Group Head, Applications and Channels at a Leading Tier 1 Financial Institution - Verraki

Verraki - Our client is a leading Tier 1 Financial Institution. They are committed to delivering innovative banking and fintech solutions across Africa, leveraging cutting-edge technology to drive operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and sustainable growth. 

They are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Group Head, Applications and Channels

Location: Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Description

• As the Group Head, Applications and Channels, you will oversee the operations, development, and modernization of the bank’s core applications and digital channels.
• You will lead strategy execution for Finacle platforms, CRM, RPA, IVR, regulatory tools, and emerging channels like video banking.
• You will guide your team in aligning application performance, integrations, and infrastructure with business goals — ensuring high up-time, scalability, and customer satisfaction. 

Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Application Governance:

• Define and execute digital banking strategy (channels, applications, and integrations). 
• Align application portfolios with business and regulatory objectives (e.g., AML, BVN, LOS). 
• Ensure RPO/RTO targets are met across all channels. 
• Lead the implementation of process automation, open banking APIs, and CRM upgrades. 

Application Architecture & Operations:

• Manage Finacle LOS, Treasury, and RPA workflows for operational efficiency. 
• Maintain performance, uptime, and regulatory alignment for critical platforms like SAS AML, Doculayer, and IVR systems. 
• Guide the architectural design of scalable, secure application environments (on-prem/cloud). 
• Ensure effective orchestration of application infrastructure across development, test, and production environments. 

Risk, Security & Compliance:

• Enforce compliance with PCI DSS, ISO 27001, AML, and NDPR. 
• Conduct risk assessments and manage vulnerabilities across application channels. 
• Ensure zero revenue-impacting outages and zero critical security breaches per year. 
• Lead business continuity and disaster recovery planning and drills. 

Team Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Lead unit heads across Digital Channels, Enterprise Applications, Niche Applications, and Card Support. 
• Manage vendors and partners (e.g., cloud providers, security vendors) for application support and innovation. 
• Drive continuous improvement, establish KPIs, and report performance to CIO and executive teams.
• Foster a culture of accountability, documentation, and knowledge sharing. 

Key Qualifications and Competencies 
Education & Experience: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in an IT-related discipline (Master’s or MBA preferred). 
• Relevant certifications: TOGAF, CISSP/CISM, PMP, ITIL, SAFe Agilist, ISO/IEC 27001. 
• 12+ years of experience in application/channel management. 
• 10+ years in leadership roles with 3+ years in a Tier 1 bank or multiple Tier 2 banks. 

Skills & Attributes:

• Digital banking strategy, application portfolio management 
• Budgeting, compliance, stakeholder management, and risk governance 
• Enterprise application architecture, automation, security, DevOps integration 
• Deep knowledge of core banking systems (e.g., Finacle), CRM, RPA, AML tools 
• Performance monitoring, capacity planning, SLAs, ITIL-based service delivery 
• Experience with APIs, integrations, cloud/hybrid deployment models 
• Executive communication and stakeholder alignment 
• People leadership, team development, and operational excellence mindset.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.