VP, Senior Product Owner

Zohorecruit; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Zohorecruit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, seeks a highly organized Senior Program Manager to lead Digital Banking, AI, and Transformation initiatives across the Consumer Banking Group. You will govern complex programs, coordinate across business, technology, risk, and external partners, ensuring on-time, within-budget delivery.

The role emphasizes strategic planning, governance, benefits realization, and strong stakeholder management with senior leaders.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in Digital Banking, Product Management, Program Management, Enterprise Transformation, or Change Management within leading financial institutions.
• 10+ years of experience managing large-scale, cross-functional transformation programs across business, technology, operations, data, and digital channels.
• Proven track record in delivering end-to-end digital transformation initiatives, from strategy and business case development through implementation and benefits realization.
• Extensive experience in stakeholder management, engaging and influencing senior executives, business leaders, regulators, and technology partners.
• Strong experience leading initiatives in Digital Banking, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, Data & Analytics, Open Banking, and FinTech-driven transformation programs.
• Hands-on experience working within Agile, Scrum, SAFe, and Hybrid delivery environments.
• Deep understanding of Open Banking/Open Finance frameworks, ecosystem partnerships, and API-driven business models.
• Demonstrated experience in API Product Management, including API strategy, lifecycle management, adoption, governance, and monetization.
• Experience delivering Embedded Finance, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), and digital ecosystem propositions.
• Proven ability to collaborate with FinTechs, technology providers, ecosystem partners, and third-party platforms to launch innovative customer-centric solutions.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience defining product roadmaps, business cases, KPIs, and value realization frameworks.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Technology, Engineering, or related discipline. Master's degree preferred.
• Professional certifications such as PMP, Agile, Scrum, SAFe, Product Management, or Open Banking/Open Finance certifications are highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of strategic Digital Banking and AI initiatives.
• Establish project governance frameworks, delivery plans, milestones, dependencies, and reporting mechanisms.
• Monitor program performance and proactively manage risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Ensure projects are delivered within agreed scope, timeline, budget, and quality standards.
• Drive project prioritization and execution in alignment with Digital Banking strategy.
• Support Digital Banking leadership in defining transformation roadmaps and execution strategies.
• Translate business objectives into actionable project plans.
• Manage strategic initiatives from concept, business case development, and approval through implementation and benefits realization.
• Coordinate with senior business leaders, technology teams, architecture teams, operations, risk, compliance, legal, and external partners.
• Facilitate steering committee discussions, governance forums, and executive updates.
• Prepare executive presentations, program status reports, and decision papers for senior management.
• Support the implementation of AI-powered banking solutions and digital transformation programs.
• Work closely with product, data, analytics, and technology teams to ensure successful deployment of innovative solutions.
• Identify opportunities to enhance customer experience, operational efficiency, automation, and straight-through processing.
• Ensure compliance with organizational governance standards, policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain program documentation, project artifacts, RAID logs, and audit requirements.
• Drive closure of audit findings and compliance-related actions.
• Coordinate with internal and external delivery partners.
• Monitor vendor deliverables and contractual commitments.
• Support resource planning, onboarding, and delivery capacity management across digital initiatives.
• Track project benefits, KPIs, and business outcomes.
• Develop dashboards and executive reports to monitor realization of strategic objectives.
• Ensure measurable value delivery from transformation initiatives.

Skills

Program Management

Stakeholder Management

Digital Banking

AI & Transformation

Strategic Planning

Risk & Compliance

Vendor Management

Agile Delivery

Open Banking

API Product Management

Cross-functional Leadership

Data & Analytics

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree (preferred)

Job description

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Posted on 10/02/2026

The role holder will be responsible for supporting senior Digital Banking leadership in driving and governing strategic Digital, AI, and Transformation initiatives across the Consumer Banking Group. The individual will act as a centralized program management lead, ensuring effective planning, governance, stakeholder management, execution tracking, and successful delivery of complex digital banking programs.

