Head of Mobile Engineering (MAL)

The Product
Imagine a bank that actually understands you - one that reads your spending patterns predicts what you need before you ask and talks to you like a smart financial friend not a corporate robot.

MAL is building the worlds first AI-native Islamic digital bank where every interaction is powered by intelligent conversation ethical financial principles and interfaces that adapt to users lives in real time. The product combines Core Banking AI-driven financial health tools personalized insights and conversational UX into a fully mobile-first experience.

Backed by $230M in funding and led by leaders behind Revolut and Nubank MAL is preparing for its 2026 launch with the mission to serve 2 billion Muslims and underbanked communities globally - people who have historically been underserved by traditional finance.

This is not just another fintech - it is a category-defining AI-native banking platform built from the ground up.

The Position
We are looking for a Head of Mobile Engineering (Function Lead) to own the entire mobile engineering function across product verticals.

You will drive stabilization and delivery of Core Banking while building scalable reusable mobile foundations (design system localization analytics CI/CD integration standards) that power Financial Health (PFM) AI-driven journeys and future vertical expansions.

This is a hands-on leadership role combining deep mobile architecture expertise with strong organizational impact.

Team Composition & Collaboration
Reports to: CTO / VP Engineering

Works closely with:

• Core Banking Head of Engineering

• Financial Health leadership

• AI and backend teams

• Product Managers

• Design and UX teams

You will lead and align:

• Core Banking mobile engineers

• Financial Health (PFM) mobile engineers

Current Workstreams

Core Banking:

• Localization CMS integration

• Android optimization localization

• Ruya waitlist referrals

• AI design system support journeys

Financial Health (PFM):

• Demo mode and registration

• Bank connection

• Insights and dashboard

• Transactions

• Goals budgets limits challenges

• Chat and weekly AI summaries

• Clarity score

• Advanced analytics

Your Responsibilities

Product Delivery & Stabilization

• Ship and stabilize Core Banking including P2P correctness and release readiness

• Ensure reliability of sensitive financial flows and authentication

Mobile Foundations Ownership

• Build and standardize shared design systems and UI kits

• Own localization and RTL frameworks (Arabic-first environment)

• Establish analytics error handling offline capabilities and performance standards

• Standardize SDK integrations (authentication banking integrations CMS patterns)

• Ensure secure auth/session handling aligned with financial-grade security

Operational Excellence

• Establish high-performing CI/CD pipelines

• Define QA gates and release cadence

• Own crash monitoring performance tracking and production quality

• Maintain high release velocity while preserving banking-grade stability

Team Leadership

• Mentor and guide senior mobile engineers

• Define architecture standards and enforce code quality

• Align cross-vertical teams around shared mobile principles

• Collaborate closely with AI and backend teams for seamless integrations

Success in the First 90 Days

• Core Banking P2P fully functional and stable with release gates

• Authentication SDK standardized across sensitive flows

• Shared UI kit and architecture adopted by Core Banking and PFM teams

• Localization framework and RTL checklist implemented; Arabic fully shipped

• Weekly mobile release cadence established

• Crash-free rate above 99%

• P2P success rate above 95%

Your Experience

Must have:

• 8 years in mobile engineering (iOS Android or React Native)

• Hands-on leadership experience

• Proven track record building shared mobile platforms component libraries or design systems

• Strong experience in security SDK integrations secure storage and session handling

• Experience delivering high-velocity releases in fast-scaling environments

• Strong cross-functional collaboration with product and design

Nice to have:

• Experience in fintech banking or regulated environments

• Experience building AI-first or conversational interfaces

• Experience working with RTL/localization-heavy products

• Background in Core Banking or Financial Health platforms

Why Youll Love Working Here

• Build the worlds first AI-native Islamic digital bank

• Backed by $230M and industry leaders behind Revolut and Nubank

• Shape mobile architecture for a product serving 2B users globally

• Work on mission-driven ethical finance innovation

• High ownership and executive-level visibility

Location
UAE Abu Dhabi
On-site - presence in the Abu Dhabi office is required several days per week.