Executive Director, Head of Digital Engagement, Innovation Group

About UOB

United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) is a leading bank in Asia with a global network of more than 500 branches and offices in 19 countries and territories in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. In Asia, we operate through our head office in Singapore and banking subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as branches and offices. Our history spans more than 80 years. Over this time, we have been guided by our values – Honorable, Enterprising, United and Committed. This means we always strive to do what is right, build for the future, work as one team and pursue long-term success. It is how we work, consistently, be it towards the company, our colleagues or our customers.

Job Description

Mission & Impact

The Head of Digital Engagement leads a high-impact engagement team to conduct research, deep diagnostic reviews within Business Units (BUs) and Support Units, uncovers root causes, and work with the Convergence Services team to design innovative and integrated services using the bank’s enterprise capabilities—including AI/ML agents, data platforms, analytics services, workflow and automation engines, blockchain/tokenisation capabilities, microservices, APIs, integration platforms, and net new services that must be built to close capability gaps. This role is central to drive growth by identifying, developing, and implementing new ideas, technologies, and business models. The team manages the end-to-end innovation pipeline, foster a creative culture, and bridge the gap between emerging trends and practical, ROI-driven solutions that fuel new business value and ecosystem growth.

Responsibilities

Shape and lead a SWAT-style engagement team for rapid problem discovery and solving

• Define engagement models, operational cadence, and triage mechanisms to prioritise which enterprise pain points the team should tackle.
• Lead structured diagnostic cycles including root cause analysis, process mining, systems mapping, failure mode identification, stakeholder interviews, and quantitative/qualitative data collection.

Responsible for platform monetization

• Develop and execute strategies for monetising platform capabilities.
• Determine pricing models, value exchange structures, and partnership commercial frameworks.
• Work with cross-functional teams to track monetisation KPIs and drive platform revenue growth.

Identify and operationalise partnerships to build connectivity and the network ecosystem

• Build and deepen partnerships across fintechs and service providers.
• Deploy a structured partner onboarding process including sandbox access, technical certification, data-sharing agreements, security assessments, and commercial alignment.

Responsible for Trend Analysis, Business Model Innovation and creative culture

• Scan the market, technology landscape, and competitor activities to identify new growth opportunities
• Identify, develop and implements new ideas, services, operating models and business models.
• Lead the design and testing of new business model constructs.
• Reimagine and design business processes for higher efficiency and productivity

Build a culture of rapid innovation and cross-domain problem solving

• Model behaviours associated with innovation excellence, experimentation, openness, systems thinking, and solution-driven engineering.
• Coach teams to be hands-on with problem exploration, storyboarding, prototyping, and iterative delivery.
• Partner with Convergence Services team for service delivery.

Facilitate structured, end-to-end discovery workshops

• Design and run high-quality discovery sessions with stakeholders across business, operations, risk, compliance, and technology.
• Conduct ecosystem and value flow mapping, persona analysis, workflow and data flow documentation, and identification of pain points and unmet needs.
• Elicit, refine, and validate requirements through scenario walkthroughs, service blueprinting, and “future back” solution envisioning.
• Ensure disciplined capture of insights, evidence, and assumptions.

Co-develop future state process flows and value driver hypotheses

• Identify and implement efficient process flows, ensuring, ensuring alignment with technology standards, data interoperability, and privacy controls.
• Generate value hypotheses tied to revenue uplift, cost reductions, risk mitigation, and customer experience gains, supported by baseline metrics.

Translate workshop outputs into formalised artefacts

• Produce clear, structured artefacts including BRDs, process maps, user stories, business cases, and value scorecards.
• Ensure artefacts are version-controlled, enterprise-compliant, auditable, and ready for handover to delivery teams.

Align business, technology, risk, data, and governance partners on next step actions

• Lead alignment meetings that converge divergent interests and turn them into actionable, cross-functional plans.
• Define ownership models, accountability matrices (e.g., RACI), guardrails, funding requirements, and sequencing for delivery.
• Maintain momentum through structured tracking mechanisms, steering committees, and transparent communication.

Qualifications  Core Experience Requirements

• 15–20 years of progressive leadership spanning business model and operating model innovation, digital services, enterprise platforms, and large‑scale digital transformation initiatives.
• Proven track record in leading high‑performing, cross-domain engagement teams in complex enterprise environments requiring rapid problem solving and strong stakeholder alignment with business units, regulators, and external partners.

Innovation Domain Expertise

• Deep understanding of Innovation methodologies & management and design thinking with proven track record in facilitating high impact workshops on emerging technologies.

• Good understanding of emerging technologies including AI, data and blockchain technologies, interoperability frameworks, and regulatory considerations.

Leadership & Behavioural Competencies

• Exceptional strategic thinking with the ability to translate business objectives into actionable solution roadmaps.
• Strong storytelling and communication capabilities across executive audiences, regulators, and technical teams.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority, resolve conflict, and drive alignment across disparate stakeholders.
• Builder‑mentor mindset: able to recruit, coach, develop, and retain top engineering and product talent.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity, designing structure where none exists, and driving clarity at speed.

Personal Attributes

• Systems thinker with strong analytical capability.
• High integrity, disciplined execution, and a bias for action.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and shaping new service models.
• Curious, adaptive, and committed to continuous learning.

Additional Requirements

Be a Part of the UOB Family

UOB is an equal opportunity employer. UOB does not discriminate on the basis of a candidate's age, race, gender, color, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or other non-merit factors. All employment decisions at UOB are based on business needs, job requirements and qualifications. If you require any assistance or accommodations to be made for the recruitment process, please inform us when you submit your online application.

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