Head of IT, Fintech, Dubai

A multi-asset trading group is looking to hire their first head of IT to o wn 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. Mandatory Sector Experience Applications will only be considered from candidates with recent IT leadership experience inside one of the following: FX/CFD brokerages, crypto exchanges, banks, FinTechs or payments institutions. Trading infrastructure exposure is essential. Candidates from outside regulated trading environments will not be progressed. 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 Location Dubai, onsite. Relocation supported for the right candidate. PACKAGE Base salary in the region of AED 40,000 to 50,000 per month (approximately USD 130,000 to 165,000 per annum), paid in AED. Performance-related annual bonus. ESOP participation. Standard UAE benefits