API Governance Lead

First Abu Dhabi Bank

Job Details
Location: United Arab Emirates
Location: Abu Dhabi
Industry: Information Technology (IT)
Function: Software Engineering / Development
Gender: Any
Candidate Nationality: Any
Candidate Preferred Location: Any
Job Type: Full-time

What You ll Do

* Define and implement API governance frameworks with focus on consistency, scalability, and security
* Drive the API technical product strategy to enable digital platforms and ecosystems
* Manage the API lifecycle from design through retirement, ensuring reuse and standardization
* Oversee the API catalog and developer portal to improve discoverability and usability
* Lead onboarding of internal and external API consumers with compliance and ease of integration
* Establish and track KPIs for API adoption, performance, and ROI
* Conduct API design reviews to align with enterprise architecture and governance standards
* Promote API-first principles, modular design, and reusability across business units
* Ensure compliance with regulations including Open Banking, PSD2, GDPR, and HIPAA
* Support troubleshooting, incident management, and continuous improvement of API platforms

Ideal Profile

* 15+ years overall IT experience with at least 10 years in banking technology
* Proven ability to translate business needs into API-driven solutions
* Strong expertise in REST, GraphQL, gRPC, API gateways, and service mesh architectures
* Skilled in API governance, lifecycle management, and deprecation strategies
* Experience with cloud-native services, Kubernetes, and API management tools (e.g., Kong)
* Familiarity with regulatory frameworks impacting APIs and financial technology
* Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills
* Ability to mentor teams and evangelize API adoption across the enterprise