Head of Engineering, Architecture, and Delivery

Boundless; Dubai; On-site; AED 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Boundless is seeking a visionary Head of Engineering, Architecture, and Delivery to shape our fintech platform's future. You will lead global teams across backend, architecture, and delivery, driving scalable, secure systems built on Java, Kotlin, and Kafka.

Partner with product and business units, establish architectural roadmaps, enforce engineering excellence, and accelerate delivery with modern DevOps practices while staying compliant with financial regulations.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in software engineering with 5+ in leadership.
• Experience delivering enterprise fintech/banking applications.
• Expertise in Java, Kotlin, Kafka, and distributed systems.
• Cloud-native architecture with containerization (Kubernetes, Docker).
• Security, PCI DSS, ISO 27001 familiarity.
• Ability to attract and retain engineering talent.
• Excellent communication with C-suite and technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor backend engineers, architects, and delivery managers.
• Define architecture of scalable systems in Java, Kotlin, Kafka.
• Own end-to-end delivery lifecycle with high availability and performance.
• Drive DevOps adoption, CI/CD, and secure coding standards.
• Translate product requirements into technical roadmaps and plans.
• Prioritize refactoring and manage tech debt for scalability.
• Set KPIs and improve code quality, deployment speed, and productivity.
• Stay updated on fintech trends to stay competitive and compliant.

Skills

Java

Kotlin

Kafka

Cloud-native architecture

DevOps / CI-CD

Security & compliance

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Jenkins

Job description

Our client is a prominent financial services organization licensed by the SCA, recognized for its leadership and innovation in the Forex (FX) financial derivatives and Crypto. As they expand their operations and adopt cutting‑edge technologies, they are seeking a Head of Engineering to join their growing team.

This role is critical to shaping the organization's technological future and ensuring it stays at the forefront of the financial industry by leveraging expertise in both Forex trading and cryptocurrencies.

Role Overview

We are seeking a visionary Head of Engineering, Architecture, and Delivery to lead and scale our global fintech platform. This role will be pivotal in setting the strategic direction of our engineering teams, defining the architectural roadmap, and ensuring robust, scalable, and secure delivery of mission‑critical platforms and services. As a key member of the technology leadership team, you will work cross‑functionally with product, infrastructure, and business units to drive innovation, streamline delivery pipelines, and enforce engineering excellence across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a multi‑disciplinary team of backend engineers, solution architects, and delivery managers across geographies.
• Define, maintain, and evolve the architecture of scalable systems built on Java, Kotlin, and Kafka, ensuring alignment with product and business strategies.
• Own the end‑to‑end delivery lifecycle, from design through deployment, ensuring high availability, fault tolerance, and performance.
• Drive the adoption of engineering best practices, modern DevOps methodologies, CI/CD pipelines, and secure coding standards.
• Collaborate closely with Product and Business stakeholders to translate functional requirements into technical roadmaps and execution plans.
• Assess technical debt, prioritize refactoring efforts, and ensure the sustainability and scalability of systems.
• Set KPIs, track performance metrics, and lead initiatives to continuously improve code quality, deployment speed, and team productivity.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies, trends, and frameworks in the fintech and banking space to ensure the platform remains competitive and compliant.

Required Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive experience in software engineering with at least 5 years in a senior leadership or head‑of‑function role.
• Proven track record of delivering enterprise‑scale applications in fintech or banking environments.
• Deep hands‑on knowledge of Java, Kotlin, and distributed systems architecture using Apache Kafka.
• Experience designing and maintaining event‑driven microservices and APIs at scale.
• Solid understanding of cloud‑native architecture and containerization (Kubernetes, Docker, etc.).
• Familiarity with security, compliance, and data protection standards in financial services (e.g., PCI DSS, ISO 27001).
• Demonstrated ability to attract, grow, and retain top engineering talent.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills; capable of interfacing with C‑suite executives and technical teams alike.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with high‑frequency trading systems, digital banking platforms, or blockchain‑based financial infrastructure.
• Prior work in a regulated environment and comfort with audits, risk assessments, and compliance reporting.
• Exposure to Agile frameworks (Scrum, SAFe) and modern delivery models.