Chief Technology Officer (CTO) - Octopus by RTG

About the job

We are looking for an experienced Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the technical vision, architecture, and technology strategy for a next-generation digital wealth management platform. The platform includes native iOS and Android applications, a web-based administration portal, and an AI-powered investment and advisory engine.

As CTO, you will be responsible for defining the platform's long-term technology direction, architecture, security, and governance while partnering closely with the Engineering Director, AI Engineering team, Product, and business stakeholders. This is a strategic leadership position focused on technology vision, technical governance, and business alignment rather than day-to-day software development.

Key Responsibilities

Technology Strategy & Architecture

• Define and own the end-to-end architecture for mobile applications, web platforms, AI services, backend systems, and cloud infrastructure.
• Establish technology standards, architectural principles, and engineering best practices.
• Lead architectural decisions across microservices, event-driven systems, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and real-time data platforms.
• Drive technology roadmaps, architecture evolution, scalability, and technical debt management.
• Define non-functional requirements including scalability, performance, availability, resilience, and security.

AI & Innovation

• Define the organization's AI strategy and oversee the integration of AI-powered capabilities.
• Guide the development of LLM-powered services, conversational AI, and intelligent automation.
• Establish AI governance frameworks covering model quality, explainability, monitoring, bias mitigation, auditability, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure AI solutions meet business objectives while operating within regulated financial environments.

Security & Compliance

• Own the platform's security architecture, including authentication, authorization, encryption, API security, and identity management.
• Ensure compliance with financial regulations, data privacy laws, and security standards across all markets.
• Oversee disaster recovery, business continuity, and platform resilience strategies.
• Establish governance for audit trails, compliance reporting, and regulatory readiness.

Engineering Leadership

• Provide technical leadership across engineering teams and resolve complex architectural challenges.
• Lead architecture reviews, technical governance, and engineering decision-making.
• Define engineering standards, technical hiring criteria, and technology best practices.
• Identify technical risks and ensure mitigation strategies are implemented throughout the product lifecycle.

Executive Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary technology advisor to executive leadership, clients, investors, and strategic partners.
• Translate complex technical concepts into business-focused recommendations.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, and Project Management teams to align technology delivery with business goals.
• Support client engagements, pre-sales activities, RFP responses, and investor presentations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (Master's degree or MBA is preferred).
• 10+ years of technology leadership experience in roles such as CTO, VP Engineering, or Head of Engineering.
• Minimum 3 years of experience within FinTech, WealthTech, Digital Banking, or Neo Banking.
• Proven experience delivering enterprise-scale digital platforms within regulated financial environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading AI/ML products, preferably involving financial advisory, portfolio management, risk scoring, or intelligent decision-making.
• Strong expertise in distributed systems, microservices, cloud-native architecture, APIs, and real-time platforms.
• Hands-on knowledge of AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform and modern DevOps practices.
• Experience integrating KYC/eKYC providers, payment gateways, trading platforms, and market data providers.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity, identity management, encryption, compliance, and financial regulations.
• Experience leading engineering organizations of 8–15+ engineers.
• Excellent stakeholder management, leadership, and communication skills.
• Fluent in both Arabic and English.

Nice to Have

• Experience building Wealth Management, Investment, Trading, or Digital Banking platforms.
• Knowledge of MENA financial regulations, AML, KYC, and data residency requirements.
• Experience with LLMs, AI Agents, Conversational AI, or Generative AI products.
• Experience presenting to executive boards, regulators, and investors.
• Background in vendor management, technology budgeting, and strategic sourcing.