IT Manager / IT Head | Candidzone | Qatar

Candidzone; Qatar; On-site; QAR 420,000 - 660,000; Full time

Job summary

Candidzone invites an accomplished IT Leader to steer the IT function for a major financial institution in Qatar. You will shape the digital strategy, oversee enterprise IT infrastructure, core software platforms, cybersecurity, and data governance to elevate regulatory compliance and business agility.

You will lead diverse teams across software, networks, and security, align roadmaps with executive objectives, manage budgets, DR/BCP, and vendor programs while engaging with regulators and

Qualifications

• Minimum 10+ years in IT leadership and management.
• At least 10 years of IT experience in Qatar banking/remittance.
• Strong leadership in banking/financial services tech.
• Fluency in professional English with executive communication.

Responsibilities

• Formulate and govern enterprise IT strategy, roadmaps, and capex budgets.
• Direct design, deployment, maintenance, and optimization of core banking and remittance software.
• Oversee high-availability IT infra, networks, server virtualization, storage, and cloud.
• Enforce enterprise cybersecurity frameworks, information security, and data protection policies.
• Develop and govern data management, warehousing, DB administration, BI, and regulatory reporting.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire cross-functional technology teams across software and IT ops.
• Ensure adherence to QCB regulations, national cyber governance, data privacy, and audits.
• Design, test, and maintain business continuity and disaster recovery architectures.

Skills

IT Leadership

Qatar IT Experience

Cybersecurity

Data governance

SDLC leadership

Budgeting

Vendor management

Executive communication

Regulatory liaison

English fluency

Education

Master's degree in IT/CS

Certifications: CISM/CISSP/CRISC/CGIT/PMP/ITIL

Job description

Position Summary:

Candidzone is seeking an experienced, visionary, and results-oriented IT Leader to take on the strategic role of IT Manager / IT Head in Qatar. In this senior executive technology leadership position, you will direct the overarching digital strategy, enterprise IT infrastructure, core software engineering ecosystems, cybersecurity posture, and data governance for a prominent financial institution. Designed for a seasoned technology leader with a minimum of a decade of demonstrated management excellence within Qatar's banking or remittance sector, this mandate charges you with modernizing operational workflows, securing mission-critical transactional platforms, and driving continuous digital innovation to elevate enterprise agility, regulatory compliance, and business growth.

Detailed Job Description:

As the IT Manager / IT Head at Candidzone representing our financial services client in Qatar, you will hold comprehensive strategic and operational accountability for enterprise-wide technology delivery. Leading multidisciplinary teams across software development, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, network engineering, and database administration, you will establish forward-looking IT roadmaps that align seamlessly with executive business objectives and stringent financial regulatory mandates.

Your responsibilities span modernizing core banking and cross-border remittance platforms, overseeing high-availability data centers and hybrid cloud environments, enforcing rigorous data management frameworks, and fortifying the enterprise against sophisticated cyber threats. You will serve as the principal technology authority engaging with executive management, internal audit committees, external financial regulators, and global technology vendors. In addition to orchestrating large-scale application rollouts and infrastructure enhancements, you will lead IT budget planning, resource allocation, business continuity and disaster recovery governance, and vendor negotiations. This role requires exceptional decision-making acumen, deep technical breadth across software and systems, and an established leadership track record within the Qatari financial landscape.

Key Responsibilities:

• Formulate, execute, and govern the comprehensive enterprise IT strategy, technology roadmap, and capital expenditure budget in alignment with executive business objectives.
• Direct and oversee the design, deployment, maintenance, and optimization of core banking, remittance, and digital financial software applications.
• Manage and maintain high-availability IT infrastructure, enterprise networks, server virtualization platforms, data storage systems, and cloud environments.
• Establish, enforce, and audit robust enterprise cybersecurity frameworks, information security protocols, and data protection policies to mitigate cyber threats.
• Develop and govern enterprise data management, data warehousing, database administration, business intelligence, and regulatory reporting capabilities.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire cross-functional technology teams across software engineering, systems administration, network operations, and user support.
• Ensure strict adherence to Qatar Central Bank (QCB) technology regulations, national cyber governance frameworks, data privacy standards, and compliance audits.
• Design, test, and maintain enterprise business continuity planning (BCP), high-availability disaster recovery (DR) architectures, and incident response runbooks.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• Minimum 10+ years of proven professional experience in IT Leadership and IT Management roles.
• Minimum 10 years of demonstrated, relevant professional technology experience within the State of Qatar (mandatory candidate requirement).
• Strong, documented leadership background within the banking, financial services, or remittance sector in Qatar.
• Comprehensive understanding and hands-on governance experience in enterprise cybersecurity, threat mitigation, and data management standards.
• Substantial experience leading both software development lifecycles (SDLC) and complex enterprise IT infrastructure operations.
• Demonstrated track record in IT strategic planning, technology budgeting, procurement governance, and high-value vendor contract management.
• Exceptional leadership, executive decision-making, strategic problem-solving, and multidisciplinary team management abilities.
• Fluency in professional English with superior executive presentation, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory liaison capabilities.

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
• Recognized professional certifications such as CISM, CISSP, CRISC, CGEIT, PMP, or ITIL Managing Professional.
• Direct working knowledge of Qatar Central Bank (QCB) IT governance, regulatory compliance guidelines, and security circulars.
• Hands-on architectural exposure to modern payment gateways, SWIFT messaging, AML/KYC systems, or core remittance processing platforms.
• Working familiarity with cloud migration frameworks (AWS, Microsoft Azure) and microservices-based software delivery architectures.

Application Information:

• Recruitment Agency / Employer: Candidzone
• Recruiter Contact: R. Revathy
• Position: IT Manager / IT Head
• Job Location: Qatar
• Employment Type: Full Time
• Experience Required: Minimum 10 years of relevant IT management experience within Qatar
• Industry Background: Banking or remittance organizations
• Application Email: [e-mail]