MEA Head of Applications Engineering

MEA Head of Applications Engineering - Cigna Healthcare

This leader establishes engineering excellence across the organization by maintaining the application portfolio, driving the adoption of DevSecOps, developing engineering talent, and partnering with Business Owners, Agile Product Owners, Enterprise and Systems Architects, Legal and Compliance teams, and Release Train Engineers to accelerate value delivered.

The successful candidate will be a collaboratively minded, technology-savvy leader who can translate business and technology strategy into application portfolio strategy, deliver outcomes through regional and global teams' collaboration and optimization. Success in this role requires strong stakeholder management, financial acumen, cultural awareness, and the ability to lead through influence within a matrix organization on top of the technical skills.

Role Summary

Partnering closely with the MEA CIO, business leaders, MEA Head of Transformation, regional CIOs, the global Service Line teams, the role drives the technology evolution through world class Agile delivery, engineering leadership, and reliable technology operations across the Middle East and Africa regions.

The role provides technology operating model leadership and maturity across the application management lifecycle, including application portfolio strategy, architecture, delivery, support, operations, and governance. It is accountable for building scalable and resilient technology capabilities, strengthening production support, optimizing technology investments, and ensuring solutions meet business, customer, operational, and regulatory needs. The strong technology and engineering know-how must be applied in a balanced manner between delivering the Product Owners' backlog as efficiently as possible while also managing the technology debt backlog.

Key Responsibilities

• Engineering Excellence across Agile Release Trains

• Execute the regional technology and application strategy in alignment with business objectives and global and local technology strategy and priorities.

• Lead regional technology teams and influence global teams to drive delivery excellence, engineering discipline, and operational effectiveness.

• Govern technology delivery, application support, and operations to ensure scalable, resilient, and customer-focused solutions.

• Ensure compliance with cybersecurity, risk, regulatory, and governance requirements.

• Agile Release Train (ART) Enablement

• Partner with Release Train Engineers (RTEs), agile coaches and change managers to drive adoption of Agile (SAFe), DevOps, and modern engineering practices to improve speed, quality, and reliability

• Support Product Owners, Scrum masters, and System Architects in delivery

• Remove systemic delivery bottlenecks.

• Ensure capacity planning supports business priorities.

• Enable cross-ART and cross portfolio collaboration.

• DevSecOps and Continuous Delivery

• Implement Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery practices.

• Enable automated testing and quality controls.

• Embed security into engineering workflows.

• Improve release automation and deployment frequency.

• Product-Centric Delivery Support

• Support Product Managers and Product Owners in the definition of their product roadmap and ensuring both strategic and tech debt investments are made.

• Improve customer-centric delivery practices.

• Encourage outcome-based planning and measurement.

• Manage budgets, resources, and vendor investments to maximize business value and cost efficiency.

Requirements

• 10+ years of technology leadership experience managing complex multi-country technology landscapes supported by regional and global teams.

• Proven ability to execute on regional technology strategies, roadmaps, and measurable outcomes.

• Broad experience across technology strategy, architecture, engineering, delivery, support, technology operations, risk management, and customer facing applications.

• Strong understanding of enterprise technology, modern engineering practices, data platforms, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, including AI.

• Strong experience operating within Agile Operating Models, DevOps, and product-centric delivery environments.

• Background in Health Insurance, Insurance, or Financial Services.

• Strong understanding of technology economics, Tech total cost of ownership and strategic and tactical cost levers.

• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders, including C-level business and technology leaders.

• Broad experience in people management, building tech leadership and high-performance tech delivery organisations.

• Proven success working across global teams and delivering outcomes in a matrix organization through collaboration and influence.

• Strong cultural awareness and understanding of Middle East and Africa business environments and market dynamics.

• About Cigna Healthcare

• Cigna Healthcare, a division of The Cigna Group, is an advocate for better health through every stage of life. We guide our customers through the health care system, empowering them with the information and insight they need to make the best choices for improving their health and vitality. Join us in driving growth and improving lives.

• Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, age, disability, sex, childbirth (including pregnancy) or related medical conditions including but not limited to lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital or familial status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by applicable equal employment opportunity laws.

• About The Cigna Group

• Doing something meaningful starts with a simple decision, a commitment to changing lives.

• At The Cigna Group, we’re dedicated to improving the health and vitality of those we serve. Through our divisions Cigna Healthcare and Evernorth Health Services, we are committed to enhancing the lives of our clients, customers and patients.

• Join us in driving growth and improving lives.