The role requires a highly organized professional with extensive corporate experience, capable of managing multiple workstreams simultaneously while coordinating across business, technology, operations, architecture, risk, compliance, and external vendors.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Program & Project Management

• Lead end-to-end delivery of strategic Digital Banking and AI initiatives.
• Establish project governance frameworks, delivery plans, milestones, dependencies, and reporting mechanisms.
• Monitor program performance and proactively manage risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Ensure projects are delivered within agreed scope, timeline, budget, and quality standards.
• Drive project prioritization and execution in alignment with Digital Banking strategy.

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Support Digital Banking leadership in defining transformation roadmaps and execution strategies.
• Translate business objectives into actionable project plans.
• Manage strategic initiatives from concept, business case development, and approval through implementation and benefits realization.

Stakeholder Management

• Coordinate with senior business leaders, technology teams, architecture teams, operations, risk, compliance, legal, and external partners.
• Facilitate steering committee discussions, governance forums, and executive updates.
• Prepare executive presentations, program status reports, and decision papers for senior management.

Digital & AI Transformation

• Support the implementation of AI-powered banking solutions and digital transformation programs.
• Work closely with product, data, analytics, and technology teams to ensure successful deployment of innovative solutions.
• Identify opportunities to enhance customer experience, operational efficiency, automation, and straight-through processing.

Governance & Controls

• Ensure compliance with organizational governance standards, policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain program documentation, project artifacts, RAID logs, and audit requirements.
• Drive closure of audit findings and compliance-related actions.
• Coordinate with internal and external delivery partners.
• Monitor vendor deliverables and contractual commitments.
• Support resource planning, onboarding, and delivery capacity management across digital initiatives.

Benefits Realization & Performance Tracking

• Track project benefits, KPIs, and business outcomes.
• Develop dashboards and executive reports to monitor realization of strategic objectives.
• Ensure measurable value delivery from transformation initiatives.

Requirements

5. Job Context

(Specific accountabilities unique for the role which are not covered in Section 4)

• Provide analysis on current Digital Security models in place within PBG
• Market analysis on what is deemed best in class
• Monthly reports on Digital exposures and proposed mitigating actions
• Interface with FAB Technology teams and fintech partners on tactical and strategic solutions to deliver a robust Digital security solution
• In addition to the core Digital Security focus, the role holder will provide Digital Analyst support to the Digital Banking initiatives and support the Head of Mobile in driving out the strategic Mobile roadmap.

6. FRAMEWORKS, BOUNDARIES, & DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY:

• Functions within the framework and boundaries of Group policies as well as overall organisational and governance frameworks.
• Authorised to take decisions as per the approved authorisation matrix.

7. QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, or related discipline.

Certifications

• Program Management or Change Management certification is advantageous.

Experience

• 15+ years of overall experience in Digital Banking, Product Management, Program Management, Enterprise Transformation, or Change Management within leading financial institutions.
• 10+ years of experience managing large-scale, cross-functional transformation programs across business, technology, operations, data, and digital channels.
• Proven track record in delivering end-to-end digital transformation initiatives, from strategy and business case development through implementation and benefits realization.
• Extensive experience in stakeholder management, engaging and influencing senior executives, business leaders, regulators, and technology partners.
• Strong experience leading initiatives in Digital Banking, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, Data & Analytics, Open Banking, and FinTech-driven transformation programs.
• Hands-on experience working within Agile, Scrum, SAFe, and Hybrid delivery environments.
• Deep understanding of Open Banking/Open Finance frameworks, ecosystem partnerships, and API-driven business models.
• Demonstrated experience in API Product Management, including API strategy, lifecycle management, adoption, governance, and monetization.
• Experience delivering Embedded Finance, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), and digital ecosystem propositions.
• Proven ability to collaborate with FinTechs, technology providers, ecosystem partners, and third-party platforms to launch innovative customer-centric solutions.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience defining product roadmaps, business cases, KPIs, and value realization frameworks.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Technology, Engineering, or related discipline. Master's degree preferred.
• Professional certifications such as PMP, Agile, Scrum, SAFe, Product Management, or Open Banking/Open Finance certifications are highly desirable.