Lead, Real-Time Payments at Interswitch Group

Interswitch is an Africa-focused integrated digital payments and commerce company that facilitates the electronic circulation of money as well as the exchange of value between individuals and organisations on a timely and consistent basis. We started operations in 2002 as a transaction switching and electronic payments processing, and have progressively evolved into an integrated payment services company, building and managing payment infrastructure as well as delivering innovative payment products and transactional services throughout the African continent. At Interswitch, we offer unique career opportunities for individuals capable of playing key roles and adding value in an innovative and fun environment.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Lead, Real-Time Payment

Location: Lagos

About the Job

• To lead, manage, and optimise the technical support and operations for the centralised Infrastructure for Real-time Payment in Nigeria and across Africa, which serves as the backbone for connectivity, interoperability, and data exchange for real-time payments.
• To provide leadership and Operational Management capacity for the core infrastructure, supporting real-time payments as well as other supporting infrastructure, systems, and platforms that enable Systegra to deliver Real-time payment strategy and business objectives effectively.
• To provide leadership and mentoring to a team of implementation and technical support engineers, ensuring the efficient operation of managed services systems and platforms.
• Maintaining a high level of support for both internal teams and external clients for the CI-Hub operations team meeting the highest standards for performance, security, and compliance.

Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Governance:

• Define the vision, strategy, and operating model for CI-Hub to align with the organisation’s real-time payment transformation roadmap.
• Establish governance frameworks, service-level agreements (SLAs), and compliance standards for CI-Hub operations.
• Drive adoption of best practices, industry standards, and regulatory compliance across all integration services.
• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of engineers and technical professionals in Nigeria and other IOCs responsible for real-time payment operations.
• Foster a collaborative and innovative team environment.
• Oversee recruitment, training, and development of team members.

Operational Management:

• Oversee daily operations of CI-Hub, ensuring uptime, reliability, and security of all connected systems.
• Develop and implement processes for monitoring, incident management, change management, and problem resolution.
• Ensure scalability and performance of the platform and infrastructure to support growing business and transaction volumes.
• Manage vendor relationships, third-party APIs, and system integrators supporting CI-Hub.

Technology & Innovation:

• Lead the design, deployment, and continuous improvement of integration solutions (APIs, middleware, microservices, messaging queues, data pipelines, etc.).
• Champion automation, AI/ML, and analytics-driven enhancements to improve hub efficiency.
• Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies to strengthen interoperability, resilience, and performance.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Act as the primary liaison between business units, technology teams, and external partners leveraging the hub.
• Ensure alignment of hub capabilities with business needs, product launches, and client integrations.
• Provide transparency through performance dashboards, operational reports, and stakeholder reviews.

Technical Support and Escalation Management:

• Supervise CI-Hub operations technical team to ensure timely and effective resolution of technical issues.
• Lead development and implementation of standard processes to ensure best practices in customer support.
• Analyse trends in customer support data to identify areas for improvement.

Technology Infrastructure and Service Management:

• Stay updated on trends and technologies in real-time payments within the financial services industry.
• Participate in planning and implementation of new technology initiatives across core functions.
• Monitor performance of technical infrastructure and services, addressing potential issues using monitoring tools.
• Ensure compliance with relevant security standards and regulatory requirements.
• Manage relationships with OEMs, service providers, and internal/external customers.

System Maintenance and Optimisation:

• Manage maintenance and optimisation of CI-Hub and other real-time payment infrastructures within Interswitch, IOC, and customer sites.
• Identify and resolve system bottlenecks or inefficiencies in Systegra’s real-time payment technology infrastructure.
• Conduct regular assessments of system performance and recommend improvements.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Management:

• Collaborate with departments such as EFT Engineers, Core Tech, Project Management, Product Development, Back-office Operations, and QA to achieve Systegra's objectives.
• Communicate technical information effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Work with product management teams to incorporate new features into software solutions, ensuring alignment between product development and engineering.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement:

• Foster a culture of innovation within the real-time payment operations team.
• Lead initiatives to continuously improve real-time payment systems and processes.

Risk Management:

• Identify potential risks in technology infrastructure and implement mitigation measures.
• Establish and maintain disaster recovery plans to ensure business continuity.
• Ensure compliance with data protection, cybersecurity, and industry regulations (e.g., PCI-DSS, GDPR, NDPR).

Vendor Management:

• Manage relationships with external vendors and partners to ensure procurement of high-quality technical products and services.
• Evaluate and select appropriate vendors for technical support tools and services.

Continuous Improvement:

• Implement initiatives to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of technical support and engineering processes.

Team Leadership and Management:

• Develop and implement effective teamwork and performance management measures.
• Motivate and mentor team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Delegate tasks effectively and ensure efficient resolution of customer issues.
• Manage team budgets and resources.

Education / Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, Engineering, or related field.
• Professional certifications in IT Service Management, Integration, Cloud, or Security (e.g., ITIL, TOGAF, PMP, AWS/Azure, CISSP) are a plus.
• 7–10 years of Enterprise Engineering/Technical Support experience, preferably in Financial Services, FinTech, Telecommunications, or Service Provider companies.
• Proven track record in financial services, fintech, payments, or telecoms industry preferred.
• Experience with APIs, middleware, cloud-native architecture, data integration, and regulatory compliance.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.