Head of IT

About Credit Saison IndiaEstablished in 2019, Credit Saison India (CS India) is one of the country’s fastest-growing Non-Bank Financial Company (NBFC) lenders, with verticals in wholesale, direct lending and tech-enabled partnerships with Non-Bank Financial Companies (NBFCs) and fintechs with a vision to unlock India’s financial potential. Combining our tech-enabled model with underwriting capability has allowed us to lending at scale to meet India’s huge gap for credit, especially with underserved and under penetrated segments of the population. We continue to be on a mission to revolutionize the Indian lending landscape after reaching the Top 50 lenders in India in FY23.At CS India, we are committed to growing as a lender and evolving our offerings in India for the long-term for MSMEs, households, individuals and more. Being registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and one of the few marquee lenders in India that can claim to have an AAA rating from CRISIL (a subsidiary of S&P Global) and CARE Ratings, we are one of the strongest financial houses in India. having a branch network of 45 physical offices, 1.2 million active loans, an AUM of over US$1.5B and an employee base of about 1,000 people.Credit Saison India (CS India) is part of Saison International, a global financial company with a mission to bring people, partners and technology together, creating resilient and innovative financial solutions for positive impact.Across its business arms of lending and corporate venture capital, Saison International is committed to being a transformative partner in creating opportunities and enabling the dreams of people.Based in Singapore, over 1,000 employees work across Saison’s global operations spanning Singapore, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil.Saison International is the international headquarters (IHQ) of Credit Saison Company Limited, founded in 1951 and one of Japan’s largest lending conglomerates with over 70 years of history and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Company has evolved from a credit-card issuer to a diversified financial services provider across payments, leasing, finance, real estate and entertainment.Position Details:Role: Head of ITLevel: Strategic Leadership Hire (VP/Director Level)Reports To: Chief Technology Officer (CTO)About the RoleCredit Saison India is scaling rapidly into a significantly larger NBFC and Fintech organization. To support this growth, we are looking for a Head of IT to consolidate and strategically govern our technology operations. You will act as a strategic operator capable of running a complex, multi-vendor IT estate while holding your own in executive and regulatory conversations. This role requires a leader who will not merely manage operations, but actively define how the IT function operates within a fast-paced environment, bridging the gap between industry best practices and rapid technological adoption.Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Governance & Executive ReportingDefine the operational framework for how IT (excludes software engineering) works as a function within the organization.Own the end-to-end preparation and agenda-setting for IT Steering and Strategy Committee sessions.Synthesize technical, product, and project updates into executive-ready communications for the CTO and senior leadership.Act as the primary interface with the CFO's team regarding technology spending.Vendor Strategy & FinOpsOrchestrate a strategic vendor ecosystem that drives business value, innovation, and long-term scalability, moving beyond transactional management.Drive strategic business reviews with key enterprise partners to ensure alignment with organizational roadmaps and establish quantifiable value-realization metrics.Implement a robust FinOps and lifecycle management strategy, shifting from administrative oversight to proactive investment optimization to maximize ROI across the enterprise tech stack.Corporate IT & SaaS/PaaS AdministrationServe as the master account owner across all corporate and development platforms, including Google Workspace, M365, Workday, Salesforce, and AWS.Manage platform provisioning, renewals, and continuous cost optimization.Drive functional implementations and support for corporate tools, productivity suites, and endpoint management.Understand and fulfill the specific IT needs of branch offices and branch employees to maximize their productivity.Co-own Application Support workflows and operational playbooks to ensure SLAs are met and production issues are minimized.Enterprise Architecture & ComplianceOperate as the first line of defense by operationally owning IT controls, SaaS hygiene, access provisioning, device management, and vendor compliance.Oversee the execution of compliance action items originating from Audit Observations and IT Committee meetings.Track deliverables and report milestones for the Tech Strategy 1 to 2-Year Plan.Act as the primary SPOC and drive the execution of strategic projects, including the LMS Upgrade, DPDP compliance, and the transition to a Managed Services model.Candidate Profile & QualificationsA strong background in IT operations and strategy within financial services or a high-growth Fintech organization will be an advantage.Demonstrated strategic thinking, Scalable Solutions, Resource Optimisation and effective Stakeholder ManagementMinimum Experience of 15 YearsHands-on experience in vendor and program management for enterprise-scale platforms.A solid working understanding of security compliance and regulatory frameworks.The seniority, communication skills, and presence required to effectively engage with the C-suite, auditors, and external regulators.