Head of Payments

PlaceTalent; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Job summary

PlaceTalent in South Africa is seeking a Senior Payments Growth Lead to own the payments growth strategy in Gauteng, identify merchant segments and drive acquisition through onboarding. You will manage key merchant relationships and lead revenue growth while coordinating with cross-functional teams.

You will oversee budgeting, monitor key metrics, and ensure regulatory compliance as the business scales, working with Marketing, Finance, Technology and People & Culture.

Qualifications

• 8+ years' experience in payments, fintech, banking or a closely related commercial environment.
• At least 3 years' experience leading a team or business unit.
• Proven track record of growing revenue and acquiring merchants, clients or strategic partners.
• Experience leading through other managers and building teams within a growing business.
• Strong exposure to the South African payments landscape including card acquiring, EFT, PayShap, banking and scheme relationships.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the payments growth strategy.
• Identify target merchant segments and develop strategies to acquire and retain them.
• Lead merchant acquisition from pipeline development and pricing through to onboarding.
• Personally manage and develop key merchant relationships.
• Drive transaction volume, transaction value and revenue growth.
• Develop and manage the partner and channel roadmap.
• Evaluate commercial opportunities, pricing, cost-to-serve and expected returns.
• Lead and develop the payments team through its Operations Manager and Technical Lead.
• Build organisational capability as the business scales.
• Establish clear objectives, performance expectations and succession plans.
• Translate group strategy into practical quarterly objectives.
• Monitor key commercial and operational metrics, including revenue, merchant growth, retention, transaction volumes, payment success rates, uptime and processing costs.
• Contribute to budgeting, forecasting and overall business planning.
• Monitor developments across the South African payments market, competitors and regulatory environment.
• Identify opportunities created through the integration of marketplace, payments and logistics capabilities.
• Work closely with Marketing, Finance, Technology and People & Culture.
• Own regulatory, risk and compliance requirements across the payments business.
• Manage relationships with sponsoring banks, acquirers, card schemes and relevant industry bodies.
• Oversee merchant due diligence, fraud, chargebacks and settlement integrity.
• Ensure strong uptime, incident management and service delivery.

Skills

Revenue growth

Merchant acquisition

Leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Commerce/Finance or related field

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and own the payments growth strategy.


• Identify target merchant segments and develop strategies to acquire and retain them.


• Lead merchant acquisition from pipeline development and pricing through to onboarding.


• Personally manage and develop key merchant relationships.


• Drive transaction volume, transaction value and revenue growth.


• Develop and manage the partner and channel roadmap.


• Evaluate commercial opportunities, pricing, cost-to-serve and expected returns.


• Lead and develop the payments team through its Operations Manager and Technical Lead.


• Build organisational capability as the business scales.


• Establish clear objectives, performance expectations and succession plans.


• Translate group strategy into practical quarterly objectives.


• Monitor key commercial and operational metrics, including revenue, merchant growth, retention, transaction volumes, payment success rates, uptime and processing costs.


• Contribute to budgeting, forecasting and overall business planning.


• Monitor developments across the South African payments market, competitors and regulatory environment.


• Identify opportunities created through the integration of marketplace, payments and logistics capabilities.


• Work closely with Marketing, Finance, Technology and People & Culture.


• Own regulatory, risk and compliance requirements across the payments business.


• Manage relationships with sponsoring banks, acquirers, card schemes and relevant industry bodies.


• Oversee merchant due diligence, fraud, chargebacks and settlement integrity.


• Ensure strong uptime, incident management and service delivery.

Minimum Requirements

• A tertiary qualification in Commerce, Business, Finance, Economics, Technology or a related field is essential.


• A postgraduate business qualification is advantageous.


• 8+ years' experience in payments, fintech, banking or a closely related commercial environment.


• At least 3 years' experience leading a team or business unit.


• A proven track record of growing revenue and acquiring merchants, clients or strategic partners.


• Experience leading through other managers and building teams within a growing business.


• Strong exposure to the South African payments landscape is highly advantageous, including card acquiring, EFT, PayShap, banking and scheme relationships.


• Experience engaging with executives and boards, including presenting and defending business plans, budgets and performance reporting.