Head of IT, Fintech, Dubai

Client of Emerald Zebra Talent Solutions

A multi-asset trading group is looking to hire their first head of IT to own and run the global IT function across the group. Lead a small team, manage the stack hands-on, and keep a 24/7 trading environment running.

Responsibilities

• Own IT strategy, budget, service standards and SLAs
• Lead and grow the IT team, including helpdesk and engineering, with 24/7 cover
• Administer Entra ID (Azure AD), Microsoft 365, Exchange Online and Intune
• Run Windows Server (DNS, DHCP, GPO, domain controllers), backups, patching and endpoint security
• Own the Fortinet stack (FortiGate, FortiAnalyzer, FortiClient EMS), VPN, firewall policy and segmentation
• Govern user lifecycle, access controls and joiner-mover-leaver with HR
• Develop and enforce IT policy, audits, BCP and ITIL-aligned operations
• Manage vendors, telecoms providers and managed service partners
• Lead infrastructure upgrades, cloud migrations and automation projects

Required

• 8+ years IT and systems administration, with leadership experience
• Recent role inside an FX/CFD broker, crypto exchange, bank, FinTech or payments institution
• Hands-on depth across Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Windows Server and Intune
• Fortinet across firewalls, VPN and security monitoring
• Multi-office, multi-jurisdiction support experience
• ITIL fluency, strong documentation discipline
• Available for 24/7 on-call

Preferred

• SOC2 or ISO 27001 exposure
• Fortinet NSE 4+, Network+/Security+, ITIL v4