Founder & Chief Product Officer - SME Neobank

Sanabil Studio; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 400,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent financial innovation firm is seeking a Founder & CEO to lead the development of a digital Neobank for SMEs in Saudi Arabia. The ideal candidate will have 6+ years in digital banking or fintech, a strong product-first mindset, and experience in building customer-centric solutions. This role offers founder equity and strategic backing from an established venture studio to redefine banking for small businesses in the region.

Benefits

Founder equity in fintech venture

Operational support from experienced venture team

Access to senior advisors

Qualifications

• 6+ years experience in digital banking, fintech, or SaaS.
• Experience in regulated financial environments.
• Ability to lead agile product teams.

Responsibilities

• Define the product vision and strategy.
• Lead product discovery, design, development, and delivery.
• Hire and manage a product and engineering team.

Skills

Product-first mindset

Experience in digital banking

Knowledge of SME financial challenges

Proven track record of scaling products

Strong UX instincts

Agile team leadership

Job description

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Entity: Sanabil Venture Studio

About Sanabil Venture Studio

Sanabil Venture Studio is a partnership between Sanabil Investments and Stryber, designed to build high-impact startups in Saudi Arabia. Our mission is to identify new opportunities, rapidly validate ideas, and support visionary founders in launching and scaling transformative companies. With access to institutional capital, hands-on venture building expertise, and an expansive regional network, we are reimagining what entrepreneurship can look like in the Kingdom.

The Opportunity: SME Neobank

We are launching a digital-first Neobank tailored specifically to the needs of SMEs in Saudi Arabia - a segment long underserved by traditional financial institutions. The platform will offer smart, mobile-first solutions for payments, lending, deposits, and general financial management, built from the ground up for small business owners and freelancers across the Kingdom.

This venture aims to solve deep-rooted problems in SME banking: complex onboarding, limited access to credit, lack of digital tools, and poor customer support. By combining embedded finance, advanced credit analytics, and seamless UX, we will create a frictionless experience that meets the evolving demands of Saudi entrepreneurs.

Your Role as Founder & CEO

As the CPO, you will lead product strategy and execution from inception to scale. Working alongside a CEO and supported by the Sanabil Venture Studio team, your mission is to build an exceptional, intuitive product that sets a new standard for SME banking in the Kingdom. Your responsibilities will include:

• Define and own the end-to-end product vision, strategy, and roadmap based on customer insights

• Lead all aspects of product discovery, design, development, and delivery across web and mobile

• Prioritize and validate features that deliver meaningful value to SMEs

• Hire and manage a high-performing product, design and engineering team in early/growth phases

• Partner with compliance, legal, and tech teams to ensure regulatory alignment

• Use data, experimentation, and direct user research to drive continuous product improvement

• Coordinate closely with marketing, operations, and commercial functions to align product

• Foster a product-led culture focused on customer obsession, agility, and measurable results

Who You Are

• Product-first founder or operator with 6+ years experience in digital banking, fintech, or SaaS

• Deep knowledge of SME financial challenges, from payments and lending to compliance and UX

• Proven track record of building and scaling customer-centric digital products from zero to scale

• Experience working in regulated financial environments, and understanding SAMA expectations

• Strong UX instincts, analytical capabilities, and a technical mindset

• Skilled in leading agile product teams and collaborating cross-functionally

• Comfortable in ambiguity, fast-paced environments, and early-stage venture building

What We Offer

• Founder equity in a high-potential fintech venture with national and regional impact

• Backing from Sanabil Venture Studio - capital, expertise, and ecosystem support from day one

• Rare opportunity to build and lead a category-defining company for KSA’s next economic chapter

• Operational support from a seasoned venture team (Stryber) through the first phases of growth

• Access to senior advisors, regulatory support, and follow-on funding to scale your vision quickly