Group Head Of RandD

Equiti is a pioneering fintech firm and world-class provider of multi-asset fintech products - from liquidity solutions to in-house tech hubs to online trading platforms. With over 400 global specialists in 9 languages, Equiti provides clients with access to individual, professional, and institutional brokerage services in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

At Equiti, we believe that financial opportunities can unlock potential for everyone, everywhere. We’re on a mission to deliver accessible online trading products around the world through education and accessibility.

Think finance is stuffy? Think again.

At Equiti, we’re building fintech with a purpose: making wealth tools accessible to everyone. As we continue to grow, we’re seeking talented individuals who thrive in innovative environments. , and we are on the lookout for talented individuals who can perform and excel in a dynamic and innovative working environment. Our Research & Development department would like to welcome a detail-oriented.

Group Head of R&D in our office in Dubai

We are looking for a Group Head of R&D to lead Equiti’s research and development organization and own the build of Stratos — our proprietary pricing engine and Order Management System (OMS) designed to de-risk Equiti from third-party execution vendors. You will own the R&D vision, the phased delivery roadmap, the vendor migration strategy, and the multi-disciplinary engineering team that delivers it, working closely with our trading and quant functions.

Responsibilities

• Own the R&D vision, strategy, and multi-phase delivery roadmap for the proprietary execution program (market data, pricing engine, OMS, and advanced analytics).
• Lead the design and delivery of an in-house pricing engine and OMS to progressively replace third-party execution and platform dependencies.
• Build, hire, and lead a multi-disciplinary engineering team (in-house and specialist contractors), setting technical direction and engineering standards.
• Define and run the phased vendor migration and parallel-run strategy, managing risk to live trading throughout.
• Partner with the Trading and Quant teams on pricing models, smart order routing, and execution quality.
• Own the R&D budget, vendor relationships, hiring plan, and delivery reporting to technology leadership and the board.

Skills & Competencies

• Deep expertise in trading and market data.
• Strong knowledge of pricing engines, OMS/EMS, FIX connectivity, and liquidity provider integrations.
• Proven leadership of 10+ reports across geographies, with hands-on credibility.
• Experience de-risking from third-party platforms and managing complex vendor migrations.
• Strong commercial judgement on build-vs-buy, cloud cost, and delivery trade-offs.

Experience Requirements

• 12+ years in financial leadership field, with 5+ years leading organizations.
• Demonstrated delivery of trading, execution, or market-data platforms in a regulated environment.
• Track record of building and scaling teams and shipping mission-critical systems.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Perks

Each of our offices has its special perks; be it ‘no ties’, free lunches, charity events, or a hybrid work policy – but whenever you walk into an Equiti office, you’re sure to see a friendly face. We encourage international collaborations and always keep our eyes open to how we can do more.

The benefits you can expect at your Equiti workplace include:

• Competitive salary package
• Performance-based bonus
• Medical insurance coverage for employees and family members
• Smart working options
• Employee wellness initiatives
• Personalized career development
• Company lunch in the office
• Regular company events

With energy, drive, and imagination, there’s no limit to where your career can go at Equiti. With a diverse workforce and geographical spread of offices, we strongly support career development initiatives as well as provide a range of opportunities for professional and life experiences.

Equiti is an equal opportunity employer.

“Equiti” refers to a group of companies consisting of seven regulated financial services companies licensed to operate in the respective jurisdictions of their incorporation, in addition to our tech and marketing hubs. Equiti has presence in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.