Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

Develop and implement the bank's

Data Centre (DC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) strategy

, ensuring alignment with

business continuity and resilience objectives

. Lead

end-to-end program management

for DC/DR initiatives, including planning, risk assessment, testing, and post-implementation reviews. Ensure the bank's resilience programs align with and comply with relevant regulations, such as those from the UAE Central Bank. Develop and maintain business continuity plans, and ensure the bank can recover critical services following an incident A strong understanding of banking operations, control assurance frameworks, and resilience methodologies is crucial. Define and monitor

Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs)

and

Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs)

for all critical systems. Oversee

periodic DR drills and failover testing

, ensuring readiness and continuous improvement of resilience capabilities. Collaborate with

technology, operations, cybersecurity, and various business units

to identify and mitigate potential risks and integrate resilience practices into daily operations. Drive

infrastructure modernization

and

data centre migration

projects to enhance scalability, performance, and redundancy. Prepare and present

status reports, executive dashboards, and audit documentation

for senior management and regulators. Manage vendors and service providers supporting DC/DR initiatives, ensuring contractual and SLA adherence. Establish and maintain robust

governance frameworks

and escalation protocols for DR and resiliency operations. Promote a

culture of resilience

, ensuring awareness and training across teams on DC/DR processes and responsibilities.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

17+ years of experience

in

IT Program/Project Management

, with a strong focus on

Data Centre Operations and Disaster Recovery

within the

Banking or Financial Services

sector. Minimum 12 years of BFSI experience and 6-7 years of UAE Banking experience is preferrable Proven track record in

business continuity, operational risk, resilience planning, and regulatory compliance

. Strong technical understanding of

infrastructure, cloud platforms, virtualization, and data replication technologies

. In-depth knowledge of

DC/DR architectures, failover mechanisms, backup strategies, and recovery testing methodologies

. Excellent

stakeholder management

and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leadership and cross-functional teams. Hands-on experience in managing

multi-vendor and multi-site environments

. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on

risk mitigation and operational continuity

. Professional certifications preferred:

PMP, PRINCE2, ITIL, ISO 22301 (Business Continuity Management), or equivalent

.

Preferred Attributes:

Experience in

large-scale DC migration, cloud adoption, or hybrid infrastructure programs

. Strong understanding of

cyber resilience, IT security frameworks, and regulatory expectations

. Ability to thrive in high-pressure environments and lead complex, cross-functional programs. Exceptional in coordination, communication, leadership, and analytical skills. Excellent documentation, presentation, and communication skills suitable for executive and regulatory audiences.
Job Type: Permanent