Head, Acquirer Business Operations at Interswitch

Job Purpose

• To lead the Acquirer Business Operations team and efficiently optimize processes, manage resources, mitigate risks, and ensure quality standards within the Merchant Acquiring business to drive operational excellence and enable the business to maintain a competitive edge in the market.

Responsibilities 

Leadership 

• Provide strategic guidance and vision for the Acquirer Business Operations function to align with organizational objectives. 
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. 
• Drive operational excellence by optimizing processes, workflows, and resource allocation to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. 
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including Merchant Partners and Payment Processors, to support business objectives and foster collaboration. 
• Identify, assess, and mitigate operational risks within the Merchant Acquiring Business, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards. 
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track operational performance, identify areas for improvement, and drive strategic decision-making.

Business Operations 

• Manages prompt settlement of all Instore and Digital Merchants, ensuring swift resolution of escalated issues. 
• Ensures Merchant Acquiring Business adheres to all Compliance and Risk recommendations, both local and international. 
• Supervises Dispute Operations process to prevent revenue leakage from chargebacks. 
• Oversees Revenue Assurance for Merchant Acquiring Business, including Fee configuration implementations. 
• Manages Fraud Monitoring and analysis of chargebacks to mitigate financial exposure for the Acquiring Business. 
• Leads End-to-End User Assessment of new service/product deployments. 
• Ensures all Reporting platforms are operational for Instore and Digital Merchants. 

Instore Services 

• Oversees procurement of POS Consumables, making informed decisions on quantity, quality, and vendor selection to optimize cost reduction. 
• Supervises Telco payment processes, ensuring adherence to SLAs and uninterrupted service for POS terminals. 
• Ensures compliance with Operational Level Agreements (OLA) and Service Level Agreements (SLA) for Banks, including contract fulfilment, renewal, and legal liaison. 
• Manages Expenses and Receivables, ensuring accurate and precise invoicing management for group billing. 
• Makes timely and informed decisions regarding POS Consumables procurement to maintain operational efficiency. 

Business Service Improvement 

• Leads efforts to ensure the long-term health of the merchant base by identifying opportunities for service enhancement within operations. 
• Drives continuous improvement initiatives for the Merchant Acquiring Business, ensuring timely closure of all compliance review assessments and achievement of improvement objectives. 
• Enhances merchant support retention by continuously monitoring and analyzing service performance, considering trends and customer feedback. 
• Oversees merchant training on product integration and administers training programs for both Instore and Digital Merchants. 
• Collaborates with relevant stakeholders to address and resolve issues/complaints raised by merchants. 
• Supervises and operationalizes processes within the Paymate Business to ensure smooth functioning. 
• Ensures timely closure of all compliance open items to mitigate against statutory sanctions and regulatory risks. 

Regulatory Compliance and Standardization:

• Regularly assess regulatory requirements applicable to the Merchant Acquiring Business. 
• Stay updated on changes in laws, regulations, and industry standards related to payment processing and financial services. 
• Document regulatory requirements, compliance controls, and responsibilities for adherence. 
• Organize training programs to educate the business on regulatory requirements, compliance obligations, and ethical standards. 
• Conduct regular training sessions to ensure Paymate staff awareness and understanding of compliance policies and procedures. 
• Monitor compliance activities within the Merchant Acquiring Business to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements and internal policies. 
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of compliance activities, including records of assessments, training sessions, and regulatory communications.

Service Monitoring: 

• Chargeback Analysis and Prevention: 
• Analyze chargeback trends and patterns to identify root causes and potential areas for improvement. 
• Develop strategies and measures to prevent chargebacks, such as enhancing fraud detection systems and improving customer service processes.

Dispute Resolution Management: 

• Manage the dispute resolution process, including investigation, documentation, and resolution of merchant and customer disputes. 
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders, such as banks, merchants, and payment networks, to resolve disputes in a timely and satisfactory manner. Compliance with Settlement Standards: 
• Ensure compliance with settlement standards and regulations, such as card scheme rules and regulatory requirements for payment processing. 
• Implement controls and procedures to adhere to settlement timelines, reconciliation processes, and fund disbursement regulations. Reporting: 
• Monitor chargeback and dispute metrics regularly to track performance and identify areas for improvement. 
• Generate reports and analytics on chargeback rates, dispute resolution times, and settlement accuracy to assess business performance and compliance.

Capabilities:

• Process Optimization: The ability to streamline operational processes, workflows, and procedures to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance productivity. 
• Resource Management: To effectively allocate and utilize human, financial, and technological resources to support day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives. 
• Risk Management: To identify, assess, and mitigate risks to business operations, including operational, financial, regulatory, and reputational risks. 
• Strategic Planning: The ability to develop and implement operational strategies aligned with the organization's overall goals and objectives, considering market trends, competitive landscape, and internal capabilities. 
• Continuous Improvement: The culture and processes in place to promote continuous improvement through the adoption of best practices, innovation, and feedback mechanisms to drive operational excellence. 
• Stakeholder Management: To build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, vendors, and regulatory agencies, to support operational goals and objectives. 
• Compliance and Regulatory Adherence: The ability to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards governing business operations, including data privacy, financial reporting, and environmental regulations

Behavioural Competencies: 

• Communication: The ability to convey information clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, to different audiences. 
• Teamwork: The capacity to collaborate with others, contribute ideas, and work effectively as part of a team to achieve common goals. 
• Leadership: The ability to inspire and motivate others, provide direction, and influence positive outcomes. 
• Problem-solving: The capability to analyze situations, identify issues or challenges, and develop practical solutions to address them. 
• Adaptability: The capacity to adjust to new situations, changes, and challenges with flexibility and resilience. 
• Decision-making: The ability to make sound decisions based on analysis, critical thinking, and consideration of relevant factors. 
• Emotional intelligence: The awareness of one's own emotions and the ability to manage them effectively, as well as the capacity to understand and empathize with the emotions of others. 
• Time management: The ability to prioritize tasks, manage workload efficiently, and meet deadlines effectively. 
• Resilience: The ability to bounce back from setbacks, handle pressure, and maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity. 

Education

• A bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as business administration, engineering, or a related discipline is often required. 
• Evidence of strong industry/sector participation and relevant professional certifications such as: While not always mandatory, several professional certifications can be beneficial to demonstrate expertise and proficiency in IT service management practices. Some of the most recognized certifications in this field include: 
• ITIL® Foundation 
• ITIL® 4 Managing Professional (MP) 
• Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM) 
• Certified Business Analysts 
• Lean Six Sigma 

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years experience in IT Service Management, Operations & Support, or Process/Product Management.