Head Of Engineering (Technology)

HEAD OF ENGINEERING (Technology)

Dubai

Objective:

The primary objective is to steer the engineering department towards achieving strategic objectives while fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence.

As the Head of Engineering, this role is pivotal in driving technological innovation and ensuring the seamless execution of the digital transformation strategy. S/He will lead a dynamic team of engineers, test engineers, and DevOps specialists, shaping the technological landscape of the bank and delivering cutting-edge solutions that redefine banking experiences for our customers.

Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a forward-thinking engineering strategy aligned with Bank's business objectives. Identify emerging technologies and trends relevant to the banking industry, ensuring that our technological infrastructure remains robust and adaptable.
2. Team Management: Lead, mentor, and inspire a diverse team of engineers, architects, developers, testers, and DevOps specialists, fostering a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and excellence. Provide guidance and support to ensure the team's professional growth and productivity.
3. Product Development: Oversee the end-to-end development lifecycle of digital products and services, from conceptualization to deployment. Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality solutions that meet customer needs and market demands.
4. Software Testing Management: Establish and manage effective software testing practices and processes, including test automation, ensuring the quality and reliability of our digital products and services. Lead the testing team in developing test plans, executing test cases, automating testing processes, and integrating testing into the continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline.
5. Test Automation: Drive the implementation of test automation frameworks and tools to increase testing efficiency, coverage, and accuracy. Collaborate with development teams to integrate automated tests into the CI/CD pipeline, enabling rapid feedback and continuous improvement.
6. Technical Excellence: Drive technical excellence across the engineering organization, promoting best practices in software development, architecture, quality assurance, testing, and DevOps. Ensure adherence to industry standards, regulatory requirements, and cybersecurity protocols.
7. DevOps: Champion DevOps practices and principles, facilitating collaboration and alignment between development and operations teams. Lead the implementation of CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and deployment strategies to accelerate software delivery and improve reliability.
8. Innovation and Research: Stay abreast of technological advancements and industry trends, conducting research and feasibility studies to evaluate new opportunities for innovation and differentiation. Champion experimentation and prototyping to validate new ideas and concepts. 9
9. Collaboration and Communication: Foster a culture of collaboration and transparency, promoting cross-functional teamwork and effective communication channels within the engineering department and with other business units. Build strong relationships with key stakeholders to ensure alignment and drive collective success.
10. Risk Management: Identify and mitigate technical risks and challenges that may impact project timelines, budget, or quality. Implement robust processes and controls to ensure the reliability, scalability, and security of our technological infrastructure and systems.
11. Vendor Management: Evaluate and manage relationships with external vendors, partners, and technology providers, ensuring alignment with Bank's strategic objectives and standards. Negotiate contracts and service agreements to optimize value and mitigate risks.
12. Continuous Improvement: Drive a culture of continuous improvement and agility, advocating for iterative development practices, automation, and DevOps principles. Monitor key performance indicators
13. Reportees: 6-7 direct, 20 to 25 (indirect). Total team size 250+ between on-shore, off-shore, flex
14. Communication with :
    • All C levels, and Senior Leadership Group
    • Regulatory and Compliance teams
    • Finance , Audit and business stakeholders across the Bank
    • External Auditors
    • Technology Vendors

Qualification & competencies:

1. Educational Background: A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field. A master's degree or equivalent postgraduate qualification is preferred.
2. Professional Experience: 15+ years of experience in software engineering, with a proven track record of progressive leadership roles in engineering management, preferably within the banking or financial services industry.
3. Technical Expertise: Deep understanding of software engineering principles, architecture design, and modern technology stacks relevant to banking and financial services. Proficiency in software development methodologies, testing frameworks, and DevOps practices.
4. Leadership Skills: Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and lead multidisciplinary teams towards common goals. Effective communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution skills are essential.
5. Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop and articulate a clear vision for the engineering department aligned with organizational objectives. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, and formulate effective strategies.
6. Innovation and Creativity: Demonstrated ability to foster a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous improvement within the engineering organization. Proven track record of driving technological innovation and delivering impactful solutions.
7. Proficiency in evaluating and managing relationships with external vendors, partners, and technology
8. Collaboration and Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain effective relationships with cross-functional teams, senior management, external partners, and vendors. Ability to collaborate closely with stakeholders to ensure alignment and drive collective success.
9. Change Management: Capacity to lead and manage organizational change effectively, particularly in adopting new technologies, processes, and methodologies. Flexibility, adaptability, and resilience in navigating complex and evolving business environments.
10. Results Orientation: Commitment to achieving measurable results and delivering high-quality products and services on time and within budget. Strong project management skills to prioritize tasks, allocate resources, and manage risks effectively.
11. Risk Management and Compliance: Understanding of regulatory requirements, industry standards, and cybersecurity protocols relevant to banking operations and software development. Ability to identify and mitigate technical risks and ensure compliance with relevant regulations and policies.
12. Continuous Learning and Development: Commitment to continuous learning and professional development, staying abreast of emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices in engineering, testing, and DevOps.