Regional Retail Card Product Manager
HSBC
Dubai, UAE
Ref: MP530-55

The Role
Regional Cards Merchant Alliances Manager is responsible to manage partnerships and alliances with merchants in key categories across MENA as well as support all other aspects of Cards Portfolio Management to drive business profitability.
The incumbent is responsible to maximize opportunities to form new partnerships and alliances as well as managing and improving existing alliances with merchants across the MENA region. This will be achieved via relationship management with key decision makers in partner organizations via networking as well as employing relationship life cycle model. End to end responsibility includes identification of right partnerships aligned with business objectives and follow through various stages end-to-end. These stages remain opportunity identification, navigation, negotiation, implementation, review, monitoring and repeat loop.
The focus is on crafting offers and benefits to our Cardholders that differentiate HSBC Cards vs competition and generates incremental spend and customer engagement while demonstrating HSBC values and behaviours.
The job holder will be required to demonstrate strong negotiation skills, the ability to navigate through merchant organizations gate and develop beneficial business relations with key decision makers within.
The job holder will be required to mobilize initiatives through day to day engagement with all key cross functional units such as Marketing, Compliance, Regional Card Services, ORIC, NSC, GSC etc.
The job holder will have responsibility for localising to the diversity of each country market whilst maintaining a regional standardized approach closely aligned with Consumer Assets MENA strategy.

Job Responsibility

Through the Hub & Spoke model, the job holder will be directly responsible to:
Drive profitability of the Credit Card business by building customer loyalty through increased Cards Usage across the MENA region while being fully aligned with the RBWM MENA Cards Strategy and RBWM Cards Target Operating Model.
Achieve category leadership in high spend categories and get the HSBC Card top of wallet by designing promotions, offers & building merchant alliances that are unique & appealing to different segments across MENA.
Support implementation of Cards Customer Lifecycle Management Strategy by designing and launching enablers for activation, spend and retention campaigns.
Conduct periodic review of competitor offerings in terms of special offers and benefits.
Achieve Cards AOP Income targets for the HSBC Credit Cards across MENA by delivering on targets for spend per card, activity ratios, and average transaction value.

Customers – Stakeholders

Work with multiple internal stakeholders including Risk, Compliance, Legal, Distribution, Direct Channels, Finance, Business Intelligence, Marketing, GSC, NSC, RCC, Change Delivery, ORIC and Amanah
Work collectively with colleagues and key stakeholders and optimize use of the Hub & Spoke model such as RBWM Merchant Alliances Engagement Model for International markets.
Manage merchant relationships and conduct campaign performance reviews for all initiatives carried out.
Consistently demonstrate negotiation skills required to achieve win-win-win situations.
Balance the requirements of a more centrally directed standardized organisation with the need to perform locally in market.

Leadership & Teamwork
Lead strategic partnerships in MENA for individual markets, Region and Group
Clear performance management for self and role modeling for peers and colleagues
Demonstrate HSBC values and behaviours in fulfilling day-today tasks.
Operational Effectiveness & Control
Manage satisfactory control in the cards lending operation
Compliance with regulatory procedures across MENA
Management and implementation of key audit recommendations
Development of Portfolio management and analytics to drive performance

Major Challenges
To create and implement a strategy to develop and implement merchant alliances across challenging and diverse country markets whilst maintaining a Regional standard.
To develop standard initiatives that appeal to diverse segments within the MENA market.
To implement the RBWM Cards merchant alliances engagement model by working together with various cross functional teams both within Hub and Int+Q.
To align business objectives with internal cross functional units as well as external partners and third party vendors that offer cardholders discounts, offers & manage events. This requires extensive knowledge of the business, inherent risks and an ability to generate positive ROI.
In a majority of the MENA Countries HSBC are restricted in terms of increasing the branch footprint, simplification of processes across all countries, through both indirect and direct channels, and leveraging alternate channels such as AO, Web, SMS and e-Statements as well as Telemarketing will be key.
Operating within the Hub and Spoke model.

Requirements
University (BA) or (BS)
Two to Five years relevant experience
Knowledge of Credit & Debit Card Portfolios in an emerging market
Understand spend and balances growth fundamentals
Knowledge and experience of vendor and operational risk management
Knowledge or background in Maketing would be an advantage
Strong Relationship management background is a MUST along with excellent interpersonal and negotiatoin skills
Communication, engagement and presentation skills, both verbal and written
Strong analytical skills and understanding of profitability drivers
Consultative approach to decision making
Excellent customer relationships