Head of Internal Technology and AI

About Ektis

Ektis is a boutique financial services consulting firm operating within the GCC's financial ecosystem. The firm collaborates with banks, fintechs, development finance institutions, and public-sector clients to address critical challenges across strategy, commercial growth, risk, payments, and transformation.

Role Purpose

The Head of Internal Technology and AI leads Ektis's internal technology and AI function, supporting the firm's growth throughout the GCC. This role ensures that all internal functions are equipped with the necessary systems, tools, data, and technical support for effective operation. The Head is responsible for enhancing operational efficiency, maintaining reliable services, and building internal capabilities to support a growing business. This full-time position is based in Riyadh and requires over 10 years of experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain a prioritized AI delivery plan, including business problems, owners, budgets, milestones, and expected improvements.
• Manage a company-wide library of reusable AI skills, documenting instructions, tools, and workflows for employees and agents.
• Train employees on approved AI tools and skills, measuring adoption, task completion time, error rates, and human review effort.
• Design, build, and maintain AI agents to automate tasks and integrate with internal systems, defining data, tools, actions, and spending limits.
• Establish and maintain AI governance aligned with ISO/IEC 42001, covering approved tools, acceptable use, data handling, human oversight, and accountability.
• Lead the software development lifecycle from requirements and architecture through development, testing, deployment, support, and retirement.
• Oversee daily IT services, employee support, cloud infrastructure, networks, and business applications (ERP, HR, CRM, collaboration systems).
• Control the full lifecycle of laptops, mobile devices, and other IT assets, from procurement and allocation to maintenance, replacement, recovery, and secure disposal.
• Set security requirements for identity and access management, multi-factor authentication, privileged access, patching, and endpoint protection.
• Prepare and manage technology budgets covering cloud, AI usage, software licenses, devices, support, and suppliers.
• Build and lead the internal IT team, defining responsibilities, recruitment priorities, and managing supplier performance.

Measures of Success

Performance will be assessed against agreed baselines, targets, and review dates, utilizing service records, financial data, control evidence, and feedback from internal functions. Key measures include operational efficiency, AI adoption and performance, ISO governance adherence, security maintenance, service reliability and recovery, software delivery quality, asset control, HR onboarding/offboarding efficiency, finance system integrity, budget control, cloud and license efficiency, and team/supplier performance.

Qualifications and Experience

• Over 10 years of experience in internal technology and AI leadership roles.
• Demonstrated ability to improve operational efficiency and maintain reliable services.
• Experience in software engineering and oversight of the full development lifecycle.
• Proficiency in managing cloud infrastructure, business applications, and data support.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Intune and mobile device management.
• Knowledge of AI and technology governance, security requirements, and risk management.
• Experience in managing technology expenditure and demonstrating efficiency gains.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The role involves working with internal teams across Ektis to identify and implement practical improvements through software, AI agents, and automation. The Head will build and lead the internal IT team as the firm expands.