Lead, Fintech and Innovation

We are seeking a strategic and execution-focused leader to lead the Fintech & Innovation team. This is a newly created regional role to engage with the fintech ecosystem, identify and develop valuable collaboration opportunities. The Fintech & Innovation Lead will be a critical member of the Fintech and Emerging Tech Centre of Excellence (CoE). You shall establish and execute standardized solution evaluation frameworks and a strong governance model for developing strategic partnerships with startups, big-tech, regulators, and academia.

Job Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Define and execute a clear fintech engagement strategy, ensuring alignment with the bank’s overall business objectives and growth ambitions.
• Champion innovation across the organization, embedding a forward-thinking mindset and driving adoption of disruptive business models to achieve competitive advantage.
• Influence senior stakeholders and decision-makers, providing thought leadership and strategic guidance, market trends, technologies and ecosystem opportunities.

Ecosystem Engagement

• Build and nurture relationships with fintech startups, technology providers, regulators and industry associations to strengthen the bank’s presence in the ecosystem.
• Foster strategic alliances with incubators, venture capital firms and academic institutions to access emerging technologies, business models and talent.
• Develop and execute partnership strategies to create mutually beneficial commercial models. Establish pricing frameworks and value propositions to maximize ROI.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders (Legal, Risk, Compliance, Procurement) to negotiate and structure commercial agreements, ensuring alignment with the bank’s strategic objectives and compliance requirements.

Innovation and Proof of Concept (PoC) Management

• Identify and prioritize fintech solutions for pilot programs based on strategic alignment and potential business impact.
• Lead the end-to-end lifecycle of PoCs, from fintech service discovery and horizon scanning to feasibility validation, pilot testing, KPI tracking, and documentation of learnings.
• Develop clear go/no-go decision processes for scaling pilots into full production.

Governance and Reporting

• Define policies and guardrails for evaluating, onboarding solutions (including third‑party risk management, due diligence, and exit plans). Establish robust governance structures and RACI matrix.
• Oversee budget governance for PoCs and scale-ups, ensuring investment discipline and benefits realization.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive reporting framework to the CxO office and key stakeholders, including commercial viability and strategic fit of potential partnerships.
• Represent the bank at industry events and distil key insights for senior management.

Talent management and development

• Build and scale the Fintech & Innovation team, attracting top talent and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.
• Develop an international operating model, establishing local representation in key markets to drive fintech initiatives regionally.
• Manage cross-functional teams (IT, Risk, Compliance, Business Units) to ensure smooth execution of projects.
• Implement staff training programs to upskill bank’s awareness of fintech and technology trends.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Finance, Technology, or related field; MBA or equivalent preferred.
• 10–15 years of experience in banking & financial services, with exposure to fintech strategy and innovation management.
• Expertise with practical experience in one or more of the following areas: Digital Assets & Tokenization, Wealth tech, Reg tech, Payments and AI for banking.
• Proven track record of driving digital transformation and managing fintech partnerships at scale.
• Experience in structuring commercial agreements, pricing models, and partnership frameworks with fintechs.
• Demonstrated success in building and leading geographically distributed teams. - Track record of fostering a culture of innovation and driving organizational change.
• Ability to operate in a multi-country environment, understanding local market dynamics and regulatory requirements.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills across senior leadership, regulators, and external partners.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills for engaging C-suite and external ecosystem players.
• Understanding of Agile principles and an iterative delivery mindset. - Strong sense of ownership and accountability.