Head of Governance, QA & Procurement

The Head of Governance, QA & Procurement at Mobilink Microfinance Bank Ltd. (MMBL) provides executive leadership and oversight for critical Pillar 5 functions, including IT Governance, SBP Audit Compliance, Software Quality Assurance (SQA), Change Advisory Board (CAB) Secretariat, and IT Procurement. This role is responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance, driving quality assurance processes, managing vendor relationships, and leading audit remediation efforts to support the bank’s technology and risk management objectives.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead the remediation roadmap for State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) IT audit findings, ensuring timely closure of regulatory observations and adherence to compliance policies across all IT domains.
- Develop and enforce stringent Change Advisory Board (CAB) gating policies, Release Management protocols, and Segregation of Duties (SoD) boundaries to maintain robust IT operational controls.
- Oversee independent Software Quality Assurance (SQA) activities, ensuring thorough internal code sanitization and automated regression testing before business User Acceptance Testing (UAT) handoffs.
- Manage IT vendor procurement processes, including Request for Proposal (RFP) commercial evaluations, tracking 12-month Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) renewals, and ensuring software license compliance to optimize technology expenditures.
- Serve as the primary executive liaison for internal and external IT audits, SBP regulatory inspections, and enterprise risk reviews, representing the bank’s IT governance interests.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related discipline.
- A minimum of 12 to 15 years of progressive IT leadership experience within banking or financial services, including at least 5 years in a senior role focused on IT Governance, Audit, or Quality Assurance.
- Deep expertise in State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) BPRD/IT guidelines, Enterprise Risk frameworks, and regulatory compliance standards.
- Strong knowledge of ITIL, COBIT, Change Management, and Segregation of Duties (SoD) governance frameworks.
- Proven strategic ability to implement independent SQA quality gates, shift-left automated testing methodologies, and effective vendor management practices.
- Exceptional executive communication skills, audit negotiation experience, and demonstrated capability to lead cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits

- Professional certifications such as CISA, CRISC, CISM, or ITIL v4 Master are highly desirable.
- Opportunity to work at MMBL’s Head Office, a leading microfinance institution serving over 48 million registered users with a hybrid model combining traditional microfinance and digital banking.
- Join a forward-thinking organization committed to financial inclusion through innovative mobile and branchless banking solutions, including MSME loans, small housing loans, remittances, mobile wallets, and various payment services.
- Be part of a dynamic team that values innovation, entrepreneurship, collaboration, and a customer-centric approach.
- This role offers a unique chance to contribute to transformative change, empowering millions of customers with digital tools to succeed in today’s evolving financial landscape.

MMBL is dedicated to fostering a positive and productive workplace culture, emphasizing teamwork and continuous improvement. This position is ideal for a seasoned IT governance professional passionate about making a meaningful impact in the financial services sector.