
Maha Jamal
Verified Expert in Project Management
Project Manager
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Toptal member since November 12, 2025
Maha is a certified IT project manager with over nine years of experience leading Agile teams and complex programs across AI, cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP), digital transformation, and fintech. She excels in end-to-end delivery, stakeholder alignment, and risk management while leveraging tools such as Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps, and Microsoft Project. Skilled in Agile coaching and compliance, Maha drives scalable, secure, and revenue-focused solutions across the UAE, GCC, and remote roles.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Agile Delivery
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- IT Projects
- Jira
- Process Improvement Project Management
- Project Management
- Scrum Master
- Stakeholder Management
Work Experience
Senior Project Manager | Agile Coach
Mashreqbank
- Implemented Agile frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, and Lean across business and IT units, driving 30% faster release cycles, improving team collaboration, and achieving measurable gains in Agile maturity.
- Championed change management and process optimization initiatives that improved customer experience, reduced time to market for digital banking products by 20%, and strengthened stakeholder engagement and governance.
- Coached product owners, scrum masters, and cross-functional teams on Agile best practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability that increased sprint velocity by 22% and stakeholder satisfaction by 15%.
Project Manager
LocAI
- Delivered the AI-powered Mira customer experience platform for clients, including du, MOFA, Reem Hospital, and Axiom, using NLP and sentiment analysis to reduce service response time by 40% and lower operational overhead by 25%.
- Implemented Agile project governance frameworks with KPI dashboards, RAID logs, and PMO reporting via Jira, Confluence, and Power BI, achieving 95% stakeholder alignment and 20% faster release cycles across concurrent digital transformation projects.
- Delivered an AI note taker using speech-to-text and NLP to transcribe, summarize, and tag meetings, improving documentation accuracy by 35% and reducing manual note-taking effort by 60% across client teams.
- Optimized sprint planning and resource allocation across two AI projects, improving on-time delivery by 18% and reducing bottlenecks by 22%, and designed PMO dashboards in Jira and Confluence, increasing visibility by 30%.
Senior Technical Program Manager
DigitalOcean
- Directed the Angular to React migration for the SaaS platform Unified UX 3.0, improving delivery speed by 20% and team efficiency by 30% through Agile execution and backlog optimization.
- Managed end-to-end delivery of Cloudways Autonomous, developing an automation engine and AI-based monitoring system that reduced manual server operations by 60% and enhanced deployment scalability.
- Oversaw a cross-functional team of 25 engineers, implementing KPI-driven dashboards and Steerco-ready reporting that enabled real-time leadership decisions and increased client satisfaction by 10%.
- Facilitated user acceptance testing sessions with early adopters, gathering actionable feedback to improve usability and automation workflows, increasing customer adoption and satisfaction.
Project Manager
Xpert Digital
- Spearheaded the core banking transformation for Bank of Abyssinia and Bank of Oromia by integrating Temenos Infinity and Temenos Transact, improving transaction speed by 25% and data accuracy by 15%.
- Delivered digital banking applications with core banking integration for onboarding, KYC, payments, and fund transfers, achieving full regulatory compliance within a four-month go-live period.
- Guided cross-functional and vendor teams to implement API-driven core banking connectivity, enhancing platform interoperability and boosting customer experience by 20%.
Senior Scrum Master
Tps
- Oversaw the Agile delivery of the Iris Payment Gateway, implementing real-time, secure transaction processing that reduced payment processing time by 30%, improved scalability by 20%, and ensured on-budget delivery.
- Drove Agile transformation across more than 70 cross-functional teams by standardizing Scrum ceremonies, backlog refinement, and sprint reviews, increasing team productivity by 20% and delivery predictability.
- Established Agile governance frameworks with sprint KPIs, burndown tracking, and stakeholder demos, enhancing transparency and improving cross-team collaboration and stakeholder satisfaction by 25%.
Scrum Master
eDev Technologies
- Facilitated Agile delivery across multiple software development projects using Scrum, boosting sprint velocity by 20% and ensuring consistent, on-time delivery across teams.
- Introduced Agile ceremonies and backlog management practices, enhancing team transparency, reducing scope creep by 15%, and improving client communication.
- Collaborated with developers, quality assurance, and business analysts to streamline workflows, enhance cross-team coordination, and achieve 95% sprint goal completion.
