Strategy and Research Manager at The Payments Association of South Africa (PASA)

Overall Job Purpose

• To ensure a disciplined & rigorous strategy development process supported by adequate breadth & depth in research results.
• Seeks to provide unique industry expertise, insight and thought leadership to enable PASA members to apply innovation in payment system development whilst being informed of international trends, plausible strategic scenario’s, possible risks, individual stakeholder needs and broader eco-system challenges or dependencies.
• To provide valued strategic support and thought leadership to PASA by ways of insight, perspectives gained and the articulation and conceptualisation of recommendations, options, and choices.
• To facilitate an industry wide strategic dialogue relevant to a particular payments stream and to drive consensus on the way forward with regards to key strategic aspects by ways of relevant fact based input, facilitation and personal impact and leadership

Core Accountability 1.

• Guide and lead a structured strategic dialogue related to the relevant payment stream and eco-system and specifically in relevant formal interbank forums.  Engage in continued evaluation of current payment system strategy with stakeholders and formulate and develop new strategic positions and payment system strategies.
• Provision a well-researched fact base from where decisions will be taken. This implies the application of techniques, processes, methodologies & principles to establish a properly researched and in-depth factual base for strategic option development and/or decision making.
• Engage in appropriate ad-hoc external stakeholder engagements for the purpose of obtaining input on needs, perspectives or analytical information and to develop a comprehensive perspective on the payments eco-system current and future state and implementation options and priorities of selected initiatives.
• Maximize the effectiveness & efficiency of the research & analysis through the succinct presentation and articulation of findings and recommendations.
• Facilitate dialogue and decision making to ensure that stakeholders have a clear perspective on current state (where are we now?), desired state (where do we want to go?) and pathways and priorities to achieve a desired outcome (how do we get there?).

Core Accountability 2.

• Assist with specific ad-hoc strategic focus areas and topics and facilitate insight, decision making and progress in specifically mandated work groups.
• Utilising techniques, strategic tools and strategic frameworks to enable and support key strategic deliverables
• Engaging in research where necessary
• Engaging of NPS stakeholders, both in structured and ad-hoc engagements to validate information and to develop strategic options and choices
• Facilitating progress through assistance to projects in any of the phases of defining, scoping, designing and implementing of industry requirements.

Core Accountability 3.

• Articulate strategic positions and recommendations in formal documentation and from time to time also publish relevant high quality position papers for PASA members, or specific Strategic stakeholder groupings.This will demonstrate a thorough analysis and understanding of the relevant strategic topics and will aim to provide thought leadership to stakeholders. 
• The articulated strategic outcomes/positions/proposals will integrate analysis, information, views, trends, stakeholder needs and responses, regulatory issues, market information, SME-commentaries,  reviews, overviews & recommendations in a holistic strategic document that could support any of the following:

Strategic overview of a landscape

• Advocacy for a particular strategic choice or position
• Insight into difficult strategic options and choices
• Assist with perspectives (e.g., pro’s and con’s) related to various areas of decision making.
• Provide guidance to the prioritizing or scoping of key strategic projects and initiatives
• Providing guidance to companies entering the payments market or presenting a new product from a strategic perspective on the payment stream, regulatory environment and NPSD priorities and concerns

Core Accountability 4.

• Facilitate strategic dialogue to ensure that a shared narrative on preferred strategic direction is created amongst key stakeholders.  This includes the specific accountability for Strategy Forums and Stakeholder forums.

This includes:

• Ensuring Agendas are relevant and well-structured through continued consultation with the respective Chairpersons
• Oversight and final approval of Minutes for all relevant meetings
• Oversight and final accountability to ensure action items emanating from meetings are given the appropriate attention
• Continued liaison with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment between different functional areas

Generally, this implies a mastery of the following:

• Sense-making /analysis of information in group context through the use of small and large group interactive techniques and designs
• Interpretation of research outputs and other relevant information in a group context (variety of audiences) for the purpose of positioning, advocacy and/ or decision making.
• Empowering relevant internal and external stakeholders with strategic insights to crystalize strategic positions and/or obtain advocacy, buy-in and support for strategic choices
• Guiding decision making through succinct and accurate articulation of options and choices

Core Accountability 5.

• Participate in / or lead relevant project work groups and ensure that project implementation / execution is progressed through the provision of strategic recommendations, and by making relevant strategic options and choices clear at all decision junctions.
• Establish an understanding of purpose and scope of each strategic project.
• Ensure a clear project definition and business requirement
• Progress execution through conceptual thought, leadership, factually derived insights, decision frameworks and guiding principles where possible
• Facilitating progress through assistance to projects in any of the phases of defining, scoping, designing and implementing of industry requirements.

Education and Experience Required:

• 8-10 years hands on experience with research and project support in the relevant payment’s environment (card or electronic).
• Relevant tertiary qualification in either Engineering, Economy/Econometrics, Accounting or Commerce.
• In depth retail or corporate banking experience and understanding (non-negotiable)
• The completion of the PASA Certificate in Foundational Payments is a recommendation. (The completion of such programme at the induction or shortly after is alternatively preferred).

Knowledge & Skills:

• System and architectural knowledge and logic
• Regulatory and compliance knowledge related to Payment Systems
• Project Management knowledge and Coordination skills
• Commercial understanding
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills (including report writing and presentations)
• Analytical and Problem-solving skills
• Conceptual skills
• Knowledge of research methodologies
• Advanced analytical skill (e.g. quantitate, qualitative, and system thinking ability)