Head of Middle East

Institute and Faculty of Actuaries; As Sudiyah; On-site; OMR 46,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in the Middle East seeks a Head of Middle East, based in Riyadh, reporting to the Director of Market, Partner and Member Development. You will lead strategic development and commercial growth across the region, driving membership, revenue and brand presence while managing high-level external relationships.

This standalone role requires autonomy, entrepreneurial drive and credibility to operate with government, regulators, employers and academia, including as

Qualifications

• Proven market development and growth experience in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia and UAE.
• Ability to engage at C-suite, government and regulatory level.
• Experience of B2B sales, account management and strategic partnership development.
• Strong established network in the region.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute market plans aligned with IFoA objectives.
• Deliver initiatives that grow membership and revenue and promote IFoA services.
• Collaborate with Middle East Strategic Committee and volunteers to align activities to regional goals.
• Identify strategic partnerships that add value to IFoA and its members.
• Champion the IFoA brand and raise its profile with universities, employers, regulators.
• Advise on regulatory landscapes and impact on members and offerings.
• Build strong relationships with key employer accounts and customer touchpoints.

Skills

Market development

C-suite engagement

B2B sales

Strategic partnerships

Stakeholder management

Networking

Independent work

Influence government regulators

Education

Bachelor degree

Tools

None

Job description

About Us

The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) is the chartered professional body for actuaries. We have over 32,000 members around the world. The Membership Group looks after the full member journey: how we attract members, support them as they progress and keep them with us. The teams you'll support deliver our strategy across the UK, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. They also run a large programme of events and conferences, and look after our marketing, communications, volunteer engagement and research.

The role

The Head of Middle East is the IFoA's senior in-market representative in the region, based in Riyadh and reporting to the Director of Market, Partner and Member Development. The role leads the strategic development and commercial growth of IFoA's presence across the Middle East — driving membership, revenue and brand profile while managing relationships with a wide and senior external stakeholder community. The post-holder also holds statutory responsibility as General Manager of IFoA's Foreign Branch Office in KSA. This is a standalone role requiring significant autonomy, entrepreneurial drive and the credibility to operate at the most senior levels across government, regulation, employers and academia.

The Successful Candidate Will Need

• Proven market development and growth experience in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia and UAE
• The ability to engage and influence at C-suite, government and regulatory level
• Experience of B2B sales, account management and strategic partnership development
• A strong, established network in the region
• Bachelor degree level education minimum (KSA branch office regulatory requirements apply)
• The ability to work independently and remain self-motivated in an in-market, solo role
• Experience of working within a membership organisation and with senior volunteers is desirable.

What You'll Be Doing

• Develop and deliver market plans in accordance to objectives and targets set and measured by IFoA.
• Deliver initiatives that drive sustainable member growth and retention and sell other IFoA products and services.
• Work collaboratively with the Middle East Strategic Committee, and any other volunteer groups, as required to provide support to local activities and ensure activities are aligned to the overall strategic goals for the region.
• Identify strategic partnerships that will add value to the IFoA and its membership.
• Champion the IFoA brand and grow the IFoA's reputation and influence, through raising the profile of IFoA among key stakeholders such as universities, employers, government and local regulators.
• Understand and advise on the changing regulatory landscapes across the region and how this might impact members, market demands, and the product and service offering from the IFoA.
• Build strong and mutually beneficial relationships with employer key accounts and contacts, developing positive working relationships with all customer touch points.

What we're looking for

The Head of Middle East must be a highly committed and driven individual who values the input of colleagues and volunteers to work collaboratively. They will quickly earn the trust of external stakeholders, members and colleagues.

Essential Experience And Skills

• Educated to at least Bachelor degree level
• Strong market awareness and relevant experience throughout the region, especially Saudi Arabia and UAE
• Proven delivery of growth plans and strategic partnerships
• Proven ability to effectively engage and influence a variety of audiences at all levels of a business including C-suite.
• Proficient when liaising with senior regulators and other governmental organisations
• Focus on relationships, ability to gain trust and deliver results through communication, expectation setting and completion of planned deliverables.
• Indirect b2b sales and effective account management
• Demonstrable solid business acumen, sound decision-making, analytical and organisational skills in a fast-paced environment; a consultative approach to managing complex client relationships.
• Strong networking and established network within the region
• Ability to work independently and remain motivated.

Desirable

• Experience of initiating and delivering governmental and non-governmental partnerships
• Experience of working for a membership organisation
• Experience of working with senior volunteers and committees

The IFoA encourages applicants from a variety of backgrounds and experience and welcomes diversity with regard not only to protected characteristics but also diversity of thought. Diversity, equity and inclusion are more than just words for us. That’s why we are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels included and respected, and where no one is unfairly discriminated against. Consequently, we promote diversity, equity and inclusion in all our policies, practices and procedures, and actively encourage applications from a diverse range of potential candidates. All applications for our roles are considered on merit alone, and if you don’t meet all the criteria but believe you have something to offer, we want to hear from you. For more information on our commitments, please see our DEI strategy page.

Read more on working for the IFoA: https://actuaries.org.uk/ifoa-jobs