Senior Program Manager – Resiliency

Job Summary

The Senior Program Manager – Resiliency will lead the bank’s Data Centre (DC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) strategy, ensuring operational continuity, minimizing downtime, and maintaining full compliance with internal and regulatory standards. This role requires extensive program management expertise and the ability to collaborate effectively with senior business and technology stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the enterprise-wide DC/DR and resilience roadmap aligned with business continuity objectives.
• Oversee all phases of DC/DR programs, including planning, risk analysis, testing, and post-review.
• Ensure compliance with UAE Central Bank and other relevant regulatory guidelines.
• Establish and monitor Recovery Time (RTO) and Recovery Point (RPO) objectives for critical systems.
• Conduct regular DR drills and readiness assessments to ensure preparedness.
• Partner with Technology, Operations, Cybersecurity, and Business teams to embed resilience across processes.
• Lead modernization, infrastructure upgrades, and data centre migration initiatives.
• Prepare dashboards, reports, and documentation for leadership and audits.
• Manage vendor relationships and ensure adherence to contractual and Service Level Agreement (SLA) commitments.
• Build governance structures and foster awareness around DC/DR and resilience practices.

Qualifications

• 17+ years of experience in IT Program/Project Management, primarily in DC/DR and resilience programs within the Banking or Financial Services sector.
• Minimum 12 years of Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) experience; UAE banking exposure (6-7 years) preferred.
• Proven background in business continuity, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong knowledge of infrastructure, cloud, virtualization, and data replication technologies.
• Skilled in managing multi-site, multi-vendor environments.
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills.
• Certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP), PRINCE2, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), or ISO 22301 preferred.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in data centre migration, cloud transformation, or hybrid infrastructure.
• Familiarity with cyber resilience and IT security frameworks.
• Strong analytical, documentation, and coordination abilities.
• Comfortable working in dynamic, high-pressure environments.

Experience

• A minimum of 17 years experience within IT Program Management, with a strong focus on DC/DR initiatives.