Group DFS Operations Manager at Equity Bank Kenya

The GM, Group DFS is the head of the DFS IT Operations, will be responsible for driving strategic growth, managing daily operations, ensuring regulatory compliance, and overseeing technical and business teams. This role involves leadership at both the operational and strategic levels, working closely with the DFS IT Operations teams to ensure alignment with organizational goals and maintaining high levels of performance, availability, and security across all the IT systems. The DFS IT Operations GM will be driven by delivery of DFS services to its customers through robust and efficient systems and processes and in the most effective and customer centric way.

Job Responsibilities/ Accountabilities:

• Strategic Leadership
• Develop and implement strategies that aligns with the organizations short and long term goals and objectives.
• Oversee execution and planning of execution of operational excellence initiatives that ensure excellent and reliable customer experience of the Financial services to the customer.
• Build and lead high-performing teams across IT operations
• Foster a culture of innovation, continuous learning, continuous improvement and collaboration.
• Mentor and develop talent to drive IT Service Operations objectives.
• Operations and IT management
• Oversee end-to-end IT operations, ensuring high availability, security, and scalability of PSP platforms.
• Collaborate with IT teams to optimize system performance and implement emerging technologies.
• Ensure seamless integration with banks, financial institutions and systems, and regulatory bodies.
• Ensure Operational efficiency through site reliability engineering and continuous improvement.
• Regulatory, Risk & Compliance Oversight
• Ensure full compliance with Central Bank regulations, PCI-DSS, GDPR, AML, and other industry standards.
• Establish risk management frameworks and cybersecurity measures to safeguard transactions.
• Maintain strong relationships with regulatory bodies and ensure licensing requirements are met.
• Oversee the development and implementation of availability of systems and business continuity plans for availability of services.
• Financial & Performance Management
• Identify cost-optimization opportunities and efficiency improvements in DFS applications and infrastructure.
• Monitor financial KPIs, budgeting, and cost optimization for profitability and value addition.
• Ensure accurate financial reporting and revenue forecasting.
• Develop strategies to optimize transaction processing costs and enhance efficiency.

Qualifications

• Essential Knowledge
• In-depth knowledge and experience of Mobile money systems
• Strong understanding and appreciation of Huawei Non-Core DFS Platform
• Understanding and proven working experience with API integration
• Excellent knowledge of industry standards and best practices including compliance and risk management.
• Experience with ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, AML, and KYC regulations.
• Strong understanding of blockchain, API integrations, AI-driven fraud detection.
• Familiarity with African fintech landscape and regulatory frameworks.
• Strong analytical, strategic, and leadership skills.

Key Critical Competencies:

• Strong IT Background
• Strong understanding of Huawei Mobile Money Platform configuration
• Architecture
• Strategic Thinking and Planning
• Financial Acumen
• Leadership and Team Management
• Communication and Stakeholder Management
• Problem Solving and Decision Making
• Project Management Skills

Requirements:

• University degree in Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in FinTech Systems, with a focus on strategy and operational leadership leading n output oriented team.
• Proven experience managing large-scale Mobile Money/Fintech teams.
• Experience in managing CAPEX/OPEX budgets and vendor contracts.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel regionally based on business need