AVP - Research and Technology Innovation

Lead transformative R&D to drive aggressive growth in Fintech and adjacent domains, leveraging deep tech (AI/ML, IoT, Embedded Systems, Cybersecurity) to build world-class, secure identity and payment solutions.

Establish clear expectations, hold team members accountable and incentivize proactive issue resolution to deliver world class innovative solutions.

Security & Identity Management :

• Ensure cutting-edge research in decentralized ID (DID), blockchain identity systems, MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication), and cybersecurity innovations.

Strategic Leadership & Impact Areas:

• Identity & Security Leadership:  Pioneer decentralized ID (DID), blockchain identity, MFA, and cybersecurity R&D.
• AI/ML & Deep Tech Innovation:  Spearhead development of biometrics (face/Finger/iris/voice), fraud detection, predictive analytics, and IoT/wearables integration.
• Product & IP Generation:  Translate research into prototypes/PoC’s/MVPs and secure patents for novel algorithms/designs.
• Tech Roadmap & Transformation:  Define and execute R&D strategy aligned with fintech regulations and market demands.
• Integration Architecture :
  Ensure seamless integration of AI, IoT data, cloud platforms, and identity solutions into existing fintech ecosystems.

Technical Leadership

• Team Building & Mentoring :
  Building high-performing R&D teams, stakeholder management, strategic thinking.

Operational Responsibilities

• Team Building:  Foster a culture of creativity, accountability, and research excellence.
• Resource Management:  Optimize R&D budget allocation and track project ROI.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:  Bridge R&D with Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Regulatory teams.
• Ecosystem Engagement:  Manage vendors, academic partners, and startups for joint innovation.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Risk Assessment in New Technologies :
  Evaluate technological risks (e.g., data privacy, ethical AI usage, IoT vulnerabilities) and put mitigation plans in place during the research phase.

Key Differentiators for Candidates:

• Proven Impact:  Demonstrate how your R&D leadership directly drove product innovation/growth in Fintech.
• IP Portfolio:  Highlight filed/granted patents relevant to AI, identity, or embedded systems.
• Thought Leadership:  Showcase conference presentations, whitepapers, or standards body participation.
• Technical Agility:  Ability to connect deep tech (Embedded, AI, IoT, Security) into cohesive solutions.
• Growth Mindset:  Passion for building teams and scaling innovation in a high-growth environment.
• Internal Evangelism : Promote a culture of innovation, learning, and agility inside the organization, regularly conducting workshops, hackathons, and ideation programs.

Stakeholder & Vendor Management

• Collaborate with clients, internal teams, academia and third-party vendors.
• Evaluate and manage outsourcing partners and technology providers.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• Bachelor’s/master’s degree in engineering (Electronics, Computer Science, or related field)
• PhD-calibre leader  with 15+ years’ experience, blending Fintech domain expertise, hands-on AI/Embedded/IoT skills, you excel at translating market needs into IP-protected innovations while managing complex stakeholder and vendor relationships.
• Product Development, and Project Management with  proven Fintech expertise .
• Jira, Git, MPP or debugging tools expertise
• Technical Mastery:  Embedded systems, software architecture, product lifecycle management.
• Domain Knowledge:  Payment systems, digital wallets, banking APIs, embedded hardware.
• Leadership:  Building high-performing R&D teams, stakeholder management, strategic thinking.

Desirable Traits:

• AI/ML Depth:  Hands-on experience in identity/fraud-focused AI model development.
• Cybersecurity & Identity:  Mastery of secure identity frameworks (DID, MFA) and fintech security principles.
• IoT Ecosystem:  Hardware/software integration for wearables/smart devices.
• Cloud & Data:  Cloud-native architecture and big data analytics implementation.
• IP & Compliance:  Proven patent filing experience and regulatory awareness (finance/data).
• Agile R&D:  Project management in fast-paced, iterative research environments.

A technically deep, Passion for mentoring and evangelizing innovation is essential.