Project History
Digital Core Banking Implementation
- 25% — Reduction in End-to-end Transaction Time Through Core Banking Integration
- 15% — Improvement in Data Consistency Between Front-end and Core Banking Systems
The client faced operational inefficiencies due to legacy systems that caused slow transactions and data inaccuracies. They also faced a digital gap, with core banking systems lacking support for modern applications such as eKYC, onboarding, and real-time payments. The client had a strict timeline, requiring complete modernization and rollout within a four-month go-live window.
We integrated Temenos Infinity and Transact to create a connected digital banking ecosystem. We managed the end-to-end rollout of web and mobile applications for eKYC, onboarding, and payments. Using a hybrid Agile-Waterfall approach and low-code tools, we delivered solutions quickly and in compliance with strict KPIs. We also integrated 3rd-party APIs to expand the ecosystem, enhancing services and improving the user experience.
Temenos Infinity and Transact were integrated for a unified digital ecosystem. Web and mobile applications for onboarding, eKYC, and payments were built and delivered. Low-code tools and a hybrid Agile-Waterfall approach ensured compliant delivery.
AI Customer Experience Platform (Mira)
- 40% — Reduction in Average Time to Resolve Citizen Inquiries via AI-driven Routing and Automated Responses
- 65% — Inbound and Outbound Queries Handled by NLP and STT/TTS AI Without Human Intervention
The client experienced high call volumes at MOFA, du, and hospital centers, leading to delays and customer frustration. Fragmented legacy systems hindered the efficient handling of inquiries and the effective utilization of resources. Slow responses and inconsistent service reduced customer satisfaction, and existing systems lacked the scalability to support AI automation and intelligent routing.
We deployed the AI-powered Mira platform, using NLP and transcription (STT/TTS) to understand intent and automate responses for inbound and outbound calls. Sentiment analysis and real-time data modeling were employed to measure satisfaction and identify priority issues. We also streamlined our service by enabling the instant routing of complex queries, improving efficiency and the overall citizen/customer experience.
Mira, trained on the Emirati Arabic dialect, was used to reduce service response times by 40%, automate routine queries, free teams to handle complex cases, and enhance citizen satisfaction with faster, accurate, AI-driven responses.
Data Anonymization
- 100% — Compliance with International Financial Data Privacy and Security Regulations
- 99% — Monitoring of Uninterrupted High-volume Cross-border Remittance Operations During Data Anonymization
The client faced the challenge of securing sensitive financial data during high-volume cross-border remittance transactions while maintaining live operations. They were under pressure to meet strict international data privacy and security regulations and required robust data anonymization processes that would not disrupt services or cause latency.
We developed a scalable, custom data anonymization engine for high-volume remittance operations. Tokenization and format-preserving encryption were implemented to protect sensitive financial data. We ensured compliance and operational continuity while retaining data utility for analytics.
Cross-border remittance data security was strengthened, regulatory compliance was ensured, high-volume operations were maintained without interruption, and data integrity for analytics was preserved, enabling scalable, future-ready growth.
Education
Master's Degree in Project Management
Szabist University - Karachi, Pakistan
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration (BBA)
Jinnah University for Women (JUW) - Karachi, Pakistan
Certifications
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Certified Scrum Master
Scrum Alliance
Skills
Tools
Jira, Slack, Confluence, RAID Log, TFS, Azure Boards
Paradigms
Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Agile Delivery, Agile Project Management, Agile Product Management, Change Management, Lean, Machine Learning Operations (MLOps), Waterfall Delivery, Azure DevOps
Platforms
Azure
Industry Expertise
Digital Banking
Other
Business Administration, Scrum Master, Scrum of Scrums, IT Projects, Resource Management, Scope Management, Stakeholder Management, Communication, Conflict Resolution, Project Planning, KPI Tracking, Process Improvement Project Management, Resource Allocation, Cross-cultural Collaboration, Program Management, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Team Management, Backlog Management, Agile Coaching, Risk Analysis, Procurement, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Governance, SaaS, Reporting, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Cloud Automation, Application Development Lifecycle (ADM), Project Management Professional (PMP), IT Operations Management (ITOM), Technical Project Management, Project Management, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), Deep Learning, Data Integration, AI Modeling, AI Model Training, T24, Agile Transformation, Cost Control, MSPM, Card Payments, Payment Networks, Payment Gateways, Fintech, Agile Release Training, Credit Cards, Schedule Optimization, Data Transcription, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), STB, Text-to-Speech (TTS), Client Portals, Data Anonymization, Quality Control (QC), IT Governance, Data Governance, PMO Governance, Financial Risk Management, Multi-cloud Integration, Multicloud, Proof of Concept (POC), Data Annotation
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