This role involves leading a complex and major global function within the Operations Core Banking project. The individual will proactively drive the delivery of a next-generation Core Banking platform for Mashreq, acting as the primary interface between the Operations business group and the project implementation team. Responsibilities include end-to-end management of the Core Banking Program, from initiation to implementation across six geographies, ensuring timely completion.
The role requires successful alignment with Business Digital Solutions, Islamic Banking, Treasury, Corporate Banking and Financial Institutions, Business Banking, Personal Banking, Digital, Mortgages channels, and other aligned functions of the group. It also involves seamless integration of the new system into IBG group applications.
This pivotal position demands a dynamic and strategic leader capable of driving modernization efforts essential for enhancing customer experience and overall business agility
This role involves managing complex projects to ensure the implementation of a core banking upgrade within a multifaceted and vast global function, with minimal disruption to business-as-usual (BAU) operations. Key responsibilities include:
- Collaboration: Work with cross-functional teams, including IT, Finance, IBG, RBG, CIBG, Treasury, Compliance, Risk, and external consultants to meet operations requirements.
- Analysis & Solutioning: Conduct business and technical analysis to minimize customizations and maximize global consistency.
- Gap Analysis: Lead gap analysis sessions for operations functionalities, develop and oversee resolution strategies, and devise mechanisms to minimize operational impact.
- Configuration Design: Design and validate operations-specific configurations within Oracle Flexcube, Channels, and surrounding systems, ensuring technical and functional alignment, including local and regulatory requirements.
- Data Migration: Coordinate data migration activities to ensure accurate data transfer.
- Reporting: Ensure the system implementation supports operations-related reports, covering regulatory, compliance, and legal MIS reports.
- Integration: Identify key pain points in existing integrations and set priorities to address them, considering effort and delivery timelines.
- Testing: Develop and execute testing strategies, including UAT (User Acceptance Testing), for products and functions supported by operations. Review test cases for all products and processes.
- Documentation & Signoff: Review BRD/FSD documents and provide necessary signoffs from operations. Maintain comprehensive documentation of the upgrade program, including project plans, timelines, budgets, and technical specifications.
- Change Management: Drive change management initiatives to ensure smooth transition and adoption of the new system within the operations department.
- Risk Management: Proactively identify and resolve project risks, issues, and delays related to operations deliverables.
- Representation: Represent operations in the program's working group and update senior management on program progress.
- Governance: Ensure adherence to the bank's governance processes and maintain thorough documentation.
- Standardization: Perform business analysis to minimize customizations and maximize global consistency and standardization of products across various geographies.
- Benefits Realization: Track project benefits realization and document lessons learned for ongoing improvements.
- Milestone Signoff: Provide signoffs for implementation milestones from operations
- Master degree with 15-20 years in diverse banking experience with additional Project Management knowledge / Certification or equivalent practical experience
- Excellent communicator
- Cross border team management experience
- Experience in managing large-scale system implementations.
- Strong organizational, team building and leadership qualities
- Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to drive consensus across various business units.
- Collaborates and Integrates work with other teams including Country Operations, Centralized Operations units, Business and Technology functions
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, particularly in high-pressure, fast-paced environments.
- Agile or project management certifications (e.g., PMP, Prince2) is a plus