Chief Information Officer

About Hotspot

Hotspot is a Saudi digital financing platform operating under a license from the Saudi Central Bank in the digital aggregation category. The platform enables individuals and businesses to submit a single application to access multiple banks and finance companies, allowing them to compare offers in one centralized location. Hotspot serves individuals with personal, auto, and mortgage financing, as well as credit cards. For small and medium enterprises, the platform offers point-of-sale financing, bill discounting, revolving limits, term loans, e-commerce financing, and supply chain financing. The platform connects customers, financiers, and distribution partners through dedicated customer platforms, a financier portal, direct integrations, and an artificial intelligence credit engine.

The Role of Chief Information Officer

Hotspot is seeking a Chief Information Officer to join its team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is a full-time, hands-on leadership position for a professional with over 10 years of experience in building and managing financial technology platforms. The role requires a candidate who is proficient in both in-depth system management and team leadership. The Chief Information Officer will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer and serve as a member of the senior management team, responsible for translating business goals into a clear technology roadmap and ensuring its successful delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Set the information technology strategy and roadmap, prioritizing initiatives based on business goals.
• Oversee the platform architecture across customer platforms, the financier portal, partner integrations, and the artificial intelligence credit engine, ensuring high availability and scalability.
• Lead secure integrations with financiers, distribution partners, and national data and verification services such as Nafath, Dakhli, and the Saudi Credit Bureau.
• Develop internal operating systems for sales, customer care, and management teams.
• Ensure systems and data comply with Saudi Central Bank requirements and applicable laws, with data and systems hosted within Saudi Arabia.
• Collaborate with Cybersecurity and Compliance teams on security governance and technology risk management.
• Build and maintain the disaster recovery and business continuity plan.
• Develop and control annual operating and capital technology budgets, including business cases and cost-benefit analyses for major expenditures.
• Select and manage vendors, review hardware and software contracts, and oversee service levels.
• Hire, develop, and lead the technology team, defining its structure, goals, and operating procedures.
• Advise management on technology trends and their competitive and financial impact.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• A proven track record of taking systems from business requirements through design, delivery, and daily operation.
• Experience in strategic planning, budgeting, project portfolio management, and vendor management.
• Demonstrated leadership in hiring, developing, and motivating collaborative teams.
• Clear written and spoken communication skills, with the ability to explain technical ideas in plain business language.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with close attention to detail.
• Availability for on-call support and periodic extra hours when required.