Manager, Strategy

Job Purpose:

The key role of the Manager Strategy is to support implementation of strategic bank-wide projects, research and analysis, and preparation of relevant reports.

Typical strategic projects encompass:

• PMO of select bank-wide strategic projects
  • Project/ business plan development
  • Project Coordination
  • Execution/ implementation tracking
• Establishment of inputs for strategic decision making through environment analysis
  • Industry/ competitor analysis
  • Customer & market trends
  • Macroeconomic forecast
  • Ad hoc analysis
• Preparation of management reports
  • Monthly CEO dashboard
  • Monthly ExCo deck
  • Quarterly Peer analysis
  • Quarterly Segment analysis

• Follow up of Action items

  Provide support for closure of action items as relevant

Key Result Areas:

The Manager, Strategy shall add value to the organization by identifying, documenting and analyzing strategic internal and external topics, before implementing and controlling strategic initiatives through the initiation of specific implementation projects together with the business unit management.

The strategic project planning process consists of five sub processes:

1. Analysis

• Identification of Recognition of market innovations and implications for Mashreq

• Identification of key levers concerning market insights

• Identification of potential internal efficiency gains

• Identification of domestic and international expansion opportunities

• Definition of strategic projects incl. milestones, project organization, resource allocation and risks involved

2. Proposals

3. Tracking and reporting

• Tracking of bank wide strategic projects and troubleshooting as relevant

• Provide status update reports on the projects

4. Implementation

• Ownership of select strategic bank-wide projects

• Implementation support for business & enabler units in strategic projects

5. Controlling

Evaluation of value-added of strategic projects/ Strategy Unit

Operating Environment, Framework and Boundaries, Working Relationships:

• The job holder shall operate in complex and uncertain environments that are characterized by diverse market economics and international regulations, thus requiring multi-jurisdictional knowledge.

• This position manages projects that have both strategic dimensions and bear significant corporate impact. Inputs from internal and external sources to provide information for strategic business decisions. Output to Senior management for strategic business decisions

• Working relationships required with senior management at the bank, coordinators of each unit for Planning, MIS, MBO etc. This requires close coordination and relationships with several sources due to tight deadlines and required quality of information and analysis provided. Also, support and analysis provided to external consultants on a variety of requests.

Problem Solving:

Meeting the complex and varied nature of requirements to take strategic decisions requires:

• High level of technical and analytical skills to transform data into intelligence

• High level of competence for multi dimensional and structured problem solving

• Breaking up complex and large problems into simpler manageable units

• Ability to think through interdependencies and impact of decisions on multiple fronts

• Ability to make intelligent directional estimates in the face of uncertainty and limited data availability

• Sound understanding of the granular level data in order to provide the big picture

• Identification of reasons for wide variances or fluctuations in the results of the performed studies/ analysis

Decision Making Authority & Responsibility:

• Responsible to ensure alignment of business/ enabler unit strategies & strategic initiatives with bank-wide strategy

• Responsible to ensure quality and timeliness of analysis and reports to senior management

• Determining external sources of information and data gathering

• Responsible to ensure integrity and accuracy of presented information

• Responsible for participation in special strategic projects undertaken from time to time.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

Knowledge/ Skills

• Excellent analytical/ problem solving skills and knowledge of functional topics such as Strategy, Operating Model, Organization, Market research, Macroeconomics, M&A/ Corporate Finance and Management Accounting

• Ability to transform data into intelligence with experience in designing management reports

• Assessing impact of internal and external topics on the bank’s strategy

• Excellent inter-personnel, communication, organizational and presentation skills required to interact with and provide intelligence to senior management for strategic business decision

• Experience in international financial services industry Ivy league/ Top B School MBA preferred