Head Digital Payments

Job purpose:

To lead and manage the end-to-end lifecycle of digital payment services, including but not limited to Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, the Instant Payment Network (IPN), and governmental payments. This includes overseeing ideation, requirements definition, implementation, and continuous enhancement. The role is responsible for ensuring service reliability, security, compliance, performance optimization, and alignment with business objectives, customer needs, and regulatory requirements. Additionally, the role leads fintech partnership projects and oversees post-deployment operations, ensuring compliance, security, and optimal performance in close coordination with cross-functional teams.

Accountabilities

Corporate Governance & Compliance:

• Ensure all digital payment activities are fully aligned with corporate governance standards, internal controls, and regulatory/legal frameworks, including compliance with Central Bank directives and industry best practices.
• Lead responses to audit findings, regulatory reviews, and internal control assessments, ensuring timely resolution and full compliance.
• Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and operational guidelines that govern digital payment services and ensure regulatory alignment.

End-to-End Service Ownership:

• Take full ownership of digital payment services across their entire lifecycle, including strategy, planning, development, implementation, support, and optimization.
• Develop new service ideas and feature enhancements based on market trends, customer feedback, and internal business priorities.
• Prepare BRDs (Business Requirement Documents) and coordinate SOWs (Scope of Work) with vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure successful implementation of regulatory mandates, system upgrades, and new integrations, particularly related to digital payment services.
• Track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) such as transaction volumes, error rates, user adoption, uptime, and customer satisfaction.
• Generate and maintain MIS dashboards and reports for management review and strategic planning.

Digital Services Development & Enhancement:

• Work closely with cross-functional teams to design and launch new digital payment features, ensuring optimal customer experience and scalability.
• Conduct gap analysis, benchmarking, and market research to identify areas for improvement and innovation.
• Lead the execution of platform/service enhancements, including prioritization, testing, and rollout based on roadmap and strategy.
• Understand evolving market technologies and provide enhancement recommendations to support the bank’s digital transformation.

Stakeholder & Vendor Management:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with external partners and vendors to ensure efficient and secure operation of digital payment systems.
• Act as the focal point between internal stakeholders (business, IT, risk, compliance) and external parties to align on requirements, issues, and delivery expectations.

Performance Monitoring & Incident Management:

• Monitor daily operations and ensure service performance, availability, and adherence to defined SLAs.
• Act as the primary escalation point for service issues, coordinating with IT, vendors, and security teams to drive timely resolution.
• Perform root cause analysis (RCA) for critical issues and implement preventive actions to ensure service continuity and customer satisfaction.
• Propose and execute performance optimization initiatives to enhance efficiency, stability, and customer engagement.

Testing, Quality, and Delivery:

• Lead and support UAT (User Acceptance Testing) for new features, releases, and integrations across digital channels.
• Ensure high-quality deliverables within agreed timelines, minimizing defects and maximizing reliability.
• Maintain version control, testing documentation, and release notes for all deployments and enhancements.

Collaboration & Business Enablement:

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to identify and capitalize on opportunities to cross-sell or promote digital services across customer segments.
• Support frontline staff with product knowledge and training to improve digital adoption and usage.
• Participate in cross-departmental initiatives and planning to ensure alignment with the bank’s digital transformation goals.

Remote Availability & Business Continuity:

• Ensure availability beyond standard working hours to address urgent or business-critical needs.
• Support business continuity efforts, especially during system outages or high-risk periods, to maintain uninterrupted digital service delivery.

FinTech Relationships:

• Initiate relationships and partnerships with FinTech’s and explore opportunities
• Lead end to end relationship with Fintech from exploring the opportunities till launching the service and operations afterwards
• Lead responses to audit findings, regulatory reviews, and internal control assessments, ensuring timely resolution and full compliance.
• Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and operational guidelines that govern digital payment services and ensure regulatory alignment.

Experience

• 7 to 10 years of proven experience in the banking sector, specifically within digital banking, electronic payments.
• Experience of managing digital projects/services.
• Customer service skills
• Project management experience and expertise

Knowledge

• Solid Knowledge of Digital Banking & Alternative Channels & retail banking products.
• Good understanding of customer needs & market trends.
• Strong proficiency in business analysis, including writing Business Requirement Documents (BRDs), managing end-to-end service/project delivery, handling incidents, and monitoring service performance.
• Good understanding of digital payment systems architecture, integration frameworks & specifications, and security standards.
• Technically competent with the ability to liaise effectively between business, IT, vendors, and security teams to implement new features or resolve complex service issues.