Senior Manager, Strategy Planning

Commercial Bank of Dubai; Dubai; On-site; AED 420,000 - 680,000; Full time

Job summary

Commercial Bank of Dubai is seeking a seasoned Head of Strategy & Transformation to lead the design and delivery of the bank's annual and multi-year corporate strategy. You will coordinate inputs across Finance, Risk, and Technology, and translate analyses into clear strategic options for senior leadership.

Responsibilities include maintaining KPI frameworks, developing the corporate strategy narrative, and leading strategy performance reviews with executive leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or related field strongly preferred.
• Professional certifications in strategy, finance, or project management are an advantage (e.g. CFA, PMP)

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of CBD's annual and multi-year corporate strategy, coordinating inputs across business units, Finance, Risk, and Technology
• Prepare high-quality strategy materials for ExCo, Board Strategy Committee, and senior leadership sessions, including strategic reviews and decision papers
• Translate complex analytical findings into clear strategic options and recommendations that enable senior leadership decision-making
• Maintain a consolidated view of CBD's strategic initiative portfolio, tracking progress against KPIs and proactively flagging risks, interdependencies, and delivery gaps
• Lead quarterly and annual strategy performance reviews, producing executive-ready reporting on strategic progress for the Head of Strategy & Transformation and ExCo

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Executive reporting

OKR framework

Financial analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA preferred

Tools

CFA

PMP

Job description

• Lead the design and delivery of CBD's annual and multi-year corporate strategy, coordinating inputs across business units, Finance, Risk, and Technology
• Conduct macro-environmental, competitive landscape, and market opportunity analyses to inform strategic direction and identify white spaces for growth
• Develop and maintain the corporate strategy narrative, including strategic pillars, KPI frameworks, and long-range financial and non-financial targets
• Prepare high-quality strategy materials for ExCo, Board Strategy Committee, and senior leadership sessions, including strategic reviews and decision papers
• Translate complex analytical findings into clear strategic options and recommendations that enable senior leadership decision-making
• Design and operationalise the strategy execution framework, defining initiative owners, milestone governance, and escalation mechanisms
• Maintain a consolidated view of CBD's strategic initiative portfolio, tracking progress against KPIs and proactively flagging risks, interdependencies, and delivery gaps
• Partner with business unit heads and transformation leads to embed strategic priorities into operational planning and resource allocation cycles
• Lead quarterly and annual strategy performance reviews, producing executive-ready reporting on strategic progress for the Head of Strategy & Transformation and ExCo
• Facilitate prioritisation decisions across the portfolio when resources or timelines are under pressure
• Serve as the primary interface for all external strategy consulting engagements, including scoping, contracting, and day-to-day management
• Evaluate consulting proposals and ensure scope, deliverables, and commercial terms are aligned with CBD's strategic objectives and value expectations
• Provide active oversight and challenge throughout engagements to ensure consulting output is context-specific, actionable, and fit for internal decision-making
• Build internal capability by actively absorbing and institutionalising methodologies and insights from consulting partners
• Manage consulting budgets and track ROI across advisory spend within the Strategy & Transformation function
  
  

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of CBD's annual and multi-year corporate strategy, coordinating inputs across business units, Finance, Risk, and Technology
• Conduct macro-environmental, competitive landscape, and market opportunity analyses to inform strategic direction and identify white spaces for growth
• Develop and maintain the corporate strategy narrative, including strategic pillars, KPI frameworks, and long-range financial and non-financial targets
• Prepare high-quality strategy materials for ExCo, Board Strategy Committee, and senior leadership sessions, including strategic reviews and decision papers
• Translate complex analytical findings into clear strategic options and recommendations that enable senior leadership decision-making
• Design and operationalise the strategy execution framework, defining initiative owners, milestone governance, and escalation mechanisms
• Maintain a consolidated view of CBD's strategic initiative portfolio, tracking progress against KPIs and proactively flagging risks, interdependencies, and delivery gaps
• Partner with business unit heads and transformation leads to embed strategic priorities into operational planning and resource allocation cycles
• Lead quarterly and annual strategy performance reviews, producing executive-ready reporting on strategic progress for the Head of Strategy & Transformation and ExCo
• Facilitate prioritisation decisions across the portfolio when resources or timelines are under pressure
• Serve as the primary interface for all external strategy consulting engagements, including scoping, contracting, and day-to-day management
• Evaluate consulting proposals and ensure scope, deliverables, and commercial terms are aligned with CBD's strategic objectives and value expectations
• Provide active oversight and challenge throughout engagements to ensure consulting output is context-specific, actionable, and fit for internal decision-making
• Build internal capability by actively absorbing and institutionalising methodologies and insights from consulting partners
• Manage consulting budgets and track ROI across advisory spend within the Strategy & Transformation function
  
  

Requirements:

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or related field strongly preferred
• Professional certifications in strategy, finance, or project management are an advantage (e.g. CFA, PMP)
• Minimum 10 years of total experience, with at least 5 years in a strategy role within a top-tier management consulting firm or an in-house strategy function at a financial institution
• Demonstrated experience leading end-to-end strategy development and execution governance in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment
• Prior experience managing or working closely with external consulting vendors in a client-side capacity strongly preferred
• UAE or GCC banking experience is a significant advantage
• Practical knowledge of implementing and managing OKR framework is an advantage