty.
• Promote digital adoption, self-service tools, and proactive customer engagement strategies.

Operational Management & Compliance:

• Ensure all Teams operate in full compliance with ADIB policies, procedures, and Islamic Sharia guidelines.
• Review operational risks and incidents, ensuring corrective actions are implemented.
• Ensure to conclude and action all ODD and Compliance pending and active cases within agreed TAT as per policy.
• Monitor documentation quality, audit findings, and regulatory adherence across the region.
• Identify recurring operational issues and work with relevant teams to develop sustainable solutions.
• Ensure readiness for internal and external audits across all centers.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Partner with Investment Advisors, Operations, Credit, Contact Center, and Branch Banking to support customer needs.
• Act as the primary link between the region and the Head Office for reporting, communication, and escalation.
• Coordinate implementation of new products, digital initiatives, and service enhancements.
• Facilitate information flow, updates, and collaboration between Teams and centers.

Strategic Planning & Execution:

• Support the Head of Priority Banking Coverage in executing the segment strategy.
• Provide market insights and competitive intelligence to improve product offerings and positioning.
• Analyze unit performance trends and propose data-driven improvements.
• Lead projects, campaigns, and service improvement programs as required.

Specialist Skills / Technical Knowledge Required for this role:

• Leadership & People Development
• Strategic Thinking
• Business Acumen
• Ownership
• Customer Focus
• Decision Quality
• Drive for Excellence
• Problem Solving & Judgment
• Communication & Influence

Previous experience

Minimum fifteen (15) years of Banking experience in U.A.E