Overview
Head of Customer Experience Jobs in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates at Norton Blake
Title: Head of Customer Experience
Company: Norton Blake
Location: Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates
Head of Customer Journey Centre of Excellence (CoE)
Abu Dhabi, UAE (4 days onsite per week)
Senior Director
Banking / Financial Services
United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
The Opportunity
We are seeking an exceptional *Head of Customer Journey Centre of Excellence (CoE)* to lead the strategic direction and execution of enterprise-wide customer journey transformation for one of the UAE's leading financial institutions.
This is a high-profile leadership role responsible for defining and embedding customer-centric design across the organisation. You will lead a team of 30+ specialists spanning Service Design, Experience Design, Journey Management and Transformation, partnering with Executive Leadership and business stakeholders to shape the future customer experience.
The successful candidate will combine strategic vision with hands-on leadership, influencing at Board and C-suite level while building a high-performing Centre of Excellence focused on delivering measurable business outcomes. The role aligns with our clients continued investment in its Customer Journey Design Centre of Excellence and design-led transformation agenda.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead and develop the Customer Journey Centre of Excellence, managing and mentoring a team of 30+ professionals.
* Define and execute the enterprise Customer Journey strategy aligned with business objectives.
* Establish best practice frameworks for Service Design, Experience Design, Journey Mapping and Customer-Centric Transformation.
* Design and evolve operating models and delivery models that enable consistent customer experiences across all channels.
* Partner with business, digital, technology and operations teams to redesign complex end-to-end customer journeys.
* Influence Executive Leadership, C-suite stakeholders and Board members on customer strategy, investment priorities and transformation initiatives.
* Drive organisational change by embedding customer-centric thinking across the business.
* Develop governance, standards and measurement frameworks for journey performance, customer outcomes and business value.
* Build strong relationships across multiple business functions whilst successfully navigating complex stakeholder environments.
* Foster a high-performance culture through coaching, capability development and succession planning.
* Ensure customer journey initiatives deliver measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, operational efficiency and commercial performance.
Required Experience
* Significant leadership experience within Banking or Financial Services.
* Proven experience leading a Customer Journey, Customer Experience or Service Design Centre of Excellence.
* Experience managing and developing teams of *20-30+ professionals*.
* Strong background in:
* Customer Journey Management
* Service Design
* Experience Design (UX/CX)
* Operating Model Design
* Delivery Model Design
* Customer Transformation
* Demonstrated success delivering large-scale enterprise transformation programmes.
* Extensive experience working directly with Executive Committees, C-suite executives and Board members.
* Outstanding stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills.
* Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance customer outcomes against business objectives.
* Experience operating within complex, highly regulated environments.
Leadership Profile
We're looking for an individual who is:
* Executive presence with gravitas and credibility.
* Highly confident and politically astute.
* Diplomatic and influential across senior stakeholders.
* An exceptional people leader and coach.
* Strategic thinker with strong execution capability.
* Comfortable challenging senior leadership while building consensus.
* Customer-obsessed with a passion for transformation and innovation.
* Resilient and able to thrive within a fast-paced, evolving organisation.
Location
* Abu Dhabi, UAE
* Hybrid working with *4 days per week onsite*
Ideal Background
Candidates are likely to have held titles such as:
* Head of Customer Journey
* Head of Customer Experience
* Director of Customer Experience
* Director of Service Design
* Head of Service Design
* Head of CX Transformation
* Head of Design Strategy
* Customer Transformation Director
* Experience Design Director
* Customer Journey Director
Experience from leading banks, digital banks, consultancies or financial services organisations with enterprise-scale customer transformation programmes will be highly advantageous.