About the Role
This is an opportunity to join a fintech start-up aiming to promote financial inclusion globally. As the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), you will lead the technology build, evaluate technology trade-offs, and oversee vendor engagements to deliver features aligned with the business model. The role is based in the UAE and involves close collaboration with various stakeholders, including the CEO, CPO, and partners, to expand the company's product offerings and geographical footprint.
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Key Responsibilities
Business
- Lead technology development to build on the minimum viable product (MVP) for successful global rollout.
- Engage with partners, fintechs, and co-creation clients to expand product offerings and geographical presence.
- Explore and innovate technology opportunities with the engineering team to maintain a competitive advantage.
- Optimize business outcomes while establishing sound governance and adherence to policies and standards.
- Provide thought leadership and expertise on machine learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, APIs, cyber security, and DevSecOps.
- Establish a robust technology operation covering incident management, problem management, SLAs, and business continuity processes.
Technical Skills
- Expert knowledge of mainstream cloud providers (AWS) and cloud-native services.
- Proficient in the .NET technology stack, distributed systems, authentication mechanisms, and architecture patterns.
- Understand modern object-oriented programming practices, including entity frameworks and reusable interfaces.
- Familiar with API integrations, host-to-host file exchanges, and asynchronous automations.
- Knowledgeable in secure coding practices, code scanning, unit testing, and dependency management.
- Extensive experience with DevOps, including pipeline management and multi AWS account deployments.
- Required experience in front-end frameworks such as AngularJS; familiarity with ASP.NET Boilerplate, ASPNetZero, and ABP.IO is a plus.
- Experience overseeing scrum teams, ensuring reliable delivery of sprints and effective change management.
- Familiarity with operating highly-available production financial systems and related infrastructure components (SQL databases, DNS, etc.).
- Ability to serve various roles: individual contributor, team lead, solution architect, facilitator.
- Knowledge of the FinTech ecosystem, including Blockchain, Digital Payments, and Transaction Banking Enhancements is beneficial.
Other Responsibilities
- Professional experience in software development and technology delivery.
- Assist in assessing and hiring technical personnel to support aggressive go-to-market plans.
- Familiarity with ERP and financial systems is desirable.
- Participate in establishing new integrations with banks and financial service providers.
- Engage with relevant functions for governance and key-control indicators.
- Experience in ITIL and ISO27001 is advantageous.
People and Talent
- Lead by example to build a culture rooted in the company's values.
- Foster a motivational and challenging environment conducive to creativity and strategy execution.
Governance
- Act promptly when risks or control weaknesses arise and ensure timely escalation and action.
- Collaborate with multiple stakeholders to establish risk/control frameworks, ensuring compliance with Group standards.
Regulatory & Business Conduct
- Uphold exemplary conduct and adhere to the Group's Values and Code of Conduct.
- Take personal responsibility for high ethical standards, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
- Effectively identify, escalate, mitigate, and resolve any risk, conduct, and compliance issues.
Key Stakeholders
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Product Officer
- Chief Information Security Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- Leadership Team
- Technology Department
Required Qualifications / Skills / Experience
- 15 years of experience in a technology leadership role, preferably in startups and technology companies.
- Deep understanding of the complexities of the Group's operations.
- Passionate about the impact of innovative technology in Financial Services.
Skills and Characteristics
- Imaginative and creative mindset in work processes.
- Curiosity and willingness to explore new technologies and workflows.
- Ability to view challenges from multiple perspectives and consistently question the status quo.
- Strong work ethic and enthusiasm for execution and getting results.
