Payment Transformation and Compliance AI Project Manager

Deeplight; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A specialist AI consultancy in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Project Manager to lead the Payment Transformation and Compliance Project. This role focuses on modernizing payment systems while ensuring compliance with financial regulations. Candidates should have extensive experience in retail banking compliance, project management expertise, and strong leadership skills. Competitive salary and benefits are offered including professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Competitive salary and performance bonuses

Comprehensive health insurance

Professional development support

Flexible working arrangements

Career advancement opportunities

Qualifications

• Significant experience in retail banking compliance.
• Deep knowledge of payment systems and technologies.
• Experience in managing large teams through change.

Responsibilities

• Developing and managing project plans, defining scope and budget.
• Proactively assessing and managing risks related to compliance.
• Building relationships with senior stakeholders.

Skills

Project management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, PMP, PRINCE II)

Strong leadership

Exceptional communication skills

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Job description

DeepLightAI is a specialist AI and data consultancy with extensive experience implementing intelligent enterprise systems across multiple industries, with particular depth in financial services and banking. Our team combines deep expertise in data science, statistical modeling, AI/ML technologies, workflow automation, and systems integration with a practical understanding of complex business operations.

The Payment Transformation and Compliance Project Manager focuses on modernising payment systems while ensuring strict adherence to rapidly evolving financial regulations. The role combines the demands of a complex technology transformation with the critical, high‑stakes requirements of regulatory compliance. The PM manages projects which align with the bank's payments infrastructure and simultaneously ensure regulatory adherence throughout the lifecycle.

The role has a dual focus: driving transformation to deliver seamless, omnichannel, and intelligent end‑to‑end servicing experiences, and ensuring compliance by continuously adhering to all regulatory expectations and compliance frameworks. The role oversees the modernisation of the bank's Payments infrastructure, API integration, and core banking systems, whilst simultaneously enforcing regulatory adherence, auditability, and a strong change control process.

On the Technology front, the PM will manage the delivery of future‑ready solutions using common project tools like Jira and Confluence, with a focus on compliance projects, not limited to PSD2, AML/CFT policies, and PCI DSS.

Responsibilities

• Project Planning and Governance:
  • Developing and managing comprehensive project plans, defining scope, schedule, resourcing, dependencies, and budget.
  • Establishing robust governance and control in line with the bank's business transformation framework.
  • Monitoring and reporting progress, risks, and issues to the program management and Steering Committees.
• Risk Management:
  • Proactively assessing and managing risks, specifically mitigating potential roadblocks related to compliance missteps or data security issues.
  • Ensuring all projects are managed to an acceptable level of risk by balancing scope, time, cost, and quality.
• Stakeholder & Vendor Management:
  • Leading and influencing cross‑functional teams.
  • Building strong relationships with senior stakeholders of the organisation.
  • Coordinating with Business Technology and vendors to ensure high‑quality and timely execution.
• Proficiency in project management methodologies like Agile, Scrum, PMP, or PRINCE II.
• Significant demonstrable experience working within financial services.
• Significant experience and knowledge within banking compliance.

Qualifications

• Exceptional communication skills.
• Significant demonstrable experience working with Senior stakeholders.
• Significant demonstrable experience in retail banking compliance.
• Experience managing large teams through Change.
• Deep knowledge of payment systems and technologies, including global, retail, and wholesale networks (SWIFT, SEPA, Instant Payments).
• Strong familiarity with specific regulatory programs relevant to payments (e.g., PSD2, AML, KYC).
• Robust understanding of the ISO 20022 message formats and their industry integration.
• Experience preventing data mapping errors and maintaining data quality across historical and customer data.
• Significant demonstrable experience managing and controlling changes to the project's scope, as mid‑project changes can severely impact budget and timelines.
• Strong leadership to guide cross‑functional teams (IT, Legal, Operations, Business) and clear, frequent communication to senior stakeholders.
• Solid knowledge of banking products, processes, and the strategic rationale for the core banking change.
• The ability to identify bottlenecks, troubleshoot issues in a high‑stakes environment, and make quick, informed decisions to maintain business continuity.

Benefits & Growth Opportunities

• Competitive salary and performance bonuses
• Comprehensive health insurance
• Professional development and certification support
• Opportunity to work on cutting‑edge AI projects
• Flexible working arrangements
• Career advancement opportunities in a rapidly growing AI company

This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of AI implementation while working with a talented team of professionals at the forefront of technological innovation. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in driving our company's success in delivering transformative AI solutions to our clients.