Director of Internal IT

Shine exists to help freelancers and small business owners reclaim the joy of working for themselves.

Running a business shouldn't mean drowning in financial admin - it should be inspiring and rewarding. Our app brings banking, invoicing, accounting and admin together in one place, so entrepreneurs can focus on what matters most: growing their business and enjoying the freedom of working for themselves.

We're a multicultural team of over 400 people across France, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. By bringing together leading European fintechs like Shine, Kontist and Tellow, we've built a single, intuitive platform designed for simplicity, speed and accuracy - backed by local, award-winning support.

Your hiring experience matters

Just as we respect our customers' time, we respect yours. Your experience with Shine should feel simple, transparent and genuinely supportive.

If this sounds like somewhere you want to grow, we'd love to hear from you.

📍Job location in Paris, Berlin or Copenhagen, Hybrid with 3 days in the office

🚫 What this role is NOT

This position is fully focused on internal IT operations. It does not include :

• Software engineering or managing development teams

• R&D, product development, Agile delivery or tech strategy

• Cloud platform management or infrastructure operations

• DevOps or CI/CD ownership

• Security architecture or enterprise-level cloud governance

📋 Your role as a Director of IT

We are looking for a Director of IT to own and drive the technology operations strategy across Shine AS. This is a senior leader role where you will set the vision for IT service delivery, security, and compliance across a multi-product, multi- country fintech organization. You have a strong track record of leading large‑scale IT transformation programs - including post‑acquisition integration, systems consolidation, and change management in fast‑growing or PE‑backed environments.

As Director of IT, you will be accountable for end-to-end IT operations, building and scaling a high-performing IT team, and partnering with executive leadership to align technology capabilities with business strategy. You will champion a culture of service excellence, operational rigor, and continuous improvement while ensuring the organization meets the highest standards of information security and regulatory compliance.

What You'll Own

• IT Strategy & Vision : Define and execute the IT strategy and multi-year roadmap, ensuring alignment with business objectives across all Shine AS entities.

• Organizational Leadership: Build, scale, and develop a high-performing IT team. Set team structure, hiring plans, and career development frameworks.

• Security & Compliance : Own the execution of the information security program, including ISO 27001 certification scope expansion, GDPR compliance, and security incident response.

• Service Excellence: Define SLAs, implement ITSM best practices, and drive measurable improvements in service delivery, user satisfaction, and operational efficiency.

• Vendor & Budget Management: Own IT vendor relationships and negotiate contracts. Manage IT operational budgets and drive cost optimization.

• Risk & Governance: Join enterprise IT risk management, conduct security assessments, and establish governance frameworks for technology decisions.

• Infrastructure & Operations: Oversee reliability, scalability, and security of all IT systems and IT infrastructure. Drive automation and operational excellence.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Act as a strategic partner to Engineering, Finance, Legal, and People teams. Represent IT in executive forums.

Your Profile

Required

• 8+ years of progressive IT management experience, including 3+ years at a senior/director level leading IT teams across multiple sites or business units.

• Expertise in information security frameworks (ISO 27001, NIST, CIS Controls) with hands-on experience driving certification programs.

• Proven track record of building and scaling IT teams, setting organizational structure, and developing talent.

• Strong experience with IT service management (ITIL) and delivering measurable service improvements.

• Experience managing IT budgets, vendor negotiations, and strategic procurement.

• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills; comfortable presenting to C-suite and senior leadership.

• Experience operating in multi-country, multi-product environments, ideally in fintech, financial services, or other regulated industries.

• Strong English communication skills.

Preferred

• Relevant certifications: CISSP, CISM, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, ITIL Expert/Managing Professional.

• Experience with GDPR, DORA, or other data protection and financial compliance frameworks.

• Project/program management credentials (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent).

• Background in M&A technology integration and post-acquisition IT consolidation.

• Leadership Qualities

• Strategic thinker who can translate business objectives into technology priorities.

• Service-first mindset with genuine empathy for end users and stakeholders.

• Strong decision-maker who can operate with autonomy and navigate ambiguity.

• Collaborative leader who builds trust across functions and seniority levels.

• Continuous improvement orientation with a bias for measurable outcomes.

What Success Looks Like

• 90 Days : Completed comprehensive assessment of IT landscape across all group entities. Established relationships with key stakeholders and executive leadership. Identified strategic priorities and quick wins. Presented initial IT strategy proposal.

• 6 Months: Delivered measurable service improvements with defined SLAs. Advanced ISO 27001 scope expansion across acquired entities. Built or restructured the IT team with clear roles and accountability.

• 12 Months: Delivered the IT roadmap with measurable business impact. Achieved compliance milestones across the group. Established a scalable IT operating model supporting continued growth and acquisitions.

Why Join Us

• Executive impact: Shape IT strategy at the group level and directly influence business outcomes across multiple countries and products.

• Growth trajectory: Lead transformation in a scaling fintech group with active M&A, offering exceptional scope for career development.

• Autonomy & ownership: Own the IT function end-to-end with the mandate and support to build it your way.

• Collaborative culture: Join a leadership team that values pragmatism, innovation, and getting things done.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We follow the principle of equal treatment to consider all job applicants and do not discriminate based on their gender, sexual orientation, color, racial or ethnic origin, religion, disability, etc. as per applicable law.

💚 Our recruitment process

1️⃣ A 45' first call with Cristiana Martins (Senior Talent Acquisition Manager) to get to know you better and share more about Shine.

2️⃣ A 45' interview with Allan Ebdrup (VP Global Platform) to discuss your past experiences and the role we are offering.

3️⃣ A 45' business case presentation to highlight your skills and give you a hands-on feel for the role.

4️⃣ A 45' Executive Alignment conversation

5️⃣ A soft skills assessment and interview to see how we can best support your growth at Shine.