Head of Tech - KSA

We are seeking a Head of Tech to drive the technology strategy and execution across multiple startups within our venture studio, ensuring scalable and sustainable growth from ideation to spinout. This role will oversee the development and implementation of scalable, innovative, and robust technology solutions that drive the success of our startups. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background, hands-on experience in building and scaling startups, and the ability to balance strategic leadership with technical execution.

Technology Leadership & Strategy

• Provide visibility to Studio Management on tech initiatives and be a Point of contact for wider ecosystem within Sanabil Ecosystem.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive technology strategy for ventures at different stages from ideation to post-carve-out.
• Define tech stacks and architectural frameworks for building scalable MVPs.
• Establish best practices for software development, DevOps, cybersecurity, and data management.
• Ensure that each venture's technology strategy aligns with business objectives and market needs.
• Stay ahead of emerging trends and disruptive technologies to enhance our ventures' competitive advantage.
• Focus on building technical foundations for new ventures, ensuring MVPs are scalable and investor-ready, and supporting technical transitions as ventures grow.

Technical Execution & Product Development

• Oversee the end-to-end development of MVPs, ensuring rapid iteration, price feasibility, and scalability.
• Set engineering standards, coding guidelines, and development workflows across ventures.
• Drive technical due diligence on new venture ideas to assess feasibility, scalability, and risks.
• Implement agile development processes, ensuring efficient collaboration between product and engineering teams.
• Ensure secure, compliant, and scalable architectures, particularly for ventures handling sensitive data and understand local Saudi data regulations around PDPL.

Team Building & Talent Management

• Recruit, mentor, and manage in-house and outsourced engineering teams across multiple ventures.
• Develop a scalable talent model, leveraging internal engineers, freelance experts, and third-party development firms based on each venture's needs.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning within the tech teams.
• Implement knowledge-sharing mechanisms to ensure consistency and efficiency across ventures.

Vendor & Partner Management

• Identify, evaluate, and negotiate with third-party technology vendors, cloud providers, and development partners.
• Manage contracts, ensuring cost-effectiveness, compliance, and high service quality.
• Oversee the integration of external APIs, SaaS tools, and third-party services into venture products.

Scalability & Operational Efficiency

• Optimize cloud infrastructure and DevOps processes to ensure high performance, security, and cost-efficiency.
• Establish monitoring and analytics frameworks for tracking product and technology performance.
• Develop playbooks and reusable frameworks that accelerate venture development timelines.
• Ensure cross-functional alignment between tech, product, and business teams to drive venture success.

The Head of Tech will need to navigate the following challenges effectively:

• Scalability & Adaptability: Ensuring venture tech stacks can support rapid growth.
• Tech Talent Acquisition: Attracting and retaining top engineering talent in a competitive market.
• Speed vs. Stability: Balancing rapid MVP iteration with long-term technical stability.
• Cybersecurity & Compliance: Implementing robust security protocols while ensuring compliance with Saudi and global regulations.
• Tech Debt Management: Avoiding excessive technical debt while maintaining speed in early-stage development.
• Cross-Venture Standardization: Developing shared technical frameworks while allowing flexibility for individual ventures.

• 10+ years of experience in technology leadership roles, ideally within startups, venture studios, or high-growth tech companies.
• Proven track record in building and scaling tech-driven startups, from MVP to market launch.
• Strong expertise in software development, cloud architecture (AWS, GCP, Azure), DevOps, and cybersecurity.
• Hands-on experience with modern tech stacks, including backend, frontend, AI, and mobile technologies.
• Deep understanding of agile methodologies, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure automation like AI tool for SDLC.
• Experience managing distributed engineering teams and working with external development partners.
• Strong business acumen, with the ability to align technology strategies with venture growth objectives.
• Fluent in English and Arabic.