Senior Software Engineer

Mal; Abu Dhabi Emirate; On-site; AED 420,000 - 620,000; Full time

Job summary

Mal is pioneering ethical banking with AI-powered neobanking, seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead backend-focused, domain-driven solutions across Growth, Payments, Cards, Accounts, and Customers. You will collaborate with product, compliance, and design to translate business needs into scalable tech, while upholding code quality and security within Islamic principles.

You will mentor engineers, drive architectural decisions, and work closely with stakeholders to deliver robust, auditable

Qualifications

• Proven track record delivering complex software solutions in banking or fintech.
• Deep understanding of banking products, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
• Demonstrated leadership in cross-functional engineering teams, driving projects from concept to production.
• Ability to architect, implement, and optimize solutions independent of tech stack or programming language.
• Commitment to delivering secure, reliable, and auditable code.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on business outcomes and customer impact.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams.
• Expert in at least one coding language, no matter which.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end solution design and delivery for a core business domain (Growth, Payments, Cards, Accounts, or Customers).
• Collaborate with product, compliance, and design stakeholders to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Set the bar for code quality, security, and maintainability throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Mentor, coach, and guide engineers within your domain to foster a culture of excellence and ethical responsibility.
• Drive architectural decisions, ensuring solutions are robust, compliant, and aligned with Islamic financial principles.
• Identify and resolve complex technical and business challenges proactively.
• Interact with multiple stakeholders and perform work that blends product and business domains.
• Spend most time on backend as we adopt backend-driven development.

Skills

Banking/fintech experience

Leadership in cross-functional teams

Architecture & solution design

Backend development

Regulatory & compliance knowledge

Security & code quality

Business-focused problem solving

Effective communication

Tech-agnostic language proficiency

Job description

Mal is pioneering the future of ethical banking as the world's first AI-powered, Sharia-compliant neobank. Our mission is to deliver modern, trustworthy, and truly inclusive financial services to Muslims worldwide - combining cutting-edge technology with unwavering ethical values. As a Senior Software Engineer at Mal, you will join a high-caliber team dedicated to building the next generation of digital banking, grounded in Islamic principles and world-class engineering standards.

We are organising around business domains, empowering engineers to own end-to-end problem solving in areas such as Growth, Payments & Core Banking, Cards & Accounts, and Customer domains. We are seeking leaders, not coders - engineers with deep banking experience who are passionate about creating impactful, high-quality solutions that transform how communities experience finance.

Key Responsibilities

• Expect to work with different coding languages, different parts of the repo, and even different stacks. No such a thing as I'm mobile, front or back. We are looking for software engineers who can solve business problems, no matter what
• Lead end-to-end solution design and delivery for a core business domain (Growth, Payments, Cards, Accounts, or Customers)
• Collaborate directly with product, compliance, and design stakeholders to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions
• Set the bar for code quality, security, and maintainability throughout the software development lifecycle
• Mentor, coach, and guide engineers within your domain to foster a culture of excellence and ethical responsibility
• Drive architectural decisions, ensuring solutions are robust, compliant, and aligned with Islamic financial principles
• Identify and resolve complex technical and business challenges proactively
• Most of the time you will be interacting with multiple different stakeholders and doing work that most would consider "product" or "business" work
• Expect to spend most of your time working on the backend as we adopt backend-driven development

Must-Have Qualifications

• Proven track record delivering complex software solutions in banking or fintech domains
• Deep understanding of banking products, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices
• Demonstrated leadership in cross-functional engineering teams, driving projects from concept to production
• Ability to architect, implement, and optimize solutions independent of tech stack or programming language
• Commitment to delivering secure, reliable, and auditable code
• Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on business outcomes and customer impact
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams
• Expert in at least one coding language, no matter which

Nice to Have

• Experience in Islamic banking, finance, or Sharia-compliant products
• Exposure to AI/ML-driven financial services or digital banking platforms
• Familiarity with cloud-native architectures and DevOps practices
• Track record of scaling products in a high-growth startup environment
• Contributions to open source or fintech communities
• Establish technical direction and delivery plan for your assigned business domain
• Conduct in-depth analysis of existing systems, identifying and addressing key gaps
• Deliver at least one major feature or capability aligned with Mal's business priorities
• Mentor and onboard new engineers, raising the team's technical and ethical standards
• Ensure all domain solutions meet regulatory, security, and Sharia compliance requirements