Chief Implementation Officer - Open Finance

Al Etihad Payments empowers employees to work in an environment that best promotes their productivity and well-being, while providing high-quality workplace and fantastic professional experience.

|Get to Know Us

Al Etihad Payments is the UAE’s designated retail payments entity, dedicated to developing and operating world-class infrastructure, standards, and solutions for the UAE Economy. Al Etihad Payments is a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE, strongly supported by the UAE Government.

Our employees are committed to work with licensed financial institutions and other payment service providers to foster innovation and deliver excellent financial services to all in the UAE, efficiently and without friction.

Al Etihad Payments supports the government’s objectives of a cashless society, national digitization, and the Central Bank of the UAE objective of being a top ten central bank globally.

|Our Culture

We are a collaborative, diverse and passionate group of individuals that works as one team. We support one another, make impactful contributions to the organization, and develop and nurture meaningful connections across the payment’s ecosystem!

|About the role

CIO Oversee the end-to-end rollout of centralized Open Finance platform, including API hubs, consent management systems, data sharing protocols, and secure authentication mechanisms, in alignment with CBUAE's Open Finance Regulation.

|What You’ll Do

Internal Technology and Operations

• Infrastructure Implementation Leadership: Oversee the end-to-end rollout of Nebras's centralized Open Finance platform, including API hubs, consent management systems, data sharing protocols, and secure authentication mechanisms, in alignment with CBUAE's Open Finance Regulation.
• Operational Excellence: Manage internal operations, including system development, testing, maintenance, and performance optimization, ensuring 99.9% uptime, robust cybersecurity measures, and compliance with UAE data protection laws and international best practices.
• Team Leadership and Resource Management: Build and lead a high-performing team of engineers, developers, and operations specialists; allocate resources efficiently to meet implementation timelines and budgetary constraints.
• Risk and Compliance Oversight: Implement internal controls for data privacy, fraud detection, and liability management, adhering to the Limitation of Liability Model and conducting regular audits to mitigate operational risks.

External Partnerships and Stakeholder Management

• Collaboration with LFIs and TPPs: Foster strategic partnerships with Licensed Financial Institutions (e.g., banks, insurers) and Third-Party Providers to ensure smooth onboarding, API integration, and testing of Open Finance services; provide technical guidance and support for compliance with consent requirements and data sharing standards.
• Ecosystem Enablement: Coordinate with external parties to facilitate phased implementation (e.g., starting with major LFIs in 2024-2025), including training programs, sandbox environments, and joint pilots to demonstrate value in areas like personalized financial products and seamless payments.
• Regulatory and Industry Engagement: Represent Nebras in interactions with CBUAE, industry forums, and international bodies; contribute to policy refinements and advocate for enhancements to the Open Finance framework based on stakeholder feedback.
• Dispute Resolution and Support: Establish mechanisms for handling disputes involving LFIs, TPPs, and customers, including liability allocation and redress processes, while promoting transparency and trust in the ecosystem.

|Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree, Information Technology, Engineering, Finance, or a related field; advanced certifications in cybersecurity, fintech, or project management (e.g., PMP, CISSP) are preferred.
• Experience: 10+ years in technology implementation roles, with at least 5 years in senior leadership within fintech, banking, or regulatory environments; proven track record in managing large-scale infrastructure projects, preferably in open banking/finance ecosystems.
• Excellent written and oral English communication and interpersonal skills
• Fluent Arabic speaker an advantage

|Technical and Behavioral Skills

• Technical Expertise: Deep knowledge of API technologies, cloud computing (e.g., AWS, Azure), data security protocols, and regulatory frameworks like GDPR or UAE's Open Finance Regulation; experience with consent management and interoperability standards.
• Soft Skills: Strong leadership, communication, and negotiation abilities; adept at stakeholder management across diverse groups; strategic thinker with a focus on innovation and problem-solving.
• Other: Fluency in English; understanding of UAE financial regulations; willingness to travel as needed.

|What you can expect from us

• Modern work environment with level of flexibility.
• Dynamic and motivated team of colleagues working towards achieving UAE National Objectives.
• Competitive compensation package, including annual bonus and additional benefits like child educational allowance and annual flight tickets (where eligible);
• Comprehensive health insurance coverage.