- The Head, Merchant POS & Agency Banking is responsible for leading the strategy, growth, and day-to-day management of the Company's merchant acquiring and agent banking channels.
- The role ensures the expansion and activation of POS merchants and banking agents, increased transaction volumes and deposit mobilization through these channels, effective risk and fraud control, and adherence to CBN, NIBSS, and other regulatory requirements.
Duties and Responsibilities
Strategy & Business Growth:
- Develop and execute the Company's merchant POS and agency banking strategy, with clear targets for merchant onboarding, agent recruitment, transaction volumes, and revenue.
- Drive network expansion across target locations and segments, ensuring terminal deployment and agent activation meet growth goals.
- Identify new market opportunities, partnerships, and product enhancements (e.g., cash-in/cash-out, bill payments, account opening, loan origination) to deepen channel value.
Merchant & Agent Network Management:
- Oversee the recruitment, due diligence, onboarding, training, and performance management of merchants and banking agents.
- Monitor terminal and agent productivity, dormancy, and float/liquidity levels, and implement initiatives to reactivate and retain high-performing outlets.
- Manage relationships with POS vendors, payment processors, and super-agents, and ensure service-level agreements are met.
- Resolve merchant and agent issues, disputes, chargebacks, and settlement queries promptly in coordination with Operations and Finance.
Team Leadership & Performance Management:
- Lead, coach, and develop the merchant, agency, and POS support teams to achieve set targets.
- Set KPIs, track channel performance, and prepare regular reports on volumes, revenue, commissions, and portfolio health for Executive Management.
- Manage the channel budget, commission structures, and pricing to ensure profitability and competitiveness.
Risk, Compliance & Controls:
- Ensure compliance with CBN guidelines on POS and agent banking, NIBSS requirements, PCI-DSS standards, and AML/CFT and KYC regulations.
- Work with Risk and Fraud teams to monitor suspicious transactions, prevent fraud, and implement controls across merchant and agent operations.
- Ensure accurate daily reconciliation and timely settlement of POS and agent transactions with Finance and Operations teams.
Person Specification
General Education:
- Minimum of Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Finance, Economics, Information Technology, or a related discipline.
- A Master's degree (MBA or equivalent) is an added advantage.
Professional Qualification:
- Professional certification (e.g., CIBN, ICAN, ACCA, PMP, or payments/digital banking certifications) is an added advantage.
- Minimum 8 - 10 years of progressive experience in merchant acquiring, POS, agency banking, or digital payments within a bank, microfinance bank, or fintech, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
- In-depth understanding of POS and agent network operations, payment switching and settlement flows, commission models, and CBN regulations on agent banking and merchant acquiring.
- Proven track record of scaling merchant and agent networks, driving transaction volumes, and managing fraud and operational risk.