Product & Technology Governance Manager
Role Purpose
The Product & Technology Governance Manager is responsible for establishing, operationalizing, and continuously improving the governance framework across the Product & Technology (ProdTech) function.
This role ensures that technology and product delivery activities are transparent, compliant with internal policies and regulatory requirements, financially controlled, and aligned with strategic objectives. The incumbent will evaluate governance controls, support audits, drive reporting excellence, and embed governance best practices across squads and leadership teams.
Key Responsibilities
1. Governance Framework & Control Environment
- Design, implement, and maintain an end-to-end governance framework covering:
- Compliance controls
- Financial governance
- Quality assurance
- Regulatory obligations
- IT risk management
- Define and formalize governance artefacts, including:
- Control definitions
- RACI matrices
- Policies and procedures
- Evaluation mechanisms
- Improvement plans
- Ensure alignment with recognized governance and management frameworks such as:
- COBIT
- ITIL
- PMO standards
- Ensure compliance with applicable fintech and regulatory obligations, including:
- Data protection regulations
- Outsourcing governance
- Change management controls
- ICT risk management requirements
2. Performance Monitoring & Reporting
- Develop evaluation structures and performance measurement mechanisms for agreed governance practices and controls.
- Establish and maintain governance dashboards and reporting packs using tools such as Power BI and Excel.
- Facilitate structured review cadences (monthly, quarterly governance forums).
- Provide consolidated governance reporting to the FinTech GRC function and executive leadership.
- Support internal and external audits, regulatory inspections, and compliance reviews by ensuring timely documentation and evidence availability.
3. Governance Processes, Tools & Automation
- Drive implementation and continuous improvement of governance workflows across ProdTech.
- Leverage enterprise tools such as:
- Atlassian (Jira, Confluence)
- Microsoft 365 (SharePoint, Power BI, Power Automate)
- Ensure structured documentation standards and evidence management practices to maintain audit readiness.
- Promote automation and process optimization to enhance governance efficiency and transparency.
4. Stakeholder Management & Advisory
- Act as governance business partner to:
- Product Owners
- Technical Leads
- Squad Leads
- Delivery Managers
- GRC teams
- Serve as Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for governance-related internal and external audits.
- Provide structured insights, risk assessments, and recommendations to senior leadership.
- Drive governance awareness and accountability through training, workshops, and communication initiatives.
Qualifications & Experience
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related field.
- Professional certifications preferred (e.g., COBIT, ITIL, PRINCE2, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer/Auditor, CISA, CGEIT).
Experience
- Minimum 7+ years of experience in:
- IT Governance
- Technology Risk
- PMO / Delivery Governance
- IT Management within regulated environments
- Proven experience within FinTech, banking, or other highly regulated industries.
Technical & Regulatory Knowledge
Strong understanding of several of the following frameworks:
Governance & Management Frameworks
- COBIT
- ISO 38500
- ITIL
- PRINCE2
- IPMA
Information Security & Control
- ISO/IEC 27001
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework
- CIS Critical Security Controls
Regulatory & Data Protection
- GDPR or equivalent personal data protection frameworks
- Central Bank ICT & outsourcing regulations
- Financial supervisory authority guidelines
- MENA fintech regulatory policies (preferred)
Audit & Assurance
- SOC 2
- ISO certifications
- Internal controls and assurance practices
Tools & Systems
- Advanced proficiency in:
- Microsoft Excel
- Power BI
- Jira
- Confluence
- SharePoint
- Experience with workflow automation tools is an advantage.
Key Competencies
- Strong analytical and critical thinking capability
- Excellent documentation and structured reporting skills
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing ability
- Ability to work effectively with senior leadership
- Clear communicator with high attention to detail
Personal Attributes
- Systematic, highly organized, and detail-oriented
- Confident operating cross-functionally in matrix organizations
- Proactive and solution-oriented
- Able to balance governance rigor with agile delivery environments
- Pragmatic mindset focused on achievable improvements and measurable impact
