UAE In-Country Services Technology Lead & MENAP Cluster Lead

About the role

The UAE In-Country Services Technology Lead and MENAP Cluster Lead is a senior leadership position responsible for end‑to‑end technology delivery, governance and operational resilience across the United Arab Emirates and the broader MENAP region.

Key responsibilities

• Lead multi‑franchise technology programs, aligning global and regional roadmaps with local priorities.
• Manage dependencies across global delivery teams, local partners and third‑party vendors, and establish robust governance metrics and risk registers.
• Engage with regulators such as the Central Bank of the UAE, DFSA and other regional authorities, driving audits, compliance and corrective action plans.
• Act as trusted technology advisor to business executives, translating commercial objectives into prioritized technology demand.
• Drive data onshoring, localization and sovereignty initiatives to meet national data residency and security requirements.
• Own end‑to‑end Business Application Ownership for local applications, serving as senior escalation point for critical production incidents.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, IT or related field.
• 8‑10+ years of progressive technology leadership experience in global banking or financial services.
• Proven experience operating within UAE and MENA banking environments and navigating regional regulatory frameworks.
• Demonstrated crisis leadership and ability to influence cross‑functional, distributed teams.

Required skills

• Software development: Java, Spring Boot, Python.NET, Go.
• Architecture & integration: microservices, REST/SOAP APIs, ESB, Kafka, MQ, relational and NoSQL databases.
• Cybersecurity & compliance: data protection, encryption, secure SDLC, OWASP standards, disaster recovery.
• Stakeholder management and executive communication (English mandatory, Arabic advantageous).