Head of IT Governance

About the role

The Head of IT Governance will streamline and harmonise processes and control measures across the technology landscape of a banking organisation in Bahrain, ensuring alignment with business objectives while supporting agile delivery.

Key responsibilities

• Implement local controls in line with group policies and maintain license compliance.
• Define, publish and monitor Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with business units, subsidiaries and the group.
• Establish and continuously improve the governance framework, including CAB processes and risk assessments.
• Prepare and manage annual technology budgets (CAPEX and OPEX) and track expenses against policy.
• Report key performance indicators, operational risks and major incidents to the group.
• Oversee vendor contracts, asset inventory and capacity planning for both BAU and projects.

Required profile

• Senior professional with extensive experience in banking or financial services IT within the GCC or comparable international environment.
• Proven track record in managing IT applications, infrastructure, operations and governance.
• Strong collaboration with Finance, Strategy and PMO functions.

Required skills

• ISO 27001 certification knowledge
• PCI‑DSS certification knowledge
• Core Banking Systems (read‑only audit access)
• Incident Response Systems (read‑only access)
• GRC tools (read‑only access)
• Procurement system reviewer/approver role
• OSR Management System reviewer/approver role