Head of Digital Engineering - Banking
Information Technology
United Arab Emirates
Onsite
Full-time
Director
15+ years
Posted Jan 9, 2026
About the role
A client of byteSpark.ai is seeking an experienced Head of Digital Engineering to set the strategic direction for their digital banking unit. This leadership role involves driving innovation and digital transformation to enhance customer experiences across all banking channels. The ideal candidate will be responsible for developing and maintaining cutting-edge digital products and services, ensuring the bank's competitiveness in the digital era. You will lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing engineering team, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. This position requires aligning digital initiatives with the bank's broader objectives, managing project timelines and budgets, and ensuring all systems comply with the highest security and regulatory standards. Your expertise will be crucial in championing a customer-centric approach and implementing agile methodologies to deliver exceptional digital solutions.
Requirements
- Minimum 15 years’ experience in Banking Channels, payments, and cards.
- Minimum 8 years leading and managing digital engineering teams in the financial services industry.
- Proven experience in setting strategic direction and driving digital transformation initiatives.
- Strong knowledge of web and mobile development, payment processing, and card technologies.
- In-depth understanding of cybersecurity principles and compliance requirements in banking.
- Demonstrated experience managing project timelines, budgets, and resources for large-scale digital initiatives.
- Proficiency with agile development methodologies and frameworks.
- Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Engineering, IT, or Computer Applications.
Desirable skills
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) or Certified Scrum Professional (CSP).
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
- Certified Product Owner (CPO) certification.
- Exceptional communication, collaboration, and strategic problem-solving skills.
Role details
- Department
- Information Technology
- Location
- United Arab Emirates
- Work setup
- Onsite
- Employment type
- Full-time
- Job level
- Director
- Experience
- 15+ years
- Industry
- Finance
- Sub-industry
- Banking
- Compensation
- AED 70K-80K/month + bonus structure
Frequently asked questions
This recruitment process is being managed by byteSpark.ai on behalf of a hiring client in the banking sector. byteSpark.ai is not the employer for this position. The client's identity and relevant company details will be shared with shortlisted candidates at the appropriate stage.
This is a senior leadership role responsible for setting the strategic direction of a bank's digital engineering function. The position covers digital transformation, customer experience across banking channels, engineering delivery, team leadership, innovation, security, compliance, budgets, resources, and agile execution.
The strongest candidates will have at least 15 years of experience across banking channels, payments, and cards, including a minimum of 8 years leading digital engineering teams within financial services. Experience defining strategy and delivering large-scale digital transformation programmes is essential.
Candidates should demonstrate strong knowledge of web and mobile banking, payment processing, card technologies, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, agile delivery, budget management, and resource planning. The role also requires evidence of building high-performing teams and aligning digital engineering priorities with broader business objectives.
We do not send automatic email confirmations after every application. The review process usually takes two to three weeks, depending on the client's priorities, role urgency, and the volume of relevant applications received.