Deputy Head of Cards

JOB TITLE: Deputy Head of Cards

TERM: 12 months (with potential extension) 

CLIENT LOCATION: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (on-site)

DIVISION: Retail Banking / Cards & Payments 

REPORTS TO: Head of Cards & Payments

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:

• Years Cards Product/Portfolio Management
• Card Product Launches
• Customer lifecycle management

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS**:

• Experience of product launches, CVP development, SAMA regulations knowledge
• Knowledge of cards (Debit, Credit and Prepaid) profitability and key metrics
• Campaign execution, customer segmentation, and performance analytics

PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

The Deputy Head of Cards will support the Head of Cards and/or CEO in shaping and executing the banks cards strategy, with a mandate to boost spend, engagement, and profitability across a large platinum base and premium segments. This role requires deep product knowledge, strong project management skills, and digital banking expertise to address the current gaps in cards capability, reduce reliance on acquisition campaigns, and establish a sustainable growth path.

Key Activities

1. Product Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Lead the cards strategy to grow spend, retention, and profitability, with focus on platinum and world portfolios.
• Manage the end-to-end product lifecycle including proposition design, features, benefits, and pricing.
• Enhance portfolio performance metrics (activation, spend per card, attrition, profitability) through targeted actions.
• Optimize P&L management by balancing interchange, rewards, fees, and cost structures.
• Design loyalty and rewards programs that drive daily spend and customer stickiness.
• Support sales teams with training, tools, and product knowledge to drive acquisition and usage.
• Recommend promotional campaigns and tactical plans to boost card performance
• Supports monitoring of product performance, post roll-out and helps resolve product or sales issues to ensure continuous product improvement.
• Support in delivery of large programs for clients from initiation to benefit realization
• Successful execution of projects across different clients / businesses, identifying and mitigating risks, solving issues, developing plans and ensuring they are implemented in line with agreed timescales, budgets and quality criteria, including examples of re-aligning scope and objectives during a program to ensure maximum value extraction

2.  Digital & Customer Experience

• Champion digital-first journeys for acquisition, servicing, rewards, and customer engagement.
• Enhance mobile and online servicing capabilities for seamless card management.
• Drive fintech, wallet, and lifestyle integrations to increase relevance and usage in the Saudi market.
• Use data and analytics to personalize offers, campaigns, and customer experiences

3.  Project & Change Management

• Lead large-scale, cross-functional projects and system migrations with structured governance.
• Oversee timely execution of new product launches, feature upgrades, and process improvements.
• Ensure alignment with SAMA regulations while delivering speed-to-market innovations.
• Introduce operational efficiencies to reduce turnaround times for onboarding and servicing.

4.  Partnerships & Business Development

• Manage relationships with schemes (Mastercard, Visa) and negotiate portfolio-enhancing partnerships.
• Develop merchant, fintech, and ecosystem partnerships to boost usage and add customer value.
• Build a network of strategic alliances to deliver differentiated offers and exclusive privileges.

5.  Leadership & Capability Building

• Act as deputy to the Head of Cards and supporting the CEO on cards-related topics, taking charge when required.
• Build internal cards expertise by mentoring and training team members.
• Foster a performance-driven culture with KPIs across acquisition, spend, and retention.

Knowledge & Experience

• Minimum 12-15 years in cards/retail banking, with ideally 5 years in leadership roles.
• Strong expertise in credit card product management and portfolio growth delivery.
• Proven background in digital banking and project management.
• Knowledge of the Saudi banking market, SAMA regulations, and payment trends.
• Bilingual in Arabic and English (spoken and written) preferred but not required
• Bachelors degree required