Head of Transaction Banking (Bahrain- based)
Bank of Jordan
Role:Head of Transaction Banking
Job Purpose
The Head of Transaction Banking is responsible for leading and developing Bank of Jordan’s Transaction Banking business across the Group’s markets.
The role has end-to-end responsibility for Transaction Banking activities, including Sales & Relationship Management, Product Development and Management, Client Implementation, Digital Transaction Banking Solutions, and Client Services.
The role is responsible for defining and executing the Group’s Transaction Banking strategy, driving sustainable revenue growth, developing innovative and digitally enabled solutions, expanding market penetration, and ensuring a consistent and client-centric service proposition across the Bank’s markets.
The position oversees Transaction Banking solutions including Cash Management, Trade Finance, Liquidity Management, Digital Channels, APIs and other corporate banking solutions, while ensuring alignment with the Bank’s strategic objectives, regulatory requirements, risk appetite, and operational standards.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Business Leadership
Develop and lead the Group Transaction Banking strategy in alignment with the Bank’s overall strategic objectives and Corporate Banking priorities.
Drive the growth and expansion of Transaction Banking capabilities across the Bank’s markets, ensuring scalability, consistency, and commercial viability.
Identify emerging market trends, client needs, technology developments, and new business opportunities to strengthen the Bank’s competitive positioning.
Benchmark the Bank’s Transaction Banking proposition against leading regional and international practices and identify opportunities for continuous enhancement.
Establish and monitor business plans, revenue targets, profitability objectives, and key performance indicators for Transaction Banking.
Sales & Client Relationships
Lead Transaction Banking sales activities across key client segments, including Large Corporates, SMEs, Financial Institutions, Government and Public Sector entities.
Drive client acquisition, cross-selling, wallet-share growth, and transaction banking penetration within the Bank’s existing and prospective client base.
Partner closely with Corporate Banking, Institutional Banking, Treasury, and other relevant business units to identify and originate Transaction Banking opportunities.
Develop tailored client solutions covering cash management, trade finance, liquidity, payments, collections, and digital transaction banking.
Promote a strong culture of commercial performance, accountability, collaboration, and client centricity.
Product Development & Management
Lead the development, enhancement, and lifecycle management of the Bank’s Transaction Banking products and solutions.
Ensure the Bank’s product offering remains competitive, commercially viable, compliant, and responsive to evolving client requirements.
Drive the development of solutions across Cash Management, Payments, Collections, Trade Finance, Liquidity Management, Digital Channels and other specialized Transaction Banking services.
Identify opportunities to introduce new products, enhance existing propositions, and improve product profitability and utilization.
Work closely with Technology, Operations, Risk, Compliance, Treasury, Finance, and other stakeholders throughout the product development and approval process.
Digital Transformation & Innovation
Lead the digital transformation agenda for Transaction Banking and enhance the Bank’s digital proposition for corporate and institutional clients.
Drive the development and enhancement of digital Transaction Banking platforms, including online banking, mobile solutions, APIs, host-to-host connectivity and system integrations.
Identify opportunities to automate processes, improve straight-through processing, and enhance the efficiency and scalability of Transaction Banking services.
Leverage technology and market developments to introduce innovative solutions that improve the client experience and strengthen the Bank’s competitive positioning.
Partner with Technology and Digital Banking teams to ensure Transaction Banking platforms are secure, resilient, scalable, and responsive to business requirements.
Solution Delivery & Client Onboarding
Establish and oversee an effective Client Implementation function to ensure smooth and timely onboarding of Transaction Banking solutions.
Ensure effective coordination between clients and internal stakeholders throughout implementation and integration activities.
Establish clear implementation governance, project milestones, escalation mechanisms, and service standards.
Oversee complex client integrations, including APIs, host-to-host connectivity and customized transaction banking arrangements.
Identify opportunities to shorten implementation timelines and improve the overall onboarding experience.
Client Experience & Service Excellence
Develop and maintain a high-quality Transaction Banking client servicing model across the Bank’s markets.
Define and monitor service standards, turnaround times, service-level indicators, and issue-resolution mechanisms.
Ensure client inquiries and service issues are addressed effectively and within agreed service levels.
Utilize client feedback, service data, and operational insights to continuously enhance products, processes, and service delivery.
Promote a consistent and differentiated client experience across Transaction Banking channels and markets.
Business Governance & Risk Oversight
Ensure Transaction Banking products, services, and activities comply with applicable regulatory requirements, internal policies, and the Bank’s risk management framework.
Work closely with Risk, Compliance, AML, Legal, Operations, Information Security, and other control functions to identify and mitigate risks associated with Transaction Banking activities.
Ensure appropriate product governance, approvals, controls, documentation, and monitoring mechanisms are maintained.
Monitor operational, regulatory, financial crime, technology, and product-related risks and ensure appropriate corrective actions are implemented.
Maintain strong governance and oversight of Transaction Banking activities across the Group’s markets.
Financial Performance & Management
Own and manage the Transaction Banking business performance, including revenues, profitability, transaction volumes, product penetration, and client utilization.
Develop annual business plans, budgets, forecasts, and performance targets.
Monitor product and client profitability and identify opportunities to improve revenue contribution and operating efficiency.
Provide regular management reporting and business insights to senior management on Transaction Banking performance, opportunities, challenges, and market developments.
Team Leadership & Talent Development
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Transaction Banking team with appropriate functional and market capabilities.
Establish clear objectives, performance expectations, and accountability across the function.
Promote collaboration between Transaction Banking teams, relationship managers, product teams, operations, technology, and support functions.
Identify and develop critical Transaction Banking capabilities and future leadership talent.
Encourage a culture of innovation, ownership, continuous improvement, knowledge sharing, and client focus.
Qualifications & Experience
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Banking, Economics, or a related discipline.
MBA, Master’s degree, or relevant professional qualification is preferred.
Experience
Minimum 15 years of progressive banking experience.
Minimum 10 years of relevant experience within Transaction Banking, Cash Management, Trade Finance, Payments, Liquidity Solutions, Corporate Banking, or related areas.
At least 5 years of experience in a senior leadership or executive-level role.
Demonstrated experience in leading Transaction Banking businesses, products, or functions within a major financial institution.
Proven experience in developing and commercializing Transaction Banking products and solutions.
Strong exposure to digital transformation, digital transaction banking platforms, APIs, host-to-host connectivity, and technology-enabled banking solutions.
Experience managing businesses or functions across multiple markets or jurisdictions is highly preferred.
Demonstrated track record of driving revenue growth, client acquisition, product penetration, and business profitability.
Key Competencies
Strong knowledge of Transaction Banking, Cash Management, Trade Finance, Payments, Liquidity Management and Digital Banking solutions.
Strong commercial orientation with demonstrated ability to grow revenues and develop profitable client propositions.
Strong product development and innovation capabilities.
Strong understanding of digital Transaction Banking and emerging banking technologies.
Strategic thinking and ability to translate strategy into executable business plans.
Excellent leadership and people-management capabilities.
Strong client orientation and relationship-management skills.
Strong stakeholder management, influencing, and negotiation capabilities.
Ability to operate effectively across different markets, cultures, and regulatory environments.
Strong understanding of banking risk, compliance, governance, and regulatory requirements.
Excellent communication, presentation, and decision-making skills.