Merchant Solutions Manager : National Sales & Service

Bidvest Bank; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

A South African banking institution seeks a leader for its Acquiring/Merchant Services business unit. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing customer and partner relationships, ensuring compliance with policies, and achieving sales targets. Candidates should have a strong background in the payments industry, along with excellent financial and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Up to 8 years of experience in the payments or banking industry.
• Knowledge of Visa & MasterCard settlement and payment processes is essential.
• Proven customer-focused understanding of sales dynamics and targets.

Responsibilities

• Manage the sales & service function within the Acquiring Merchant Services business unit.
• Develop and manage budgets and forecasts for the sales function.
• Drive new business and maintain a proactive client engagement approach.

Skills

Financial Acumen

Business Development

Sales Strategy Execution

Client Engagement & Relationship Management

Trend Management & Data Analysis

People & Team Management

Service Level Management

Effective Communication

Education

Degree in Business-related field

Job description

Overview

PRIMARY PURPOSE

Manage and control the overall Bidvest Bank, customer, vendor and partner sales & service function within the Acquiring / Merchant Services business unit. Ensure business is done in accordance with applicable legislation and internal policies and procedures.

Provide the targeted customer base with product and service solutions across all Acquiring Merchant products and channels, ensuring seamless client onboarding, ongoing service delivery, and strategic relationship development. Work closely with partners and vendors to create mutually beneficial arrangements to increase profitability. Manage a team of sales and service specialists, including admin support, to proactively deliver on set sales targets and client service SLAs. Ensure both the operational and customer experience aspects of the business are optimized. Control and maintain product and operational risks and maintain superior service standards across the unit.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCY REQUIREMENT

• Financial Acumen : A bility to evaluate the financial impact of both sales and service decisions on the organisation\'s income, profitability, and long-term sustainability. Applies financial insight to pricing, deal structuring, cost efficiency in service delivery, and overall client profitability.
• Business Development : Uses economic, financial, industry, and internal business data to identify new merchant sales opportunities, assess service enhancements, and build strategies that address clients\' pain points, unlock growth, and deepen client relationships.
• Sales Strategy Execution : Ability to implement, monitor, and optimise a structured sales strategy focused on new client acquisition, cross-selling, and retention — with seamless handovers to service teams and shared KPIs across the customer lifecycle.
• Client Engagement & Relationship Management : Proactively builds and maintains long-term, value-based relationships with clients by ensuring consistent, high-quality interactions across both sales and service touchpoints. Supports a collaborative, multi-touchpoint approach to customer lifecycle management.
• Trend Management & Data Analysis : Analyses internal and external data (e.g. sales trends, service incidents, market shifts) to identify patterns, risks, and opportunities. Uses these insights to adapt strategies that enhance both business development and service delivery.
• People & Team Management : Manages the performance, morale, and development of integrated sales and service teams. Allocates resources effectively, facilitates coaching on products and client handling, and drives collaboration to meet both revenue and service quality targets.
• Devise Sales & Service Solutions : Develops innovative, end-to-end solutions that consider both pre-sales engagement and post-sales support. Tailor\'s offerings to client needs while aligning with delivery capacity and service SLAs to ensure long-term satisfaction and retention.
• Service Level Management : Understands the strategic importance of adhering to SLAs and service standards. Implements systems to track, manage, and improve turnaround times, query resolution, and customer satisfaction, while maintaining a commercial lens on service delivery costs.
• Effective Communication : Communicates confidently and clearly across all levels of the organisation — including clients, frontline staff, executives, and external partners — ensuring alignment in expectations, feedback, and solutions delivery.

REQUIRED MINIMUM EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Degree and / or Diploma in a Business-related field

REQUIRED MINIMUM WORK EXPERIENCE

• Up to 8 years plus experience in the payments and / or banking industry, preferably with acquiring, card and / or merchant experience
• Payment\'s knowledge both within the issuing and acquiring environments
• Customer focused understanding the sales dynamics and targets
• Knowledge of Visa & Master Card settlement & payment processes

KEY PERFORMANCE AREA (KPA)

