Head of Technology & Integration – CTO, Payments

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Kazakhstan.

📋 Description

• Design and take ownership of the IT architecture for the local licensed payment business, encompassing core payment and e-money processing, client accounts and wallets, ledger and reconciliation, reporting, and supporting systems in accordance with NBK and AFSA regulations.

• Spearhead the integration with Kazakhstan's national payment infrastructure, including NBK, KCIS, National Payment Corporation, instant payments, open API, partner banks, and, where applicable, Digital Tenge.

• Oversee the integration with state information systems for onboarding, identification, and reporting, such as eGov, Smart Bridge, state databases, digital signatures, biometric identification, and channels for reporting to the Financial Monitoring Agency.

• Develop and sustain the technical interface between local licensed entities and Binance global platforms, ensuring the segregation of data, client funds, and operations.

• Provide automated regulatory and statistical reporting to NBK and AFSA.

• Establish and manage information security protocols, including ISMS, access management, security monitoring, vulnerability and penetration testing, incident response, and compliance certifications.

• Handle technology-related regulatory interactions, including license applications, sandbox materials, and responding to inquiries, inspections, and audits from NBK and AFSA.

• Supervise technology outsourcing and intragroup service agreements, encompassing vendor due diligence, SLAs, exit strategies, and risk monitoring.

• Recruit and guide the local technology team across architecture, integration, engineering, infrastructure, and information security.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 10 years of experience in technology roles within banking, payments, or fintech, including more than 5 years in a senior technology leadership position (CTO, CIO, Head of IT) at a licensed financial institution or payment organization in Kazakhstan.

• Practical experience in integrating with Kazakhstan's national payment infrastructure (NBK, KCIS, National Payment Corporation) and state information systems (eGov, Smart Bridge, state databases, digital signature and biometric services, Financial Monitoring Agency).

• Demonstrated capability in establishing the IT function of a licensed financial entity from the ground up, including successfully passing regulatory reviews of IT systems during licensing or inspections.

• Extensive knowledge of NBK information security and ICT requirements, Kazakhstan's legislation on informatization and personal data, and the AIFC/AFSA technology and outsourcing framework.

• Strong expertise in payment system architecture: core processing, ledgers, reconciliation, APIs, messaging standards (ISO 20022, SWIFT), and high-availability and disaster recovery design.

• Solid experience in information security management (ISO/IEC 27001 or equivalent); PCI DSS experience is a plus.

• Experience in integrating local systems with global or group-level platforms and managing intragroup and third-party technology outsourcing.

• Background in crypto, digital assets, or e-money is a significant advantage.

• Must be eligible to pass a fit-and-proper assessment for a senior regulated appointment when required.

• Exceptional leadership and team-building capabilities; adept at collaborating effectively with global cross-functional teams in a dynamic environment.

• Proficient in Russian and English is required; Kazakh is strongly preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive salary along with company benefits.

• Flexible work-from-home arrangement (specifics may vary based on the business team's work nature).

• Opportunities for career advancement and ongoing learning.