Skip to main content

Important notice: Protect yourself from recruitment scams. Learn more.

?
Helpdesk
Click here to connect with our resourcing helpdesk team

PCM Strategic Initiatives Manager

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Apply for job

Date live: 03/16/2026

Business Area: Payments, FX & Liquidity

Area of Expertise: Product Development & Management

Contract: Permanent

Reference Code: JR-0000099613

hero image
Apply for job

Barclays Product Development & Management

In a role in Product Development & Management, you'll oversee our entire product lifecycle. Your responsibilities include gathering and prioritising product and customer requirements, defining product vision, and ensuring successful delivery and ongoing performance.

See your commute

Explore locations

Strategic Initiatives Manager (APAC & Middle East) | Barclays | Dubai

We are seeking a Strategic Initiatives Manager to help drive the bank’s “Build the Bank” transformation across Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

This role sits at the intersection of payments innovation, fintech partnerships, and regulatory engagement, supporting the development of next-generation payment capabilities and digital financial infrastructure across the region. The successful candidate will work closely with internal stakeholders, fintech partners, and regulators to launch innovative solutions, support market expansion, and strengthen the bank’s leadership in the evolving payments ecosystem.

The role will focus on building strategic partnerships, developing scalable payment and cash management capabilities, and engaging with central banks and regulators on emerging initiatives such as real-time payments, open banking, and digital currencies. It requires strong commercial judgement, deep payments expertise, and the ability to operate effectively across diverse markets and regulatory environments.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Develop strategic partnerships with fintech firms, payment networks, and partner banks across APAC and the Middle East.
  • Lead the development and launch of innovative payments and cash management solutions aligned with client needs and regulatory requirements.
  • Engage with central banks and regulators on digital payments initiatives, including real-time payments and emerging infrastructure.
  • Support market entry and expansion strategies across priority markets in APAC and the Middle East.
  • Collaborate with internal teams across Technology, Risk, Compliance, Legal, and Operations to deliver strategic initiatives.

Essential Criteria:

  • Extensive experience in payments, fintech, product management, or financial services, typically with 15+ years in relevant roles.
  • Demonstrated track record delivering payments or fintech solutions at scale, ideally across multiple international markets.
  • Strong understanding of payments infrastructure, including real-time payments, instant payment systems, SWIFT, card networks, and API-based ecosystems.
  • Experience developing strategic partnerships with fintech companies, payment providers, or financial institutions.
  • Ability to develop business cases and commercial frameworks for new products, partnerships, and market expansion.
  • Experience engaging with regulators or central banks, including regulatory sandbox programs or innovation initiatives.
  • Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to work effectively across Technology, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Operations, and Business teams.
  • Excellent strategic thinking, analytical capability, and problem-solving skills.
  • Strong communication and influencing skills with the ability to present to senior leadership and executive stakeholders.
  • Ability to operate effectively in complex, multi-market environments across APAC and the Middle East.
  • Fluency in English (written and spoken) is essential.

Desirable Criteria:

  • Experience launching payments or cash management products within corporate or transaction banking environments.
  • Knowledge of emerging payment technologies including CBDCs, blockchain, distributed ledger technology, and open banking frameworks.
  • Experience working directly with central banks or regulatory bodies on payment infrastructure initiatives.
  • Familiarity with cross-border payments, treasury services, or corporate banking solutions.
  • Experience establishing or managing payments networks or ecosystem partnerships.
  • Understanding of ERP and treasury platforms, API integration, and digital channel technologies.
  • Experience supporting market entry or expansion strategies across APAC or Middle East markets.
  • MBA or postgraduate degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, or a related discipline.
  • Additional language skills, particularly Arabic, are advantageous.

This role is based in Dubai

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

Purpose of the role

Product Managers are responsible for the leading the strategic focus of the product(s), defining the product vision, market strategy, and competitive analysis. They think about the product's future and how it will evolve over time. They work with various teams, including marketing, engineering, operations, and sales, to ensure everyone is aligned on the product strategy.  They use data and market research to inform their decisions and prioritize product features.

Accountabilities

  • Define Product Strategy: Accountable for defining a product strategy that aligns with business vision, managing capabilities, balancing short-term with long-term goals, ensuring that products meet market demands and drive growth.

  • Cross functional alignment: Leadership of cross functional relationships, working with various cross-functional teams to ensure alignment of product strategy and goals.

  • Risk and Control:  Accountable for overseeing product risk management, including identification of potential risks, development of strategies to mitigate those risks, and maintenance of alignment between the product management and control functions.

  • Product Development Lifecycle: Own product development lifecycle, from concept to launch, ensuring efficient processes, on-time delivery, and alignment with E2E customer expectations and experience. – working with product owners to drive change objectives.

  • Deliver Product Goals and Performance: Deliver clear objectives and key outcomes to steer the product vision and ensure alignment with company’s business goals, financial targets, and strategic vision, driving long-term business success. 

  • Data driven decisions: Monitor product performance through data-driven analysis and insights,  regularly assessing progress against objectives and adjusting the strategies as needed to optimise outcomes and maximise value for both business and customer.

  • Customer-Centric Focus: Drive a customer -first approach across the product vision, ensuring customer insights, feedback, behaviours, and pain points are at the core of the product strategy and decision-making process. 

  • Business and financial acumen: Understanding pricing models, costs structures, and ROI to make financially grounded decisions regarding product development.

Vice President Expectations

  • To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/ processes; deliver continuous improvements and escalate breaches of policies/procedures..

