Payments Strategy and Insights Specialist at FirstRand Corporate Centre

• In this role you will be required to provide high‑quality strategic, analytical, and operational support to the Strategic Payments function, enabling the bank to define, execute, and evolve its long‑term payments strategy in a complex and rapidly changing ecosystem. Assist senior payments executives by producing insights, research, analysis, and materials prepared for decision-making that guide strategic decisions, regulatory positioning, business opportunities, and investment priorities across all payment streams.

Are you someone who can

• Proactively learn about payments across the full range of topics as well as where specifically requested to deep dive a theme. This includes regular reviews of media material, research and published papers. Present findings in a variety of formats that will support the Head, Strategic Payments team and other stakeholders as needed, and will help further understanding, appreciation for implications and opportunity potential. In so doing, develop own knowledge across a broad spectrum of payments topics.
• Support the definition and execution of the bank’s long-term payments strategy, ensuring alignment with global trends, regulatory shifts, and internal growth objectives.
• Assist in developing payments strategies for specific business units, where relevant, considering customer pain points / needs, interests of regulators, financial institutions, fintechs, MNOs, SOs, and other payments providers.
• Contribute to the development of payments strategic roadmaps across all payment streams and assist in tracking progress against strategic goals and preparing reports for senior management.
• Develop skills to enable support of strategic financial and operational data analysis of payment types, processes, key drivers and trends.
• Assist in the submission of payments data or returns to industry and in drafting and analysis of reports on internal payments data and develop insights to guide internal business strategy.
• Help maintain financial models, dashboards, and KPIs to provide actionable insights and support decision-making.
• Take any required steps to actively learn about the payments industry and regulation, relevant bodies, dynamics, priorities and trends. Both local and international.
• Support preparation for industry and regulatory forums (e.g., PASA, BASA, SARB, BankservAfrica).
• Assist in stakeholder engagement, including regulators, banks, fintechs, and executive leaders.
• Participate in forums as needed, to learn and in future, represent the bank.
• Help ensure compliance with the National Payment System (NPS) and other regulatory frameworks.
• Assist the Head and Strategic Payments team to work with executives and stakeholder groups to support alignment and communication of payments strategy.
• Support preparation for key meetings, including preparing briefing materials and presentations for senior stakeholders.
• Assist in creating content for Strategic Payments inputs to the payments / platform newsletter, to showcase the work done and the support the team can provide.
• Assist in identifying and analysing new revenue streams and partnership candidates to fast track the banks enablement of key payments capabilities.
• Support the commercialisation of innovative payment solutions in collaboration with product, technology, and business units.
• Research and evaluate emerging technologies to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency, including AI in payments, crypto, digital currencies, DLT, and ISO20022 messaging standard.
• Support governance structures related to payments participation and compliance.
• Assist in risk management and internal controls across payments-related activities.
• Collaborate with senior payments professionals and contribute to a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
• Develop own network of internal and external payments stakeholders that can contribute to the bank’s future success in payments.
• Demonstrate adaptability and a willingness to develop new skills and expertise in payments.

You will be an ideal candidate if you:

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Have 3+ years’ experience in the payments industry, financial services, or a related technical or analytical role.
• Demonstrate a strong ability to analyse complex information and translate it into actionable insights.
• Possess (or are developing) a technical understanding of payment systems, regulatory frameworks, and emerging technologies (preferred).
• Have strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage effectively with senior executives.
• Bring experience in project management, strategy development, or business analysis (advantageous).
• Are highly adaptable, naturally curious, and committed to continuous learning.
• Have experience within a financial institution, including fintechs and/or management consulting (preferred)

You will have access to:

• Strategic influence: contribute to long‑term payments strategy and business‑unit strategies aligned to global trends and regulation.
• Leaders & forums: the Head of Strategic Payments, senior executives, and industry bodies (e.g., PASA, BASA, SARB, BankservAfrica).
• Market intelligence: regular media reviews, research, and published papers; opportunities to deep‑dive priority themes and present insights.
• Data & tooling: internal payments data, financial models, dashboards, and KPIs; progress tracking and senior‑level reporting.
• Regulatory & governance: NPS compliance, payments governance structures, and risk & controls across payments activities.
• Innovation & tech: AI in payments, crypto/digital currencies, DLT, ISO 20022, and commercialisation of new solutions.
• Ecosystem exposure: collaboration with regulators, banks, fintechs, MNOs, SOs—and partnerships that unlock new revenue.
• Growth & visibility: a learning‑centric culture, chances to participate in (and later represent at) industry forums, and a growing internal/external network.

Deadline:9th February,2026