~ $
Available · Full-time & fractional Tech Leader · Dubai, open to relocation & remote

I build and scale technology platforms, and the teams that run them.

13 years building and leading technology platforms, with deep roots in e-commerce and payments. I started on the payments side at Amazon Payment Services (then PayFort), then spent ten years at Golden Scent, Saudi Arabia's leading online perfume and beauty retailer. I joined as a web developer and left as VP of Technology, running a team of 25 across backend, web, mobile, QA, DevOps and data.

Book a 30-min call → See my work
13 yrsin e-commerce, 10 at the region's leading beauty retailer
25engineers led across six disciplines
5 hrscutover for a full platform migration
6payment partners launched across the Gulf
Selected work

Big changes, shipped safely, on a live business.

MODERNISATION · 2025–2026 Golden Scent

Modernising a 12-year-old legacy platform, with a new website and mobile apps

Replaced the 12-year-old system the whole business ran on, and launched a brand-new website and mobile apps alongside it. I set the strategy, planned and ran the programme, and merged three separate frontend teams into one product team. The move from Magento 1 to Adobe Commerce went live with the business trading throughout.

T−0
Freeze, final data sync, DNS switch
T+5h
Live on Adobe Commerce, orders flowing
12-year legacy retired New website + apps 5-hour cutover Lower run costs 3 teams → 1
PAYMENTS · MENA Golden Scent

A payments strategy built for how the Gulf actually pays

I've worked on both sides of payments: first building the gateway at Amazon Payment Services (then PayFort), then as the merchant. At Golden Scent I set the checkout and payments roadmap and brought on local wallets, cards and buy-now-pay-later partners, designed in failover pairs so a failing provider could be switched out without losing checkout.

Apple Pay STC Pay Tamara Tabby Checkout.com Payfort
TEAM · GROWTH Golden Scent

Growing the team alongside the business

Grew the technology function as the company grew: from its first mobile apps to a global storefront that took the brand beyond Saudi Arabia. I built a team of 25 across six disciplines and promoted the backend, frontend and QA leads from within.

25 engineers 6 disciplines Leads grown in-house Global storefront
Fractional CTO

Senior technology leadership, without a full-time hire.

For growing businesses that need a steady hand on their platform, team or roadmap. Fixed scopes, clear outcomes.

2–3 weeks · fixed price

Tech & architecture audit

An honest view of your platform, costs, team and risks, with a prioritised 90-day plan.

2–4 weeks · fixed price

Cloud cost audit & optimisation

Find where your cloud bill is going and cut it through right-sizing, better commitments and architecture changes, without putting reliability at risk.

Project-based

Replatforming & migration

Plan and lead a move to Adobe Commerce, headless or a new stack, with a cutover your customers won't notice.

Project-based

Programme & delivery leadership

Take a stalled or high-risk initiative, such as a migration, a launch or an integration, and get it shipped. Clear plan, the right delivery process, and one accountable owner from kickoff to go-live.

Project-based

Checkout & payments for MENA

Add or fix wallets, BNPL and gateways to lift conversion and cut payment costs.

Monthly retainer

Ongoing fractional CTO

A set number of days a month to lead your roadmap, hiring, vendors and engineering practices.

A good fit if you're a growing online retailer or marketplace, a startup that needs its first technology leader, or a company whose platform has become too slow or costly to change.

About

Builder first, leader second.

I'm a Jordanian technology leader based in Dubai. I still think like the engineer I started as: I care about what ships, what it costs to run, and whether the team can own it after I leave the room.

I like end-to-end ownership, direct conversations and doing real scale with a small, strong team. I'm AWS-certified and open to relocating for the right role.

Looking for: a full-time CTO, VP or Head of Technology role, or fractional CTO engagements.

Path
  1. 2013
    Web developer in Amman, building for media and digital clients
  2. 2015
    Software engineer at Amazon Payment Services (then PayFort): instalments, merchant billing and e-commerce plugins for the gateway
  3. 2016
    Joined Golden Scent as a web developer; grew to senior developer and team lead
  4. 2020
    Engineering Manager, Product: website, mobile apps and the MENA payments rollout
  5. 2021–2026
    VP of Technology, reporting to the CEO: roadmap, budget, vendors, and the legacy platform modernisation
  6. Now
    Open to full-time and fractional CTO work
Technology strategyTeam buildingOrg designReplatformingPaymentsCloud cost optimisation
Off the clock

Husband, and dad to a toddler who is easily my toughest stakeholder. She has taught me more about prioritisation than any roadmap.

Piano

Practice with no deadline and no shortcuts. Good for a mind that spends all day on systems.

Swimming

The one place where nobody can send me a Slack message.

Coffee

The first deploy of every day. Always happy to talk tech over one.

Contact

Hiring, or need a CTO for a while?

Tell me what you're building. I reply within a day.

Book a call 30 min → Email hello@yazantommalieh.com LinkedIn /in/yazantommalieh →