Executive Director – Corporate & Commercial Banking

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB); Muscat; On-site; OMR 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) Oman is seeking a senior wholesale banking professional to originate, manage and grow relationships with Chinese corporates and financial institutions across Oman, the GCC and internationally.

You will lead the China Coverage strategy with the Head of Wholesale Investment Banking, oversee P&L for the assigned portfolio, ensure regulatory compliance, and coordinate cross-border product delivery to provide integrated financial solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline.
• 10-15 years of Corporate and Wholesale Banking experience.
• Significant experience managing Large Corporate, Multinational and Institutional client relationships.
• Strong track record in cross-border banking, structured lending, trade finance, transaction banking and relationship management.

Responsibilities

• Originate and manage relationships with Chinese corporates, institutions and investors across Oman and the GCC.
• Develop China Coverage strategy with senior leadership and drive portfolio revenue and profitability.
• Lead, coach and develop the team, ensuring compliance with governance standards.
• Coordinate product delivery across business units to provide integrated banking solutions.
• Maintain strong external stakeholder relationships with Chinese business associations, embassies and investment agencies.
• Monitor market developments and provide timely insights to management and product partners.
• Lead client meetings, pitches and negotiations to achieve revenue targets.

Skills

Cross-border banking

Trade finance

Transaction banking

Relationship management

Large corporate experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

To originate, manage and grow relationships with Chinese multinational corporations, state-owned enterprises, large private sector groups, financial institutions and strategic investors operating in Oman, the GCC and internationally. Manage and grow client business for the assigned portfolio, improve service quality levels, supervise team activities and client interactions, ensure achievement of revenue and profitability targets, whilst maintaining client satisfaction, portfolio credit quality, regulatory compliance and adherence to Bank policies, procedures and governance standards.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Contribution

• Work with Head of Wholesale, Investment Banking to develop the team’s strategy and business plan with the aim of increasing the Bank’s share of the target clients’ wallet and achieving target relationship returns.
• Maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, close engagement with Chinese business associations, trade bodies, chambers of commerce, embassies and investment promotion agencies.
• Develop and execute the China Coverage strategy in line with the Bank's Wholesale Banking objectives and growth plans.
• Drive penetration of Chinese multinational corporations, state-owned enterprises, large private sector groups, financial institutions and strategic investors across Oman and the GCC.
• Identify and pursue opportunities arising from China-GCC trade corridors, infrastructure projects, energy, logistics, manufacturing, industrial sectors and strategic investments.
• Promote the Bank as the preferred banking partner for Chinese corporates through proactive market engagement and relationship development.
• Contribute market intelligence, competitive insights and industry developments to support business planning and decision making.

People Management

• Contribute to talent development initiatives for the assigned department, collaborating with technical/discipline experts and thereby ensure the availability of talent to fit business requirements.
• Act as a role model and drive adherence to organisational values and ethics by employees of the assigned department to foster a value driven culture within the Group.
• Lead, coach and develop junior team members, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and high performance.
• Promote adherence to the Bank's values, Code of Conduct, policies and governance standards.
• Encourage knowledge sharing and the development of client coverage, credit and relationship management capabilities across the team.
• Foster a culture of client centricity, risk awareness and regulatory compliance.

Budgeting and Financial Planning

• Manage P&L responsibility of the assigned portfolio, achieving targets within defined budget levels.
• Ensure full compliance with the Bank's policies, procedures, delegated authorities and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Maintain high standards of KYC, Customer Due Diligence, AML, Sanctions and Financial Crime compliance across the client portfolio.
• Ensure all client records, approvals, documentation, account plans, reviews and system inputs remain complete, accurate and current.
• Complete periodic reviews, KYC refreshes, annual reviews, credit renewals and portfolio reviews within prescribed timelines.
• Ensure timely closure of audit observations, compliance issues and control deficiencies.
• Adhere to operational risk, information security, business continuity and conduct risk requirements.
• Promote a strong control environment and ensure all activities are conducted within approved governance frameworks.

Client and Market Analysis

• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of Chinese corporate structures, ownership frameworks and decision-making processes.
• Monitor client financial performance, sector developments, geopolitical developments and market trends impacting Chinese corporate clients.
• Identify emerging opportunities and risks within the portfolio.
• Maintain deep knowledge of industries relevant to Chinese investments including energy, infrastructure, logistics, manufacturing and industrial sectors.
• Participate in the financial analysis conducted on clients and their respective industries/ markets to identify potential opportunities and risks.
• Provide regular market intelligence and client insights to management and product partners.

