Network Manager – Anglophone Africa

Crown Agents Bank; Greater London; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working 3 days on-site

Contributory pension plan

Life Assurance - 4x annual salary

Group Income Protection

Private Medical Insurance

Discretionary Bonus

Job summary

Crown Agents Bank is seeking an accomplished Network Management lead to drive the region's strategy across Anglophone Africa. You will oversee onboarding, maintenance of correspondent banks and NBFIs, and ensure alignment with global objectives while addressing market opportunities.

You will collaborate with Front Office, Risk and Compliance to manage regulatory requirements, drive payments infrastructure enablement, and deliver country analyses, governance updates and strategic stakeholder

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field would be advantageous but not essential.
• 10+ years in a Network Management function.
• Detailed understanding of SWIFT message formatting and exception handling.
• FX or payments operational background would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Regional Strategy & Implementation for Anglophone Africa: translate the Target Operating Model into actionable plans; align region with global objectives and growth opportunities.
• Network Expansion & Market Analysis: identify payment channels, assess needs, and implement solutions to drive revenue in the region; conduct corridor and currency analysis.

Skills

Network management

SWIFT messaging

FX/payments

Emerging markets

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Job description

Crown Agents Bank is a vastly growing and regulated UK bank that connects emerging and frontier markets to the rest of the world, using FX and payments technology. We are transforming the way payments and FX move through emerging markets, reducing friction so that more money gets to those who need it. Emerging markets payments are usually challenging, expensive, unreliable and opaque. Our solutions help fix these pain points. Ultimately, we connect traditionally hard-to-reach regions to global financial infrastructure, giving access to the best prices and the fastest, most reliable settlement.

FX and cross-border payments are often complex and expensive, especially when operating in emerging markets. Crown Agents Bank (CAB) wraps its deep and trusted relationships and strength of network around innovative digital capabilities, and cross-border transaction banking solutions to enable fintech, corporates, governments, development organisations and banks to move money to, from, and across often hard-to-reach markets.

Job Description

Role Purpose

Responsible for the delivery of the Bank’s Network Management strategy across Anglophone Africa, with focus on the expansion, onboarding and ongoing maintenance of correspondent banking and non-bank financial institution providers in the region.

Role Responsibilities

Regional Strategy & Implementation for Anglophone Africa:

• Work closely with the Head of Network Management Africa to translate the Target Operating Model into actionable plans for Africa.
• Ensure the region’s strategy aligns with global objectives, with a specific focus on high-growth markets and addressing unique challenges and opportunities within this region.

Network Expansion & Market Analysis:

• Support the global initiative to expand CAB’s settlement network by identifying additional payment channels relevant to Anglophone Africa markets, such as mobile payments, local ACH systems, and Instant Payments.
• Collaborate with the Front Office to assess market needs and implement innovative payment solutions that drive revenue growth in the region.
• Conduct corridor, currency and capability analysis to identify coverage gaps and prioritization opportunities based on client demand and strategic objectives.
• Prepare country assessments, briefing notes and recommendations for senior management and internal governance forums.

Partner Onboarding & Relationship Management:

• Facilitate end-to-end onboarding of new correspondent banks and non-bank financial institution partners across Anglophone Africa.
• Compile credit applications for new prospects and existing banking partners,
• Coordinate due diligence documentation, approvals and onboarding conditions throughout the onboarding lifecycle.
• Manage partner relationships, including periodic reviews and service discussions.
• Oversee contract negotiations with partner banks and NBFIs within Africa, ensuring that agreements reflect global pricing strategies, meet regional service level requirements, and comply with local regulations.
• Build and nurture strong relationships with local partners and financial institutions, ensuring seamless client engagement and prompt issue resolution ensuring CAB is recognized as a strategic and trusted partner in the region.

Payments & Infrastructure Enablement:

• Enable local and cross-border payment capabilities across Anglophone Africa, including clearing systems, ACH-type schemes and FX settlement. Maintain a strong understanding of end-to-end payment flows, settlement structures and infrastructure dependencies in the markets in Anglophone Africa.

Risk, Governance & Controls:

• Ensure full compliance with the complex regulatory environments of Anglophone Africa, acting as the first line of defence against regulatory risks.
• Support preparation, maintenance and periodic refresh of Country Risk Assessments and correspondent banking reviews.
• Liaise with Risk, Compliance and Financial Crime teams to ensure all activity aligns with internal policy, regulatory expectations and risk appetite.
• Monitor regulatory, geopolitical and market risk developments across Anglophone Africa and elevate issues appropriately.

Stakeholder Engagement & Delivery:

• Prepare high-quality management information, network status updates and internal reporting. Coordinate with Sales, Trading Desk, Payments Operations and Treasury Operations teams to support operational queries and escalations related to partner banks and payment flows.
• Support senior colleagues with materials for governance committees, management forums and strategic initiatives.
• Provide regional insights and thought leadership to ensure that partnerships align with both local market demands and global strategic priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study would be advantageous but not essential.

Experience:

• Preferably 10+ years in a Network Management function
• Significant experience covering emerging markets
• Detailed understanding of SWIFT message formatting and exception handling
• FX or payments Operational background would be advantageous

Additional Information

• Hybrid working (3days on-site)
• Contributory personal pension plan: - Minimum: Employee 2% and Employer 7%. Employer matches contributions in 1% increments to a maximum of: Employee 5% and Employer 10%
• Life Assurance - 4 times annual salary
• Group Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance - this may include cover for partner and or children at company cost. Cover includes Optical, Dental and Audiology
• Discretionary Bonus