Head of Operations

Role overview

This opportunity is with a financial institution in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) seeking a Head of Operations to oversee custody operations from end to end. The position reports to the General Manager and covers the operational handling of trade settlement, asset servicing, and the secure safekeeping of digital securities for sovereign entities, institutions, and professional clients.

What you will do

• Run the daily custody workflow, including trade settlement, asset servicing, and safekeeping of digital securities.
• Set up and strengthen operational controls, administrative processes, and reporting routines.
• Build and maintain an effective team and systems environment that supports custody operations.
• Shape and implement an operations strategy that supports business growth targets.
• Drive automation and digitization initiatives to support the launch of new products.
• Maintain compliance with local and international regulatory obligations.
• Manage private key processes end to end using MPC, HSM, and cold-storage arrangements.
• Develop and oversee the wallet management framework.
• Handle atomic settlement processes and delivery-versus-payment (DvP) workflows.
• Support the operational delivery of digital securities on-chain, including automated corporate actions through smart contracts.

Candidate profile

The role requires a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, along with 8 to 10 years of custody operations experience in a global bank or CSD. At least 5 of those years should be in a senior management capacity. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of global clearing and settlement, custody operations, corporate action processing, and asset servicing, plus a solid grasp of financial markets, products, exchange operations, and worldwide regulatory standards.

Additional information

This is a senior-level opportunity based in the UAE. Interested candidates may apply or contact Kayte Short at Eden Rose for more information.