MD, Head of Platform, Investment & Insurance, Consumer Banking Technology

MD, Head of Platform, Investment & Insurance, Consumer Banking Technology

Business Function

Group Technology enables and empowers the bank with an efficient, nimble and resilient infrastructure through a strategic focus on productivity, quality & control, technology, people capability and innovation. In Group Technology, we manage the majority of the Bank's processes and inspire to delight our business partners through our multiple banking delivery channels.

Overview:

At DBS Bank, we are on a mission to revolutionize and reimagine banking by integrating it seamlessly into the everyday lives of our customers. With digital innovation at the core of our operations, we design cutting-edge products and services for our customers, and collaborate closely with the FinTech community. Our vision is to transform banking into a simple, efficient, and invisible part of modern life so we can help others Live More, Bank Less.

As we embark on a major transformation program, we are seeking passionate technologists to join us on this exciting journey.

Job Purpose:

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Platform Head of Technology to lead the strategic development and delivery of cutting-edge technology solutions across our investment, and insurance products. This role requires expertise in wealth management technologies such as portfolio management platforms, robo-advisory systems, financial planner and insurance. You will also bring a deep understanding of industry trends, regulatory frameworks, and digital transformation in wealth management under retail banking.

You will lead a large engineering team and be responsible for modernizing technology stacks, promoting the adoption of new methodologies, and implementing cutting-edge solutions to enhance system performance and resilience.

As the Platform Head of Technology, you will drive the innovation and development of secure, scalable, and client-focused technology infrastructure that powers our insurance and investment services, ensuring that they are fully integrated, compliant, and aligned with our business goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of over 800 engineers across offices in Asia, ensuring alignment with business goals and driving engineering excellence.
• Oversee the engineering and production operations of core applications that support Investment and Insurance products regionally.
• Lead the design, development, and execution of technology solutions for both wealth management and insurance products, including portfolio management systems, robo-advisors, and insurance digital platforms. Ensure these platforms provide seamless, secure, and personalized client experiences across multiple channels.
• Drive technology behind sophisticated portfolio management systems for wealth management clients, ensuring features like asset allocation, real-time analytics, performance tracking, and portfolio optimization. Enhance tools that provide retail investors with actionable insights.
• Lead the development of AI-powered robo-advisory platforms that provide automated financial planning and investment recommendations, ensuring these systems are data-driven, user-friendly, and adaptive to client needs.
• Champion the resilience, availability, and scalability of mission-critical systems. Ensure consistent and superior client experience by collaborating with business and technology teams.
• Ensure all technology solutions in both wealth management and insurance comply with industry regulations. Drive technology solutions that protect client data, maintain compliance, and support risk management processes.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders, business leaders to ensure technology solutions align with business objectives and customer’s need. Present complex technical insights to executive leadership and non-technical teams to influence strategic decision-making.
• Lead efforts to enhance processes, systems, and team efficiency through the application of SRE principles and industry best practices. Advocate for a culture of continuous improvement across all engineering and operational teams.
• Provide guidance, mentoring, and technical leadership to engineers, advising on best practices, advanced reliability techniques, and new technologies.

Required Qualifications

• At least 15 years of experience in leading technology teams and managing large-scale systems in a complex environment. Experience in the Insurance & Investment sectors is highly desirable.
• Proven track record in developing and managing wealth management platforms (e.g., portfolio management, robo-advisory) and insurance technologies.
• A solid track record of delivering highly stable, resilient systems, particularly for equity trading, high-frequency, low-latency environments, and SRE applications.
• Experience managing cloud-based environments (AWS, Cloud Foundry, or equivalent) is highly desired.
• Experience in managing high availability, high-scale, and performant systems.
• Strong knowledge of Core Java 8, cloud platforms (AWS, Cloud Foundry), distributed architectures, microservices, and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS).
• Demonstrated success in leading large-scale transformation programs focused on production resilience, performance, and client experience.
• Strong leadership in building and managing high-performing technical teams.
• Proven experience with Agile methodologies and Test Driven Development (TDD)
• Familiarity with machine learning applications in production systems is advantageous.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic Vision and Leadership\: Develop and execute a comprehensive technology roadmap that aligns with the organization's business goals, particularly in the realms of investment and insurance products.
• Expertise in Wealth Management Technologies: Possess in-depth knowledge of portfolio management platforms, robo-advisory systems, and financial planning tools to drive innovation and efficiency.
• Regulatory Acumen: Stay abreast of industry trends and regulatory frameworks to ensure all technology solutions comply with current laws and standards.
• Digital Transformation Proficiency: Lead initiatives to modernize legacy systems, adopt new methodologies, and implement cutting-edge solutions that enhance system performance and resilience.
• Team Leadership: Manage and inspire a large engineering team, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and high performance.
• Client-Centric Approach\: Develop secure, scalable, and client-focused technology infrastructures that enhance the customer experience and support business objectives.
• Operational Excellence\: Ensure the seamless integration of technology solutions across investment and insurance services, maintaining high standards of system reliability and availability.

These factors are critical for success in a senior technology leadership role within a global financial institution, ensuring that technological advancements effectively support and drive business strategies.