The Opportunity:
We are seeking a strategic, hands-on, and visionary Director of Software Engineering to lead the development of secure, high-performance, and resilient platforms for Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), real-time digital payments, and distributed ledger technologies (DLT). This role oversees the entire software engineering function, guiding the technical and organizational direction for mission-critical national financial systems. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in financial technologies, exceptional leadership skills, and a commitment to delivering future-proof digital infrastructure with regulatory-grade security.
Key Responsibilities:
Functional
- Strategic & Organizational Leadership
- Define and execute the long-term technology vision and strategy for digital currency and digital payment initiatives.
- Lead and scale cross-functional software engineering teams, fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and accountability.
- Align engineering output with broader monetary policy, regulatory objectives, and international standards for CBDCs and national payment infrastructure.
- Represent Takamul's technical leadership in regulatory working groups, intergovernmental forums, and industry partnerships.
- Technical Oversight
- Drive the architecture and engineering of real-time, highly available, and secure transaction systems with national-level scalability and fault tolerance.
- Oversee the implementation of DLT-based platforms, digital wallets, settlement engines, and interbank transfer systems.
- Ensure all platforms meet the highest security standards and undergo regular risk assessments, penetration testing, and compliance audits.
- Promote the adoption of modern engineering practices: DevSecOps, cloud-native infrastructure, API-first design, and continuous delivery pipelines.
- Governance & Compliance
- Ensure engineering solutions are fully compliant with financial regulation, data privacy laws, AML/CFT, and operational risk guidelines.
- Establish governance structures for code quality, system reliability, disaster recovery, and incident response.
- Oversee architectural reviews, policy adherence, and third-party risk evaluations for critical components and vendors.
- Comply with QHSE (Quality Health Safety and Environment), Business Continuity, Information Security, Privacy, Risk, Compliance Management and Governance of Organizations policies, procedures, plans and related risk assessments.
Requirements:
- Education and experience:
- Master's or Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline.
- 12+ years of experience in software engineering, with 5+ years in senior engineering leadership roles in regulated financial institutions or central banks.
- Proven track record of building and operating mission-critical financial systems at scale.
- Sector-Specific Technical Expertise
- Deep understanding of digital currency platforms, tokenized asset systems, and interbank settlement protocols.
- Prior experience architecting or directing teams working on:
- CBDCs, real-time payment platforms, or RTGS systems.
- Integration with core banking infrastructure, ISO 20022, SWIFT gpi, and cross-border transactions.
- High-throughput blockchain/DLT systems (Hyperledger Fabric, Quorum, Corda).
- Strong grasp of cryptography, secure key management, identity frameworks, and zero-trust architectures.
- Preferred Financial & Banking Experience
- Experience in central banking, financial regulation, or payment system modernization programs.
- Participation in regulatory sandboxes, FinTech innovation hubs, or multilateral pilot programs related to digital currency and financial innovation.
- Knowledge of payment governance, financial stability frameworks, and international monetary cooperation protocols (e.g., BIS, IMF initiatives).
- Soft Skills
- Executive-level communication and stakeholder engagement.
- Strategic thinking with strong operational execution.
- Proven ability to lead through ambiguity, drive change, and deliver outcomes under public-sector governance models.
- Collaborative leadership style with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary coordination across policy, technology, risk, and legal functions.
