UAE In-Country Services Technology Lead and MENAP Cluster Lead

United States Citigroup; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

Citigroup in Dubai seeks a Senior Technology Leader to drive cross-franchise programs, align global delivery with UAE priorities, and oversee regulatory engagements in the MENAP region.

You will mentor diverse teams, establish governance, manage dependencies, and ensure robust security and compliance while partnering with business leaders.

Qualifications

• Progressive technology leadership experience within global banking or financial services.
• Bilingual (English) with strong communication to executives.
• 8-10+ years of experience in technology leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-franchise technology programs aligning global and regional roadmaps with local priorities.
• Establish governance, KPIs, milestones, and risk registers for on-time delivery.
• Engage with regulators and oversee audits, regulatory testing, and compliance frameworks.
• Act as trusted advisor to business heads and translate strategy into prioritized tech demand.
• Drive localization, data sovereignty, and security controls for UAE/MENAP.

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

Python

.NET

Go

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology

Tools

REST APIs

SOAP APIs

Kafka

MQ

ESB

Job description

Key Responsibilities amp Core Pillars

Pillar 1 Cross-Franchise Technology Initiatives amp Delivery OrchestrationEnd-to-End Delivery Accountability

Lead and direct multi-franchise technology programs aligning global and regional technology delivery roadmaps with local country priorities

Integrated Dependency Management

• Proactively identify track and remediate technical operational and organizational dependencies across distributed global delivery teams local technology partners and third-party vendors

Execution Governance

• Establish robust program governance metrics KPIs milestones risk registers and executive steering committees to ensure transparent delivery reporting and on-time execution

Pillar 2 Regulatory Engagement Audits amp Governance ForumsRegulatory Authority Faceoff

Lead technology engagements with local and regional regulators e.g Central Bank of the UAE DFSA FSRA and regional authorities across the MENAP footprint

Audit amp Compliance Management

• Drive internal and external technology audits regulatory inspections peer reviews and Continuous Comprehensive Compliance CCC Regulatory Control Framework RCF forums Mandated Action Closure Maintain rigorous oversight over Corrective Action Plans CAPs and audit remediation items ensuring timely verifiable and sustainable closure

Regulatory Testing

• Coordinate and supervise mandatory regulatory vulnerability assessments penetration tests and disaster recovery business continuity testing

Pillar 3 Product amp Business Stakeholder FaceoffStrategic Technology Advisory

Act as the trusted technology partner and advisor to in-country and cluster Business Executive Officers Product Managers and Operations Heads

Requirements Alignment amp Prioritization

• Bridge business strategy with technology capabilities translating commercial objectives into prioritized technology demand and actionable backlogs

Innovation amp Enablement

• Evaluate emerging market trends and identify technology opportunities to enhance client experience process efficiency and digital capabilities

Pillar 4 Local Regulatory amp Market Mandates Localization amp Onshoring Data amp Onshoring amp Sovereignty

Drive architecture and infrastructure localization initiatives to satisfy national data privacy residency and onshoring regulations across UAE and MENAP

Local Market Readiness

• Ensure technology platforms comply with local clearing systems central bank reporting pipelines tax invoicing standards and local-language e.g Arabic UX UI requirements

Regulatory Technical Controls

• Ensure all localized adaptations comply with strict institutional security cryptographic and access-control policies

Pillar 5 Local Technology amp Business Application Owner BAO Ownership BAO Stewardship

Assume end-to-end Business Application Ownership BAO and technology ownership for local applications and integration layers

Operational Resilience amp Incident Coordination

• Serve as the senior escalation point for local critical P1 P2 production incidents orchestrating rapid triage root-cause resolution and stakeholder updates

Local Subject Matter Expertise

• Act as the in-country SME for local processing workflows integration architectures core banking connectivity and middleware

Job Family Group TechnologyJob Family Applications DevelopmentTime Type Full time

Most Relevant Skills Please see the requirements listed above

Other Relevant Skills For complementary skills please see above

Education & Experience

Bachelor s or Master s Degree: Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or related discipline. 8-10 + Years of Experience: Progressive technology leadership experience within global banking, financial services environments. Regional Experience: Proven experience operating within UAE and MENA banking environments and navigating regional regulatory frameworks (CBUAE, DFSA, FSRA, SAMA, etc.).

Technical & Engineering Competencies Software Development Background: Solid foundation in modern programming languages/frameworks (e.g., Java, Spring Boot, Python, .NET, Go) and web architectures. Architecture & Integration: Knowledge of microservices, REST/SOAP APIs, enterprise service buses (ESB), message queues (Kafka, MQ), and relational/NoSQL databases. Cybersecurity & Compliance: Good understanding of data protection principles, encryption in transit/rest, secure SDLC, OWASP standards, and disaster recovery strategies.

Leadership & Managerial Attributes Stakeholder Management: Exceptional track record of executive-level communication and relationship building with business heads, regulators, and audit committees. Crisis Leadership: Demonstrated ability to remain composed, structured, and decisive during high-severity production incidents and regulatory audits. Matrix Management: Proven ability to influence and lead cross-functional, distributed teams across multiple geographies and cultural environments. Communication: Fluency in English is mandatory; professional Arabic language proficiency is a distinct advantage.