  • If managing a team, they define jobs and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes. They may also lead a number of specialists to influence the operations of a department, in alignment with strategic as well as tactical priorities, while balancing short and long term goals and ensuring that budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements..

  • If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others..

  • OR for an individual contributor, they will be a subject matter expert within own discipline and will guide technical direction. They will lead collaborative, multi-year assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..

  • Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.

  • Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.

  • Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.

  • Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.

  • Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.

  • Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.

  • Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.

  • Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

Barclays welcomes applications from all candidates and is committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments (accommodations) are put in place to allow for a fair and inclusive recruitment process. For more information and how to request one, please review Adjustments to the recruitment process.

We’re a global, vital and highly respected financial organisation with an inspiring Purpose. Operating in 39 countries and employing around 100,000 people across the world, we help communities, individuals and businesses thrive. And we’ve created financial solutions and technology that the world now takes for granted. A career with us can offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience, and the chance to learn from some of the best minds in technology and finance.

To find out more about Barclays' strategy please click here.

We are an equal opportunity employer and opposed to discrimination on any grounds. It is the policy of Barclays to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, colour, creed, religion, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law.

Barclays is required by law to confirm that you have the Legal Right to Work in any role that you apply for. If you currently hold a work visa sponsored by Barclays, or you would require sponsorship from Barclays, you must declare this as part of your application. Sponsored visas are role and entity specific and any changes must be reviewed. It is important that you ensure you are working on the correct visa at all times. Failure to accurately disclose your visa status or Legal Right to Work may result in your application or any employment offer being withdrawn at any time.

Learn more about Barclays locations

Across our campuses, we offer modern workspaces, collaborative areas, and state-of-the-art meeting rooms. Facilities include wellness rooms, on-site cafeterias, fitness centers, and tech-equipped workstations. Designed for innovation and comfort, they support a dynamic and productive work environment.

Gain access to wellness rooms, gyms and mental health support.

Our welcoming and inclusive culture supports you to bring your whole self to work, explore your potential and pursue your passions.

Modern spaces designed for teamwork and brainstorming.

There’s so much more than work to involve and engage you on campus. From socialising to sports, from community events to volunteering.

Learn more about Barclays locations

Across our campuses, we offer modern workspaces, collaborative areas, and state-of-the-art meeting rooms. Facilities include wellness rooms, on-site cafeterias, fitness centers, and tech-equipped workstations. Designed for innovation and comfort, they support a dynamic and productive work environment.

Health and wellness

Gain access to wellness rooms, gyms and mental health support.

A place where you can belong

Our welcoming and inclusive culture supports you to bring your whole self to work, explore your potential and pursue your passions.

Collaborative Areas

Modern spaces designed for teamwork and brainstorming.

More than work

There’s so much more than work to involve and engage you on campus. From socialising to sports, from community events to volunteering.

Multicultural ERGs at Barclays

Be you. Be valued. Belong.

We celebrate the unique perspectives and experiences each individual brings, believing our differences make us stronger and drive success.

You can learn more about our commitment to our colleague on our Inclusion and Opportunities page.

Learn more

Application Process

Your application

We’ll ask for information about you, your CV and cover letter.

1

Your assessment

Covering your behaviours and ability at work.

2

Your interview

Exploring your past experiences and skills.

3

Next step

We’ll request additional information so that you can complete our screening process

4
How to ApplyRead our FAQ's
Barclays

Working flexibly

We’re committed to providing a supportive and inclusive culture and environment for you to work in. This environment recognises and supports your personal needs, alongside the professional needs of our business. If you'd like to explore flexible working arrangements, please discuss this with the hiring manager. Your request will be reviewed in-line with the requirements of the role/business needs of the team.

Hybrid working

We have a structured approach to hybrid working, where colleagues work at an onsite location on fixed, ‘anchor’, days, as set by the business area. Please discuss the working pattern requirements for the role you are applying for with the hiring manager. Please note that working arrangements may be subject to change on reasonable notice to ensure we meet the needs of our business.

Barclays is built on an international scale.

Our geographic reach, our wide variety of functions, businesses, roles and locations reflect the rich diversity of our worldwide customer base. All of which means we offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience.
And the chance to learn from a globally diverse mix of colleagues, including some of the very best minds in banking, finance, technology and business. Throughout, we’ll encourage you to embrace mobility, exploring every part of our operations as you build your career.

Find more information

Related content

Related Jobs


Senior Product Designer

Knutsford (United Kingdom), Greater Manchester (United Kingdom)

16 Mar
Commercial Issuing Product Manager Europe

Dublin (Ireland), Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

16 Mar
Multi Assets Execution Dealer (Europe Hours), Vice President

Singapore (Singapore)

13 Mar
Direct Access Client (DAC) Sales Trader, Vice President

Singapore (Singapore)

13 Mar
Internal Funds Platform Manager

London (United Kingdom)

16 Mar
Head of Customer Journey Experience Strategic Transformation

Northampton (United Kingdom), London (United Kingdom), Greater Manchester (United Kingdom)

13 Mar
Product & Proposition Manager - Business Banking Portfolio Management

London (United Kingdom), Knutsford (United Kingdom), Northampton (United Kingdom)

13 Mar
Customer Journey Oversight Analyst

London (United Kingdom), Northampton (United Kingdom), Greater Manchester (United Kingdom)

13 Mar
Customer Journey Oversight Lead

London (United Kingdom), Northampton (United Kingdom), Greater Manchester (United Kingdom)

13 Mar
Customer Journey Oversight Manager

London (United Kingdom), Northampton (United Kingdom), Greater Manchester (United Kingdom)

13 Mar