Job Summary

• The Card and Payments Operations Manager is responsible for operational oversight, optimization, and governance of the bank’s card and payment operations across ABSA Africa Regions countries.
• This role ensures operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and superior customer service while managing an inbound contact center and email support function for credit card service requests.
• Additionally, the role plays a key part in optimizing card settlement processes, including FX netting and liquidity management, to minimize costs and maximize efficiency.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Operational Oversight & Optimization

• Provide oversight of end-to-end card operations (issuance, authorization, settlement, chargebacks) across African markets.
• Optimize processes to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer experience.
• Ensure compliance with Visa, Mastercard, and local payment scheme rules, as well as central bank regulations in each country.

Customer Service & Query Management

• Manage and optimize the inbound contact center and email support handling credit card service requests for 5 African countries.
• Monitor service level agreements (SLAs), call quality, and resolution times to ensure high customer satisfaction.
• Implement self-service and automation solutions to reduce manual query handling.

Settlement & FX Optimization

• Oversee card settlement processes, ensuring timely and accurate reconciliation.
• Work with Treasury and Finance teams to optimize FX netting positions, minimizing currency exposure and costs.
• Identify inefficiencies in cross-border settlement flows and recommend improvements.

Fraud, Disputes & Risk Management

• Monitor fraud trends and ensure fraud prevention measures are effective.
• Oversee dispute resolution and chargeback processes, ensuring compliance with card scheme rules.
• Conduct root-cause analysis on operational risks and implement mitigation strategies.

Stakeholder & Vendor Management

• Liaise with local country operations teams, IT, Product, Compliance, and Risk teams to align on best practices.
• Manage relationships with card issuance vendors, third-party processors, card schemes (MasterCard, VISA, Union Pay etc.), and fintech partners.
• Drive vendor performance reviews to ensure cost efficiency and service quality.

Process Improvement & Reporting

• Identify inefficiencies, implement automation and process improvements.
• Generate performance reports on card transactions, fraud, and dispute metrics.
• Ensure SLA adherence with processors and third-party vendors

Minimum Academic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field.

Professional certifications** such as:

• Visa/Mastercard certifications (e.g., Visa Dispute Resolution, Mastercard Chargeback)
• Payments or Card Operations certifications (e.g., AAP/APRP from NEACH, ICPS)

Minimum Experience Requirements

• 6+ years in card operations, payments, or banking operations, with at least 3 years in a managerial oversight role.

Proven experience in:

• Managing card operations across multiple African markets.
• Overseeing customer service/contact centers for card-related queries.
• Optimizing settlement processes, FX netting, and liquidity management.
• Deep knowledge of Visa/Mastercard rules, dispute management, and fraud prevention.
• Experience working with card processors, fintechs, and treasury functions.

Key Competencies & Skills

• Strategic mindset – Ability to optimize processes and drive operational excellence.
• Strong analytical skills – Expertise in settlement reconciliation, FX optimization, and cost reduction.
• Customer-centric approach – Experience managing high-volume contact centers.
• Stakeholder management – Ability to influence cross-functional teams and vendors.
• Regulatory & compliance awareness – Knowledge of African banking regulations.
• Project management – Lean/Six Sigma or Agile experience is a plus.

Performance Metrics

• Operational Efficiency: Reduction in processing time, cost savings from FX optimization.
• Customer Service: Contact center resolution rates, customer satisfaction scores (CSAT).
• Risk & Compliance: Fraud reduction, chargeback resolution time, audit findings.
• Settlement Accuracy: Reconciliation errors, FX exposure reduction.

Additional Requirements

• Willingness to travel across African markets as needed.
• Fluency in Portuguese is a strong advantage.

Education

• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)

End Date: June 27, 2025