International Market Lead, Middle East

Location Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Job typePermanent | Contract typeFull Time

Remote / On-site Hybrid

You’ll spend some of your time at home, working with your team digitally. You’ll also regularly work at your office or hub to collaborate with your colleagues.

Senior Manager

This is a general indication and doesn’t always reflect day-to-day responsibilities. Check the job description for full details.

#R-00279019

Job description

This role is based in the United Kingdom and as such all normal working days must be carried out in the United Kingdom.

Join us as an International Market Lead, Middle East

• In this high-profile role, you’ll act as the figurehead for the Coutts Middle East market, responsible for its growth, performance, and strategic presence
• You’ll have the chance to create meaningful impact by driving exceptional private banking and wealth management outcomes for international wealth-creating clients from the region
• You’ll have the opportunity to build a sustainable franchise by leading people, relationships, and strategy to drive outstanding outcomes for internationally connected clients

What you'll do

As an International Market Lead for the Coutts Middle East market, you’ll be responsible for delivering the regional market strategy and overall performance. This will include making strong commercial decisions, developing robust growth cases, and converting opportunities into scalable business results. You’ll also act as Coutts’ senior commercial ambassador in the region, establishing and growing Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) and High Net Worth (HNW) client relationships, building deep networks across intermediaries and influencers, and maintaining a strong in-market presence through extensive travel and senior engagement.

Moreover, you’ll provide inspiring, culturally aware leadership to market-aligned colleagues, actively sales-managing performance and ensuring proposition alignment with regional expectations and regulatory requirements, while building capability, confidence, and disciplined execution. Alongside this, you’ll act as a prominent senior ambassador for the business in both the Middle East and the UK, developing and deepening direct client relationships, strengthening intermediary and referral networks, and maximising international connectivity and cross‑border referrals.

You’ll also be:

• Building market presence and credibility through travel, senior networking, and active engagement in regional business communities, forums, and events across priority Middle Eastern jurisdictions
• Leading the Middle East market to deliver high-quality client outcomes and achieve financial, customer, risk, and people objectives across the balanced scorecard
• Driving financial performance through revenue growth, margin discipline, client acquisition, and cost management, ensuring strong commercial decision making translates into long-term franchise value
• Shaping and evolving the Middle East client proposition to deliver culturally aligned, competitive, and relevant solutions for complex, internationally connected UHNW and HNW clients
• Building and leading a high-performing team, developing colleagues, supporting succession planning, and embedding regular performance, development, and feedback cycles
• Role modelling strong risk management across cross-border activity, complex client structures, and financial crime risk, working with Risk and Control functions to manage and mitigate market risks
• Collaborating across internal markets, functions, and international teams to drive market growth and ensure the Middle East market is fully integrated within the broader international and bank strategy

The skills you'll need

We’re looking for someone with extensive senior leadership experience in international private banking or wealth management, with a proven ability to build and scale a market or franchise from an early or under‑developed position. You’ll also bring a demonstrable track record of leading market entry or early‑stage growth, including strategy delivery, building teams, and establishing sustainable commercial and operating models.

Moreover, you’ll need to have substantial, hands‑on experience leading relationships with UHNW and HNW Middle Eastern clients, with strong origination credentials and a consistent record of new client acquisition. Alongside this, you’ll have to bring a strong understanding of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) business culture, family and ownership structures, succession dynamics, wealth sources, and regional investment behaviours, applying this effectively in client engagement and decision‑making.

You’ll also need:

• A robust working knowledge of cross‑border wealth structuring, lending solutions, and the regulatory considerations impacting Middle Eastern clients and internationally connected wealth
• A strong leadership presence, with the ability to influence senior clients, intermediaries, and internal stakeholders, underpinned by high cultural intelligence, sound judgement, and empathy
• A proven ability to lead successfully in relationship‑driven, complex, and ambiguous environments where outcomes are influenced rather than directly controlled
• Arabic language capability or significant experience working in Arabic‑speaking environments, combined with a track record of leading through periods of market entry, expansion, or transformation

Your benefits breakdown

Here’s a quick look at what your pay package and annual leave could look like if you get accepted for the role. We have a wide range of benefits to support you in your working life and beyond.

Tap each segment for details.

Your pay package

80% Base pay This is the part your your pay package that you take home every month.

10% Pension funding 10% of your salary goes towards your pension every month.

10% Benefit funding 10% of your salary goes towards a range of benefits you can choose from.

Your leave allowance

30 days Annual leave You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase up to 5 additional days off.

3 days Volunteering Take time off to support the causes you’re passionate about.

3 days Training Take time to build the skills you need to grow your career.

Total rewards package

Welcome to our Gogarburn hub

Set in large grounds including beautiful woodland, Gogarburn offers a conference centre, a business school with hotel bedrooms, a restaurant, relaxing zen gardens, onsite parking, and excellent transport links.

Key facts:

• Surrounded by 85 acres of woodland
• Our carparks provide electric vehicle charging
• Opened in 2005