Senior Payment Operations Specialist

We are seeking an experienced Senior Payment Operations Specialist (Cards) to support operational continuity across card and payment schemes, with a primary focus on Visa and Mastercard activity. This role combines scheme compliance oversight, BAU payment operations, and card-scheme change delivery, ensuring controls are robust and updates are implemented safely and effectively.

Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience delivering card scheme implementations and mandatory change (e.g., scheme updates, BIN configuration, validations/certifications).
• Strong understanding of card and payment scheme rules, controls, and BAU readiness planning.
• Experience managing compliance checks, investigations, and operational issue resolution with external partners.
• Solid governance and delivery discipline (planning, RAID/action tracking, stakeholder coordination).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and drive practical improvements.
• High attention to detail in complex, high-volume operational environments.
• Confident communicator, comfortable presenting to stakeholders and senior audiences.

Key Responsibilities:

Card Scheme Operations

• Monitor and implement scheme bulletins and regulatory updates.
• Manage ICA/BIN registrations, programme configuration, certifications, and validations.
• Perform compliance checks and liaise with networks and processors to resolve issues.

Payment Scheme BAU

• Provide operational coverage across payment rails, monitoring processing, and triaging issues.
• Ensure timely processing of payments and escalate exceptions where required.
• Support reconciliations and resolve discrepancies with Finance and operational partners.

Change & Continuous Improvement

• Act as SME for scheme-driven change, translating requirements into clear actions and controls.
• Coordinate readiness and BAU handover for scheme updates and implementations.
• Produce reporting, identify trends, reduce manual friction, and strengthen operational resilience.
• Support and mentor junior team members to promote consistent ways of working.

Spectrum IT Recruitment (South) Limited is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.