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Implement the agreed strategy and business plan to the Bidvest Bank, medium to large corporate company sector in the Acquiring Merchant Services space
• Develop and manage budgets and forecasts for the sales & relationship function, based on strategic requirements
• Manage and control costs and income in-line with departmental and bank budget expectations
• Ensure the function achieves the sales target through strategically selling and cross selling merchant acquiring solutions, in-line with the strategy approach and business plan
• Pro-actively ‘cold call\' and identify ‘new\' clients for Bidvest Merchant Services, in order to meet set monthly and annual revenue targets
• Ensure the correct solution is presented to clients
• Structure deals / transactions
• Recommend acquiring solutions to meet customer needs & requirements

CUSTOMER CENTRICITY

• Interpret business / customer requirements and address customer queries and challenges to provide timeous solutions
• Grow and manage the existing customer base through performing a needs analysis of customer current product usage and finding opportunities to offer diversified products, upselling and cross selling different options that add value to the client
• Correctly anticipate and interpret customers\' business requirements to provide relevant and timeous solutions (research the client\'s business, in order to be prepared and add value to the solutions provided)
• Take-on the role as the primary point of contact for the client, ensuring excellent service levels and quality to customers to ensure the retention of the client and a long-term working relationship
• Continuous face-to-face and telephonic interaction with clients, in order to pre-empt, review and proactively address their needs
• Drive new business through utilizing avenues through team networks with other Bidvest companies and strategic dealerships
• Drive sales enablement so the team can engage new clients, assisting them with cold calling, listen to calls, coach and mentor staff where necessary

OPERTIONAL EXCELLENCE

• Ensure on-going strategic initiatives are evaluated, interpreted and implemented in maintenance of an effectiveness of the sales & relationship function within Merchant Services
• Ensure all statutory and business reporting are executed on within predetermined deadlines (monthly, quarterly and / or annually), in-line with all the relevant regulations and the Bank\'s internal policies and procedures
• Challenge operations and maintenance department to challenge rates

PEOPLE LEADERSHIP

• Monitoring and managing the deliverables, output and performance of subordinates within the sales teams
• Develop talent by facilitating cross training, developing, coaching, mentoring & growing individuals & teams within the acquiring environment
• Encourages career advancement
• Follow-up on disciplinary procedures and any other matters relating to subordinate behaviour and activities
• Ensure effective training & development practices exist in the BU and that continuous learning is fostered
• Mentor staff by going with them to clients, assisting them with solutions and closing deals
• Accountable for providing an environment in which employees can apply what they have learned
• Support & reinforce the application of newly acquired skills
• Reward the application of newly acquired skills & knowledge
• Foster a climate of continuous learning
• Ensure training is a part of employees\' daily routine & encourages them to tap into the knowledge of their colleagues & to set performance improvement goals
• Manage day-to-day staffing requirements, issues and performance

GOVERNANCE and COMPLIANCE

• Draft, implement and maintain applicable policies, procedures and guidelines to ensure optimal functioning of the sales business units
• Define, develop and implement necessary procedures in conjunction with current procedures, to ensure that risk is minimised with all sales areas
• Conduct research of various industries, best practice methodologies and changes in markets thereby identifying risk to adjust areas in the business timeously
• Adherence to legislation and regulatory requirements

STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

• Develop and maintain relationships with all internal stakeholders, partners and vendors, in order to deliver acquiring services
• Maintain external relationships to ensure Merchant Services meet the required service standards
• Interact with other areas of the bank in acting as a catalyst in driving the changed initiatives in ensuring compliance with agreed risk parameters as set out in the overarching all bank\'s strategy
• Ensure that all advise given harnesses the Bidvest brand
• Limit any reputational risk of the Bidvest brand

REPORTING

• Oversee the Reporting function within predetermined deadlines.
• Reporting monthly sales progress through MANCOs, sales meetings or as requested

LEARNING AND GROWTH

• Take ownership for driving own career development
• Preparation and signing off, of Personal Development plan(s)
• Achievement of objectives / milestones set out in the development plan
• Development of knowledge base and Intellectual Property
• PDP plans and performance discussions
• Keeping abreast of Compliance (FICA & FAIS) requirements, Consumer Protection Act, Anti Money Laundering, etc.
• Up-to-date knowledge on tax, environmental conditions

WORK CONDITIONS : OFFICE BOUND

This position is advertised in line with our commitment to Employment Equity.