Manager DFS Projects - Head Office

JOB PURPOSE

The Manager DFS Projects is responsible for leading the planning, execution, and delivery of end-to-end Digital Financial Services (DFS) programs and technology projects. This includes managing mobile money integrations, digital lending/savings platforms, agency banking expansion, merchant acquiring, payment gateway implementations, and regulatory sandbox deployments. The role ensures projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in strict alignment with regulatory requirements, security standards, and business strategy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the end-to-end project lifecycle (initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, control, and closing) for complex DFS initiatives.
• Scope business requirements and build comprehensive Project Charters, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), resource plans, and project budgets.
• Establish clear project governance structures, steering committees, and status reporting mechanisms across business, IT, compliance, and vendor teams.
• Direct cross-functional technical teams (software developers, systems integrators, QA, DevOps) on core DFS platforms, payment switches, and open API portals.
• Manage third-party integrations with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), fintech partners, central bank switches, card networks (Visa/Mastercard), and Core Banking Systems (CBS).
• Oversee User Acceptance Testing (UAT), stress testing, trial runs, and dress rehearsals for system cutovers and go-live releases.
• Act as the primary bridge between technical delivery teams and business stakeholders (Product, Marketing, Operations, Legal, Risk, and Customer Care).
• Manage relationships with technology vendors, system integrators, and consultant partners, ensuring delivery against contractual SLAs and deliverables.
• Coordinate with regulatory bodies and central bank representatives during compliance reviews and audit evaluations for new DFS product launches.
• Conduct comprehensive risk assessments for all digital financial channels, identifying potential operational, cyber, and fraud vulnerabilities.
• Ensure all DFS product designs and project workflows strictly comply with AML/CFT, KYC, data privacy (GDPR/Data Protection Acts), and cybersecurity frameworks.
• Implement robust rollback, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans (BCP) for all production deployments.
• Ensure seamless operational handover by creating standard operating procedures (SOPs), training support teams, and establishing Tier-2/Tier-3 support escalation channels.
• Track post-launch product metrics (transaction success rates, system latency, user adoption, transaction volumes) during the hyper care phase.

DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinate developers, UX designers, and QAs to clear blockers and sync front-end app features with legacy core banking systems.
• Review feature signoffs with Legal, InfoSec, and Compliance to ensure adherence to KYC/AML rules and central bank regulations.
• Track latency and error rates across core banking APIs, third-party fintech integrations, and payment gateways to protect uptime.
• Analyse product dashboards for onboarding drop-offs, OTP failure rates, and transaction completion bottlenecks to prioritize fixes.
• Update executive sponsors and risk committees on project milestones, budget burn rates, scope changes, and dependency risks.

ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Finance, Business or a related field.
• Professional certifications in Project Management (PMP), PRINCE2 and Agile Practice (Required).
• Master’s degree in Economics, Finance, Business or a related field (Added Advantage).

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 7 years’ overall experience.
• At least 3 years of experience in Project Management (Essential).
• At least 3 years of experience in Digital Project Execution and Delivery (Essential).
• At least 1 year of experience in Relationship Management (Desirable).