Client Relationship Management

• Act as the primary relationship owner and trusted advisor for assigned Chinese corporate and institutional clients.
• Develop and execute relationship plans designed to deepen client penetration, increase wallet share and maximize long-term franchise value.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key decision makers including shareholders, board members, CEOs, CFOs, treasurers and senior management teams.
• Originate and execute lending, transaction banking, trade finance, treasury, structured finance and capital markets opportunities.
• Achieving agreed revenue, profitability, asset, liability and fee income targets.
• Identify and acquire new-to-bank Chinese corporate relationships while deepening existing client relationships.
• Coordinate product delivery across relevant business units to provide integrated banking solutions tailored to client requirements.
• Support Chinese corporates establishing, investing or expanding operations within Oman and the GCC.
• Lead client meetings, business reviews, strategic discussions, pitches and negotiations.
• Maintain regular client contact programs and ensure timely resolution of client queries and service issues.
• Act as the lead coordinator for complex and cross-border client opportunities involving multiple stakeholders and jurisdictions.

Day-to-Day Activities

• Assist the Head of CIB in the day-to-day administrative and transactional activities to ensure continuity of work and the delivery of effective and high-quality outputs.
• Ensure all account plans, client reviews, pipeline reports and management information are maintained accurately and submitted within prescribed timelines.
• Monitor outstanding credit conditions, documentation deficiencies and action items to completion.
• Ensure timely escalation of client concerns, risk issues and operational matters.
• Maintain effective portfolio housekeeping and data quality standards across all systems.
• Ensure effective coordination between clients and internal stakeholders.
• Maintain overall responsibility for the quality, performance and risk management of the assigned portfolio.
• Conduct ongoing assessment of client financial performance, industry conditions and creditworthiness.
• Prepare and coordinate high-quality credit applications, annual reviews, amendment requests and approval submissions.
• Ensure all facilities, reviews and renewals are completed within approved timelines.
• Monitor covenant compliance, facility utilization, conditions precedent and documentation requirements.
• Identify early warning signals, deteriorating risk indicators and emerging concerns, escalating matters appropriately.
• Recommend and implement suitable risk mitigation measures where required.
• Support management and remediation of watchlist stressed or higher-risk relationships as necessary.
• Ensure portfolio returns remain consistent with the Bank's risk appetite and strategic objectives.

Internal Collaboration

• Develop strong working relationships with Credit Risk, Global Transaction Banking, Debt Capital Markets, Investment Banking, Treasury, Trade Finance, Compliance, Operations, Legal and other relevant stakeholders.
• Coordinate effectively with Product, Risk, Compliance, Operations, Legal and international coverage teams to deliver integrated client solutions and efficient transaction execution.
• Facilitate efficient onboarding, execution and implementation of client transactions.
• Collaborate with international branches, representative offices and China Coverage teams across the Group network to act as the central coordination point for client-related activities.
• Share market intelligence and relationship opportunities across business units to maximize franchise value.

MIS and Reports

• Review and analyse financial statements, MIS and reports to keep track of performance vs. budgets.
• Prepare periodic portfolio reviews, pipeline updates and management reports.
• Monitor performance against budget, revenue targets and portfolio objectives.
• Ensure completeness, accuracy and timeliness of all management information submissions.
• Monitor Chinese corporate activity, sector developments and market trends, providing timely insights to management and product partners while identifying emerging business opportunities and risks.
• Operate within approved Delegation of Authority limits and governance frameworks.
• Exercise sound judgement in balancing commercial objectives with prudent risk management.
• Ensure all client activities comply with internal policies, regulatory requirements and applicable legal obligations.
• Escalate material credit, operational, compliance, reputational or conduct risks in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Protect the Bank's reputation through the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and ethical conduct.
• Exercises sound judgement in balancing business growth objectives with prudent risk management.
• Promote a strong culture of accountability, transparency and prudent risk management.
• Maintain confidentiality of customer, transaction and Bank information.
• Serve as an ambassador of the Bank when interacting with clients, regulators, industry bodies and external stakeholders.

REQUIREMENTS / QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or related discipline.
• 10-15 years of Corporate and Wholesale Banking experience.
• Significant experience managing Large Corporate, Multinational and Institutional client relationships.
• Strong track record in cross-border banking, structured lending, trade finance, transaction banking and relationship management.