DBS to hire 100 developers via first-of-its-kind hackathon

Singapore, 20 Feb 2017 - DBS today announced plans to hire 100 developers skilled in emerging and disruptive technologies, as it ups the ante on reimagining banking. The new jobs will help DBS cement its position as a leading digital bank. Taking an innovative approach to recruitment, DBS will break industry norms and identify successful candidates through a coding challenge and hackathon - the first bank in Southeast Asia to do so. Both fresh graduates and experienced professionals can apply.

“We are seeing rapid advancements in banking technology using cloud, machine learning and Big Data, which are paving the way for a new world of seamless banking. We want to bring developers well-versed in these new technologies into the bank to accelerate our digital transformation efforts. We believe that recruiting via a hackathon is an innovative and effective way to attract the right talent,” said Soh Siew Choo, DBS’ Group Head of Core Systems Technology.

The recruitment drive, DBS Hack2Hire, consists of two parts - an online assessment challenge to gauge the programming and technical capabilities of candidates, followed by a live two-day hackathon session, where their approach to problem solving will be put to the test. Shortlisted candidates from the second round will be offered full-time roles at DBS.

DBS Hack2Hire is conducted in collaboration with leading technology providers Amazon Web Services, Cloudera and Pivotal.

“We are pleased to play a strategic role in accelerating DBS Bank’s digital transformation journey with Amazon Web Services.  It is impressive that a financial institution like DBS is using new, innovative ways to bring in talent with cloud development skills, and we are delighted to support them while grooming the technology leaders of tomorrow,” said Nick Walton, Head of ASEAN of Amazon Web Services.

“As the banking industry and its customers embrace digital in the face of the fourth industrial revolution, the need to utilise data for meaningful decision making and improving customer experience will only keep growing.” said Daniel Ng, Senior Director, Asia Pacific, Cloudera. “Bringing in talent with this new approach demonstrates DBS’ commitment to transforming its operations. We are thrilled to play a role in helping DBS shape the future of banking and develop smart talent for success in this digital era.”

Lionel Lim, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific and Japan, Pivotal said: “The financial services sector is a key driver of Singapore's growth. Forward thinking organisations such as DBS are partnering with Pivotal to digitally transform their operations to innovate with the speed and agility of a Silicon Valley software company. Moreover, DBS’ transformation journey will enable greater possibilities and opportunities for their business, customers and the country’s workforce. We are extremely happy to collaborate with DBS in their transformation efforts to push the frontier of banking technology.” 

Over the last five years, DBS has made significant investments in strategic technology initiatives to weave banking into the everyday life of its customers so that they can spend more time on people or things that they care about. This includes initiating a comprehensive re-architecture of the bank’s technology as well as catalysing a change in culture within the bank to one that is more “fintech-like” in nature. 

DBS launched digibank, India’s first mobile-only bank, last year and has plans to introduce this groundbreaking service in other markets. It was also the first bank to be recognised as the “World’s Best Digital Bank” by prestigious financial magazine Euromoney in 2016.

For more information on Hack2hire, please visit https://www.dbs.com/hack2hire/sg/index.html

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About DBS
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia, with over 280 branches across 18 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS has a growing presence in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings, is among the highest in the world.

DBS is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, and has been named “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney. The bank has also been recognised for its leadership in the region, having been named “Asia’s Best Bank” by several publications including The Banker, Global Finance, IFR Asia and Euromoney since 2012. In addition, the bank has been named “Safest Bank in Asia” by Global Finance for eight consecutive years from 2009 to 2016.

DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets. DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, and positively impacting communities through supporting social enterprises, as it banks the Asian way. It has also established a SGD 50 million foundation to strengthen its corporate social responsibility efforts in Singapore and across Asia.

With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. The bank acknowledges the passion, commitment and can-do spirit in all of our 22,000 staff, representing over 40 nationalities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.