Director, Software Engineering
CIBC India
Job Description
What Youll Be Doing (position summary): Director of Software Engineering at CIBC, this role will serve as a member of the US TDAI Leadership Team alongside our CIO. The incumbent will be responsible for overseeing all US Software Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering, and QA Engineering operations based in India. As a Director of Software Engineering, you set technical direction and drive portfolio-level delivery of secure, scalable, and resilient software that advances enterprise strategy and elevates client experience.
You shape engineering strategy and architecture, solve complex cross-functional problems, and align roadmaps across teams to deliver measurable outcomes. You influence senior leadership with data-driven recommendations, establish standards and guardrails, and mentor teams to raise engineering quality, automation, reliability, and observability. You oversee risk management within your area and ensure compliance in partnership with Compliance and Audit, embedding risk-aware practices while maintaining velocity, and champion a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
As part of the Technology, Data & AI (TDAI) team, this role also serves as the site lead for the TDAI department at the CIBC India location, providing local leadership presence, enabling cross-site alignment, and helping build a strong, connected engineering culture in support of enterprise and TDAI priorities. At CIBC India we enable the work environment most optimal for you to thrive in your role. Details on your work arrangement (including on-site and remote work) will be discussed at the time of your interview.
How Youll Succeed (responsibilities): Enterprise Strategy and Technical Direction: Set long-term technical direction aligned to enterprise and Technology, Data & AI (TDAI) priorities. Define architecture roadmaps, standards, and guardrails, and drive modernization, automation, and platform investments to deliver secure, scalable, and resilient systems. Portfolio Leadership and Delivery Execution: Lead cross-functional portfolios and programs, resolving complex, high-impact issues across teams and platforms.
Align dependencies and resources, make data-informed trade-offs, and ensure quality, reliability, performance, and delivery excellence. Industry and Domain Leadership: Apply knowledge of banking products, services, regulations, and industry trends to influence strategic decisions. Translate market, regulatory, and technology insights into actionable product, platform, and engineering direction.
Risk and Compliance Governance: Oversee risk management and governance within area of responsibility, align practices to strategic objectives, and ensure compliance adherence and reporting in partnership with Compliance and Audit. Stakeholder Influence and Organizational Impact: Influence senior leaders and cross-functional teams through clear communication of strategy, outcomes, risks, and decisions. Mentor leaders and engineers, raise engineering standards, and build organizational capability through coaching and knowledge sharing.
Site Leadership and Team Development: Serve as the site lead for the TDAI organization at the CIBC India location, fostering a strong local leadership presence, cross-region alignment, and a high-performing, inclusive culture. COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS/RESPONSIBILITIES: As an employee of CIBC, the incumbent must comply with all applicable CIBC and Line of Business policies, standards, guidelines and controls. As a manager of people, this job must ensure all employees within the business unit comply with all applicable CIBC and Line of Business policies, standards, guidelines and controls.
AUTHORITIES/DECISION RIGHTS: As a key contributor to the business unit, this job has the authority to recommend changes to business processes in order to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. As a manager of people, this job has the authority to assign tasks to employees within their span of control, select individuals for hire, assess individual performance, make employee compensation decisions and take disciplinary measures up to and including termination. CONDUCT & CULTURE RISK: Our CIBC risk culture is based on employees striving to exceed the expectations of ourselves and our leaderships identification and mitigation of risks in their daily responsibilities, not just in quarterly or annual monitoring/assessments.
We all are accountable for managing risk. As an employee of CIBC the incumbent must conduct themselves (and foster an environment for others) in a manner consistent with our strong risk culture. This includes: Following all aspects of the CIBC Code of Conduct, as well as all applicable CIBC policies, frameworks, guidelines, processes and controls At all times acting in accordance with our Purpose and shared values, to achieve our Banks strategic goals Understanding and following the qualitative and quantitative components of our Risk Appetite Statements Completing all annual Corporate Mandatory Training and Testing modules, as well as any additional business-specific modules, as required and employing the learnings in daily activities and undertakings Escalating matters through one of the appropriate channels identified in the CIBC Code of Conduct (i.e., HR, management, Ethics Hotline, Whistleblower, etc.) upon observing activities that may be inconsistent with CIBCs policies, frameworks, guidelines, processes and controls Speaking up if witnessing behaviors that drive poor or unfair outcomes for clients, team members or other stakeholders Escalating matters that can result in adverse market practices and outcomes, thereby negatively impacting CIBCs reputation as a leading financial institution Experience: 15+ years of experience.
Who You Are (skills/qualifications): Must Have Skills: 15+ years of related experience OR Combination of education and experience, ideally within financial services or tech Experience building cloud-native applications Experience with Azure, AWS, or GCP (Azure preferred, but any major cloud platform is acceptable) Expert knowledge of banking products, services, and industry regulations; thorough understanding of current and emerging industry trends and developments; ability to shape departmental strategies using industry knowledge Ability to solve high-level, complex problems impacting the organization Ability to influence senior leadership and cross-functional teams Ability to set long-term strategic direction and solve high-level challenges that impact the organization as a whole Oversee risk management frameworks, influence risk culture, and align risk management with strategic objectives Ensure comprehensive compliance with all relevant regulations within their area of responsibility; manage relationships with Compliance and Audit teams; oversee compliance adherence and reporting within their area of responsibility Demonstrated ability to provide senior site leadership, fostering an engaged, high-performing culture aligned to enterprise values and priorities Experience leading distributed teams across geographies and driving alignment across global stakeholders and time zones Ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent, while building local leadership capability Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to represent the function and location effectively with senior leaders, partners, and teams Ability to lead through organizational change, establish effective operating rhythms, and support the growth and maturity of a developing site or function Understanding of the broader Technology, Data & AI ecosystem, with ability to partner across engineering, data, architecture, platform, and delivery teams About CIBC: CIBC is a leading North American bank, with a history of more than 150 years of living our purpose - to help make your ambition a reality. Client relationships are at the centre of our strategy, and our growth is enabled by a highly engaged and connected global team. From digital banking to community impact, were proud to drive progress for our clients and our communities.
Recognized for our culture, award-winning innovation and community investment, CIBC continues to evolve by putting people and progress at the centre of everything we do. About CIBC India: CIBC India is a technology and operations hub in Hyderabad, where youll be part of our highly engaged and global team, and play a central role in supporting our growth. Whether youre driving innovation in digital banking or streamlining client onboarding, youll be part of a culture recognized for excellence and investment in people.
At CIBC India, people and progress are at the centre of what we do: youll develop skills, collaborate with industry leaders, and see your ideas realized in a culture that values progress and belonging. We provide cutting-edge resources, ongoing learning, and a supportive environment where people come first. If youre ready to create meaningful change and build your future, CIBC India is where your ambition meets opportunity.