Senior Manager, USSD & STK Channels

Job Purpose

In line with the Group’s purpose to transform lives, the role will be responsible for driving adoption of certain mobile based channels across the Group’s subsidiaries and licenses. The role holder shall focus on maintaining the specified channel to the uttermost standards of availability, innovation and customer centricity. The outcome will be a channel that meets the daily needs of our members thus becoming a pivotal customer recruiter & retainer and ultimately a key revenue earner for the Group.

Key Accountabilities (Duties And Responsibilities)

Channel Commercial Growth (20%)

• Support the growth targets of the subsidiaries through innovation and continuous channel Improvement.
• Help in designing and developing services in tandem with the Group’s strategic direction
  
  
  

Channel Continuous Development for Omni Channel Experience (20%)

• Lead the planning, development, launch, and continuous enhancement of allocated mobile channels, overseeing the full product lifecycle to meet user needs and business goals.
• Build on the feedback received, market intelligence gathered and research on global best practises to champion the continuous improvements and enhancements.
• Oversee testing processes to ensure that mobile applications meet required standards and deliver a satisfactory user experience 
  
  
  

Channel Efficiency and Stability (20%)

• Work with the various IT teams to ensure optimal channel uptime. Governance on channel access and change management is also a key deliverable for the role holder
  
  
  

Risk & Compliance (15%)

• Ensure the services provided meet the threshold of internal, local and international laws and procedures.
• The role holder will also ensure any associated risks within the channel are effectively mitigated.
• Responsible for Channel governance in ensuring firm controls, adherence to the laid down processes and procedures as well as championing controls reviews. 
  
  
  

Channel awareness, Subsidiary Support and Service uniformity (15%)

• Collaborate with Cross country teams to ensure parity of product offering and localised innovation where applicable.
• Work with the Communications Division and other stakeholders to drive awareness and preference for the Channel’s solutions in the market.
  
  
  

People, Learning and Development (10%)

• Drive cultural change towards channels use across the group. 
• Inject the required new talent and motivate them to create customer centric services on the Channel
• Implement recruitment, learning and performance management strategies, as well as cultural practices that attract, nurture and retain the best talent within the channel vertical.
• Drive competencies focus through continuous learning and job enrichment to ensure high performance.
  
  
  

Stakeholder Management: key stakeholders that the position holder will need to liaise/work with to be successful in this role.

Internal  

• Group Payments Team  
• Technology & Operations division  
• Legal and Compliance  
• Branch and Segment teams 
• Product owners 
  
  
  

External  

• Regulators   
• Corporate partners 
• Data partners e.g. MNOs
• IT solution providers and technology partners  
  
  
  

Qualifications

Ideal Job Specifications:

Academic And Professional Certifications

• University Degree is Mandatory preferably in an IT or Engineering related field.
• MBA or a Master’s degree in a business field is desirable.
• Product and Ecosystem Design, Marketing and Service oriented certifications desirable.
  
  
  

Experience

• At least 10 years’ work experience, 3 of which should have been in a senior management capacity in a similar sized organisation
• Relevant work experience in Product Development & Management, Channel Management, Project Management and Business Development
• Intricate knowledge of Digital Financial services preferably from a Bank, Telecom or Fintech
• The role is open to a Commercial driver with an understanding of Channel based IT practices or an IT professional with a Commercial acumen
• Project and Change Management experience managing technical teams and cross-functional collaboration.
• Vendor Management in negotiation and coordination with USSD gateway providers and telecom operators.
  
  
  

Technical Capabilities

Technology Expertise

Gateway Integration: Deep understanding of how USSD & STK work, including gateways, protocols, and message flows.

Session Management: Knowledge of session-based interactions and handling concurrent sessions.

API Development and Integration: Familiarity with RESTful and SOAP APIs for integrating USSD with our various banking systems.

Short code Management: Experience in acquiring and managing USSD short codes from telecom operators.

Telecommunications Systems and Networks

Telecom Protocols: Understanding of GSM, SS7, SMPP, and other telecom protocols.

Integration with Telco Systems: Experience with connecting banking services to MNO’s.

Security in Telecom: Ensuring secure communication between USSD services and telecom networks.

Financial Systems and Banking Software

Core Banking Integration: Experience with integrating USSD and STK with core banking systems.

Payment Gateways: Mandatory knowledge of digital payment systems, mobile money platforms, and payment gateways.

Transaction Processing: Ideal experience in real-time transaction handling and reconciliation.

Programming and Software Development

Languages: Ideal candidate to have proficiency in programming languages like Python, Java, PHP, or Node.js used in building USSD applications.

USSD Development Frameworks: Familiarity with platforms like Africa’s Talking, Twilio, or custom-built USSD frameworks.

Mobile Platforms: Understanding of how USSD complements other channels like SMS and mobile apps.

Middleware Development: Experience in developing middleware for secure and scalable USSD service delivery.

Cybersecurity and Compliance

Data Encryption: Proficiency in securing communication using encryption standards.

Regulatory Compliance: Familiarity with financial regulations like PCI-DSS, AML, and KYC as applicable in our Africa Region.

Fraud Prevention: Techniques to prevent fraud and ensure safe transactions on USSD channels.

Data Analytics and Reporting

User Behavior Analytics: Tools and techniques for analyzing usage patterns to optimize services.

Performance Monitoring: Mandatory proficiency in monitoring tools to track USSD application uptime, latency, and error rates.

Dashboard Tools: Ideal Skills in visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for management reporting.

Cloud and Infrastructure Management (Ideal to Have)

Cloud Platforms: Experience with cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP) for hosting scalable USSD solutions.

High Availability Systems: Designing failover mechanisms and redundancy for USSD channels.

Load Balancing: Skills to handle high volumes of simultaneous USSD requests.

Emerging Technologies

Omnichannel Integration: Knowledge of integrating USSD with other digital banking channels.

AI and Chatbots: Familiarity with conversational AI to enhance USSD interactivity.

Leadership and Work Ethic

• Strong leadership capability, deliverance, objectivity, excellent interpersonal skills to nurture team members 
• Entrepreneurial spirit requiring minimal guidance to deliver
• Strong in interpersonal relationships and stakeholder management  
  
  
  

Organization

Equity Group Holdings

Employment Type

Regular

Job Level

Manager

Job Shift

Day Job

Job Posting

Dec 2, 2024, 4:14:30 PM