Senior Specialized Prepaid Support

Overview

The Senior Specialized Prepaid Support role serves as the central authority responsible for the operational management of Ecobank's prepaid card portfolio spanning 33 affiliate countries. This position ensures seamless end-to-end processes including settlement, reconciliation, dispute resolution, and general ledger management for all prepaid card schemes such as Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, and interaffiliate debit card products. The role also contributes to affiliate skill development through structured training programs, takes charge of new prepaid partnership rollouts at the operational level, and acts as the escalation point for operational issues throughout the network.

Key Duties

• Oversee Group-wide prepaid card operations ensuring compliance, accuracy, and timely processing across all 33 affiliates.
• Manage clearing and settlement for Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, and closed-loop transactions within defined SLAs.
• Monitor prepaid programmes' performance and address operational challenges proactively.
• Establish, update and enforce prepaid operational policies, standards, and procedures to maintain consistency among affiliates.
• Administer settlement processes including review of settlement rates and accurate transaction postings before daily close.
• Lead automation initiatives to streamline back-office operations across affiliates.
• Own the full-cycle settlement process for Xpress Cash transactions in multiple currencies (XOF, XAF, USD).
• Handle ageing items and reconciliation by setting group-level targets for clearing outstanding balances across various accounts like Card Payments Suspense, Control, GL accounts, and others.
• Develop and deliver comprehensive training programmes and materials to build affiliate capacity in prepaid operations.
• Lead operational preparations and support for new prepaid service launches and partnership onboarding to ensure smooth go-live processes and compliance.
• Provide tiered operational support to affiliate teams, conduct regular performance reviews, and champion best practice sharing.
• Ensure strict governance adherence, regulatory compliance, and support audit processes with required documentation and reporting.

Performance Targets

• Maintain settlement accuracy above 99.5% within SLA timelines.
• Ensure Xpress Cash settlements are 100% completed on time daily.
• Achieve at least a 20% quarterly reduction in ageing items, with none older than 30 days.
• Resolve 90% of disputes within scheme SLA deadlines.
• Complete 100% affiliate training coverage per cycle.
• Deliver new partnership launches on schedule with at least 95% on-time performance.
• Respond to affiliate support inquiries within 24 hours and meet agreed resolution SLAs.
• Ensure zero unresolved reconciliation exceptions older than 30 days.
• Conduct affiliate operational reviews at least quarterly.
• Maintain full regulatory compliance with no overdue reports or audit issues.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum of five years' experience in card operations, prepaid card management, or payment scheme settlement, preferably within pan-regional contexts.
• Proven expertise managing prepaid products across multiple countries.
• Hands-on knowledge of card scheme settlement processes such as Visa VSS or Mastercard MCBS.
• Strong background in dispute management, reconciliation, and clearing aged items.
• Experience designing and delivering training programs to distributed teams is preferred.
• Familiarity with prepaid partnership onboarding and new product launch management is advantageous.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Banking, Business Administration, Information Technology, or related disciplines is mandatory.
• Master's degree or MBA and professional certifications in card payments or operations are considered additional strengths.

Technical Competencies

• In-depth understanding of Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay prepaid schemes, settlement standards, and dispute workflows.
• Expertise in reconciliation and financial control processes relevant to prepaid card portfolios.
• Knowledge of card management and core banking systems such as Postilion, GTP, Flexcube/CBA, or PRIME4 is beneficial.
• Awareness of regulatory requirements applicable to prepaid products in African markets.
• Skilled at analyzing operational data and preparing comprehensive management reports.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel and PowerPoint.

Personal Attributes & Work Ethic

• Meticulous and data-focused with a robust grasp on card scheme mandates and operations.
• Proactive in identifying operational risks and growth opportunities within prepaid services.
• Strong leadership and the ability to influence diverse stakeholders across multiple countries.
• Excellent communication skills in English, with proficiency in French as a plus.
• Highly accountable, structured, and results-driven with an aptitude for problem-solving.
• Adept at managing multiple priorities and working under pressure within a large multinational remit.
• Firm commitment to compliance, operational integrity, and data accuracy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The employer is dedicated to equal opportunity employment and cultivating an inclusive workplace, encouraging applications from all qualified individuals irrespective of nationality, race, gender, age, religion, or disability while adhering to local laws.