Manager: Card and Payments Operations at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

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 3, 2025 (4 days left to apply)