Head of Engineering - Identity & KYC Systems

Vettio; London; On-site; GBP 200,000 +; Full time

Job description

Job Description

Job Title: Head of Engineering – Identity & KYC Systems

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (On-site)

Employment Type: Full-Time

Salary: 42,000 AED per month (Tax-Free)

About the Role

Our client — a fast-scaling fintech company headquartered in Dubai — is seeking an accomplished Head of Engineering – Identity & KYC Systems to lead the development and evolution of their core identity platform. This platform powers mission-critical capabilities including user onboarding, document verification, biometric authentication, AML screening, and compliance workflows across multiple global markets.

This is a strategic leadership role where you'll work cross-functionally with Product, Compliance, Risk, Legal, and Engineering to ensure that the platform is secure, scalable, compliant, and built for global reach. You'll be instrumental in ensuring identity and compliance infrastructure is optimized for performance, trust, and regulatory integrity.

Key Responsibilities

Identity & KYC Platform Ownership

• Define and execute the technical roadmap for identity verification, onboarding, document OCR, AML screening, and fraud detection systems.
• Architect a modular and extensible identity platform that integrates with third-party vendors and internal services.
• Ensure adherence to international compliance and data security frameworks (e.g., GDPR, FATF, SOC2, AML/CFT).
• Enable rapid rollout of KYC/AML infrastructure across multiple geographies.

Engineering Leadership

• Lead, scale, and mentor a high-performing team of engineers across backend, platform, and mobile domains.
• Create and evolve best practices in system design, technical delivery, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Set clear engineering standards, career progression paths, and org structure to support team scalability and delivery velocity.

Security, Compliance & Observability

• Implement robust encryption, access control, and privacy-first data protection mechanisms.
• Collaborate closely with Legal and Compliance teams to navigate complex regional and global regulations.
• Establish full observability of KYC flows: verification success rates, drop-offs, error rates, and response times.

Cross-Functional Delivery

• Work closely with Product, Risk, Legal, and Operations to translate business goals into technical execution plans.
• Own vendor selection and integration for key identity tech: OCR, biometrics, AML databases, and identity orchestration platforms.
• Lead technical delivery for region-specific KYC launches and compliance adaptations.

Platform Resilience & Delivery

• Maintain 99.9%+ platform availability for critical identity and verification services.
• Implement robust DevOps practices: CI/CD pipelines, rollback mechanisms, incident response, and root cause analysis.
• Ensure continuous improvement in platform performance, reliability, and regulatory adaptability.

What You’ll Need

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, including 3–5+ years in engineering leadership roles.
• Proven experience building identity, KYC, or compliance systems within regulated industries (e.g., fintech, banking, crypto, telecom).
• Deep technical expertise in document verification, biometrics, fraud detection, and AML systems.
• Strong understanding of privacy-first system design and regulatory compliance (GDPR, PCI DSS, FATF, SOC2, etc.).
• Track record of scaling platforms and engineering teams in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and cross-functional leadership skills.

Nice to Have

• Experience operating in emerging markets or jurisdictions with fragmented identity infrastructure.
• Familiarity with decentralized identity frameworks (DID, verifiable credentials, reusable KYC).
• Background in fintech, regtech, telco, or identity-focused B2B platforms.

Why Join Our Client?

• Be part of a Dubai-based fintech leader redefining identity and compliance infrastructure across MENA and beyond.
• Full relocation support available for international candidates (visa, flights, housing assistance).
• Build systems with privacy, scalability, and real-world impact at their core.
• Work alongside world-class product, risk, and engineering leaders in a mission-driven environment.
• Competitive compensation with long-term growth opportunities in one of the world’s most exciting fintech ecosystems.