Chief Technology and Operations Officer

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY & OPERATIONS OFFICER (PAYMENT SERVICES)

Job Summary
Our client, a real-time payment services company established in 2015 under the National Payment System (NPS) Act to address the challenge of interbank money transfers in the country, is seeking to onboard a Chief Technology & Operations Officer (CTOO). The Chief Technology and Operations Officer will be responsible for leading the development, implementation, and evaluation of the technology strategy and its alignment with company objectives. S/he will play a critical role in driving innovation, managing technological infrastructure, and ensuring the company remains competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. S/he will be responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of all infrastructure, site reliability security, and service operations activities in liaison with other functional areas of the business.

The CTOO will oversee the build and operations of products and services in accordance with customer and regulatory expectations, while overseeing associated operations including, but not limited to, financial settlement and reconciliation of the transactions on the payment platforms as well as the provision and operation of IT systems for people productivity systems such as email, office applications, ERP, and other internal and planned systems as applicable. S/he will oversee a team of highly skilled engineering and IT experts and will be a strong leader with the ability to motivate and inspire high levels of performance. S/he will have budgeting experience. The CTOO will be a coach and mentor with the potential to scale talent for succession. The CTOO will be a member of the executive team and will work closely with the CEO and other CXOs and business leaders, as well as with relevant Board Committees and other senior external partners and stakeholders.

The Role
Duties & Responsibilities
Technology Vision & Strategy

• Play an instrumental role in developing and executing a comprehensive technology strategy that aligns with the company's business objectives and growth plans
• Stay updated on technological trends, assessing their relevance, and defining the company's technology vision
• Communicate the technology vision internally and externally, explaining technological changes and recommending innovative solutions
• Monitor evaluate and improve the technology vision and strategy regularly to keep it current and relevant
• Develop and execute a plan towards agile framework implementation within the organization and monitor and evaluate continuous progress and success.

Technology Management

• Take ownership of the technology transformation roadmap
• Align technology investments with the business continuity strategy and plan, product development and business development activities
• Develop and execute cost optimization strategy
• Lead research and development (R&D) on adoption of emerging technologies
• Ensure 99.99% uptime of platforms and applications
• Work closely with the Information Security team to execute IT and cybersecurity strategies
• Take leadership in the migration of banks and other business clients to the instant payment switch
• Ensure business continuity and disaster recovery across the 2 data centers
• Develop and execute a service improvement strategy with vendors.

Operations

• Orchestrate technology systems to drive efficiency, resilience, and growth
• Continuously track key metrics to identify potential issues, minimizing downtime, and ensuring the technology infrastructure runs smoothly
• Manage cloud infrastructure, networks, and automation systems, ensuring every component supports strategic goals and can handle real-time demands
• Align business vision with operational strategy
• Develop and implement the service operations management strategy and plan
• Develop and execute business intelligence and data strategy
• Drive automation and service improvement strategies
• Lead delivery of IT and technology operations through a robust work plan and internal support team to drive day to day business operations.

Innovation

• Build technology team capability within the organization (interfacing with products team)
• Together with the Product Development lead, oversee product development, ensuring that products are scalable, user-friendly, and market-ready, enabling seamless end-to-end development, from ideation to launch, and ensure technology enhances the product experience without over-engineering
• Leverage cutting-edge technologies like AI, IoT, and block chain to meet customer demands and drive market differentiation
• Create an open culture of experimentation and ideation within the technology and operations teams to allow for innovative discoveries relevant to the business and technology vision.

Stakeholder Management

• Drive stakeholder engagement with CTOs/CIOs/COOs of connected participants (Banks, FinTech, PSP, MNOs)
• Translate complex technical concepts into business outcomes for non-technical stakeholders
• Presenting data-driven insights that highlight the tangible benefits of technical investments, building trust, and securing buy-in for strategic initiatives
• Work collaboratively with the Engagement & Experience team to execute business development and customer success plans
• Drive engagements with technology vendors on service delivery and cost optimization strategies
• Collaborate with vendors, industry experts, research institutions, and startups to explore cutting-edge technologies and accelerate innovation.

Team Leadership

• Build, lead and mentor high-performing technical and engineering teams
• Implement an agile culture enterprise-wide
• Develop and execute program management capability within the business and conduct awareness sessions across the organization to build programming capacity and knowledge
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, ensuring clear communication and alignment across departments
• Drive relevant certification of technology teams.

Technology Risk Management Audit & Compliance

• Identify and mitigating technology-related risks
• Implement robust data protection measures, conduct regular vulnerability assessments, and develop comprehensive crisis management strategies together with the Information Security team
• Lead in technology audits and drive continual improvement, implementing audit recommendations as presented.

Sustainable & Ethical Technology Development

• Embed sustainability and ethical considerations into the technology stack
• Strategically move the business towards energy-efficient data centers, adopt carbon-neutral cloud platforms, and ensure algorithms are free from bias and transparent in their functioning
• Protect sensitive user data and maintain privacy as non-negotiable aspects of this responsibility.

Budgeting and Financial Management

• Lead in developing a comprehensive budget strategy that is tailored to the specific technology and operations needs of the business
• Drive financial prudence through strong financial acumen, including the creation and management of technology function budgets, controlling operational costs, and ensuring cost-effective completion of projects assigned as aligned to the strategic and functional work plans
• Align budget strategy with the company's short-term and long-term goals
• Manage the budget allocated for operations responsibly, ensuring cost-effectiveness and efficient resource allocation
• Track expenditures, identify opportunities for cost saving and prepare accurate financial reports.

Operational Excellence

• Maintain knowledge in the department, keeping it up to date with the latest training practices, trends, and technologies
• Model best practices in technology and operations activities
• Update job knowledge by participating in conferences and educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks, and participating in relevant professional associations
• Maintain quality service by establishing and enforcing company policies, procedures, standards and values
• Put in place proper quality control checks and balances within each project and operations activity assigned
• Regularly report on key performance indicators (KPIs) for all technology-led projects and operations.

Ideal Profile
Education Skils Knowledge & Experience Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or any other related technical field from a recognized institution of higher learning
• Relevant certifications in Technology Projects/Program Management, Agile, DevOps, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure, Site reliability, etc.
• MBA with a specialization in finance or technology management, or any other relevant discipline that bridges the gap between technical and business strategy, is an advantage
• Minimum of 15 years' work experience in payments and FinTech technology environments
• Proficiency in languages commonly used in FinTech, such as Python, Java, and SQL
• Skills in data exploration, structuring complex financial systems, and understanding processes to benefit the business
• A deep understanding of cybersecurity best practices, including knowledge of information system architecture, data protection, and combating cybercrime
• Familiarity with blockchain technology and its applications in secure transactions, smart contracts, and decentralized platforms
• Expertise in cloud platforms like AWS or Google Cloud for provisioning scalable infrastructure, implementing server less pipelines, and securing sensitive data
• Understanding and integration of the financial sector and technology regulatory frameworks
• Understanding of payment system models, instant payments, and industry trends
• Senior technology leadership experience with experience leading and motivating cross-functional and interdisciplinary projects and business teams
• Proven experience providing technology and operations oversight to deliver and support 24x7 real-time payment services
• Experience in modern technology stack in a transaction processing environment.
• This advertisement will close on Monday, 3rd November, 2025, at 5.00pm EAT.

What's on Offer?

• Leadership Role
• Fantastic work culture
• Work alongside & learn from best in class talent