Cluster Lead Injaz -TECH -Digital Central Squad MIT

This role carries accountability for all technology deliverables associated with the Retail Banking Groups (RBG) Digital Squads and Product teams. The core purpose is to deliver cost-effective, innovative, and resilient technology solutions that address business requirements across digital channels and platform systems. The position drives technology innovation, ensuring tangible business value is consistently delivered through all initiatives.

Responsibility extends to managing and executing all change initiatives, including major projects and application enhancements (URFs). A key focus is on mitigating risks that could lead to significant financial losses, reputational damage, regulatory warnings or penalties, and operational disruptions. A primary objective is the comprehensive transformation of Channels, Instant Payments, and Communication Platforms across the UAE, Egypt, and Pakistan regions, meticulously adhering to budgeted costs and timelines.

Effective stakeholder management across RBG, Operations, diverse Vendors, and internal Technology teams is critical. The role maximizes system uptime and optimizes issue resolution timeframes through seamless coordination with both onshore and offshore teams, while ensuring 100% compliance with internal audit, regulatory, and governance requirements.

Strategic Business Engagement & Technology Vision

• Accountability for the appropriateness and strategic alignment of all technology solutions delivered to business and support units throughout the bank.
• Proactive leadership in driving business interests and demand management, ensuring technology deliverables consistently generate significant business value.
• Leadership in the development and delivery of impactful presentations on technology innovations to senior business leaders, actively influencing strategic decisions and shaping the banks digital roadmap.
• Delivery and support of comprehensive business analysis, solution design, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) management, ensuring robust and user-centric deployments.
• Influence of business stakeholders to secure technology capacity and advocate for essential CAPEX budgets.
• Assistance to the business in meticulously fleshing out technology business cases for all change initiatives, demonstrating clear return on investment.
• Significant influence on the business strategic plan by providing critical technology inputs and foresight.
  
  

• Management of a diversified team of highly skilled professionals (15+ members, including 9 FTEs and 6 external consultants) across onshore and offshore locations, responsible for changes to all channel applications, including critical IL1 applications.
• Ensuring timely delivery of all User Requirement Forms (URFs) from various business units, guaranteeing solutions meet business value propositions and adhere strictly to technology standards.
• Oversight of the quality, cost, and schedule management of all technology projects, driving efficiency and excellence.
• Establishment and implementation of robust change management processes for all technology deliverables, ensuring smooth transitions and adoption.
• Optimization of technology solution delivery based on evolving business requirements, the existing application landscape, latest technology trends, total cost of ownership, scalability, and stability.
• Strategic negotiation with vendors to achieve cost savings and accelerate delivery timelines.
• Driving resource optimization (both onshore and offshore), fostering employee retention, ensuring robust backup plans, and leading engaging team initiatives.
• Maintenance of an acute focus on regulatory, control, and audit requirements, proactively managing all known risks related to team performance and project execution.
• Implementation and delivery of optimized technology solutions for all changes, collaborating seamlessly with Business, PMO, Technology Operations, Technology Architects, Information Security Group (ISG), Governance, and external Vendors.
• Minimization of technology deliverable costs by strategically leveraging and optimizing existing applications.
• Driving the rationalization of applications across the technology landscape to significantly reduce OPEX costs for both Technology and Business.
• Conducting performance reviews and managing all HR aspects for the team.
• Rigorous planning and review of Technology projects, MBOs, SLAs, and Incidents.
• Ensuring proactive communication to management on all risks, issues, and their current status.
• Adherence to the bank’s operational risk policy at all times.
• Active participation in scrum meetings and collaboration with other technology teams to achieve OKRs (Objectives and Key Results).
• Conducting regular meetings with Business to provide comprehensive overviews on support and changes.
• Guidance to teams in envisioning and scoping support-related projects within the banking context, including project planning, defining team structures, roles, and responsibilities.
• Accountability for the appropriateness of technology solutions delivered to assigned business/support units of the bank.
• Deep Domain Knowledge in Financial Services, specifically Retail Banking.
• Comprehensive Functional and Technology knowledge of major banking applications.
• Extensive Exposure to managing Complex Banking Projects from inception to delivery.
• Up-to-date knowledge of the Latest Technology Trends in Banking, including Microservices, Cloud (Azure), Spring Boot, .NET, SQL Server, MongoDB, Kubernetes, and API gateways.
• Proven Cross-border Team Management Experience, leading diverse teams across different geographies (onshore and offshore).
• Strong organizational, team-building, and leadership qualities.
• Exceptional Portfolio/Program Management and General Management skills.
• Advanced Senior Stakeholder Management capabilities, with a proven ability to influence and collaborate effectively.
• 17+ years of overall IT experience, with a significant portion in financial services.
• Expert Vendor Management skills, including negotiation and performance oversight.
• Excellent Oral/Written Communication Skills, capable of articulating complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Expert Commercial Awareness, understanding the financial impact of technology decisions.
• Postgraduate in Management or Equivalent qualification.