Head of Issuing and Acquiring Cards

Head of Issuing and Acquiring Cards

Reporting to: Chief Operations Officer

Role Purpose

The Head of Issuing and Acquiring Cards will be responsible for overseeing and managing the company's card issuing and merchant acquiring operations. The role focuses on ensuring operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, strategic growth, and strong relationships with payment schemes, banking partners, processors, and merchants. The successful candidate will lead the development and execution of card payment strategies while ensuring secure, compliant, and customer-focused card services.

Key Responsibilities

Card Issuing Strategy & Product Leadership

• Own the end-to-end card issuing business strategy across debit, virtual, and emerging card products
• Define and execute growth initiatives to expand card portfolio performance, transaction volumes, cardholder engagement, and revenue streams
• Identify market opportunities, industry trends, and competitive developments to drive innovation in card products and customer propositions
• Develop and launch new card programs, partnerships, and value-added services that differentiate Finductive's card offering
• Build strategic relationships with BIN sponsors, processors, scheme partners, fintechs, and program managers to support business expansion
• Lead card product roadmap planning, prioritizing enhancements, new features, and commercialization opportunities aligned with company objectives
• Establish portfolio optimization strategies for leveraging data analytics, customer insights, and transaction behavior to maximize profitability and adoption
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Card Issuing Operations & Program Management

• Oversee the end-to-end management of card issuing products, including debit, prepaid, virtual, and future card solutions
• Manage all card lifecycle processes, including onboarding, issuance, activation, transaction monitoring, renewals, replacements, and cancellations
• Monitor card program performance, operational KPIs, service levels, and customer experience metrics
• Ensure fraud prevention controls, transaction monitoring frameworks, and risk management processes remain effective and aligned with industry best practices
• Lead and develop the card operations team, driving operational excellence, scalability, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Ensure compliance with scheme regulations, regulatory requirements, and internal governance standards

Card Acquiring Strategy & Network Partnerships

• Own the global card acquiring strategy, driving expansion, optimization, and long-term growth of Finductive's acquiring ecosystem
• Lead the end-to-end strategy and execution for Visa and Mastercard Principal Membership, including onboarding, governance, compliance, and ongoing relationship management
• Develop and expand strategic partnerships with card schemes, acquirers, processors, payment facilitators, ISOs, and technology providers
• Identify and execute new acquiring opportunities, market expansion initiatives, and partnership models to strengthen global acquiring capabilities
• Advise executive leadership on scheme developments, acquiring trends, interchange optimization, settlement frameworks, and network economics
• Represent Finductive in scheme governance forums, industry working groups, and network committees, influencing strategic direction and industry standards
• Evaluate new markets, acquiring models, and payment innovations to support the company's global growth ambitions

Card Acquiring Operations & Performance Management

• Oversee scheme compliance, operational readiness, and governance across international card acquiring operations
• Drive acquiring performance improvements, optimizing authorization rates, routing strategies, cost efficiency, fraud controls, and merchant experience
• Strengthen merchant acceptance performance through technical enablement, network optimization, and acquiring infrastructure enhancements
• Act as the internal subject matter expert on global card acquiring, authorization flows, clearing, settlement, reconciliation, chargebacks, and dispute management
• Ensure robust risk management, fraud mitigation, compliance controls, and operational resilience across all acquiring activities
• Build, mentor, and lead high-performing acquiring and card operations teams while fostering cross-functional collaboration across product, compliance, risk, finance, and technology functions

Leadership & Commercial Responsibility

• Own P&L performance for card issuing and acquiring products, driving revenue growth, cost optimization, and sustainable profitability
• Develop and execute strategic plans aligned with corporate objectives and market opportunities
• Present business cases, growth strategies, and performance insights to executive leadership and stakeholders
• Establish KPIs, governance frameworks, and reporting structures to measure success across issuing and acquiring functions
• Lead negotiations with schemes, processors, BIN sponsors, acquirers, and strategic partners to secure commercial and operational advantages

Requirements

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Economics, Payments, or related fields
• Minimum 5 years of experience within card issuing, merchant acquiring, or payments operations
• Strong understanding of card payment ecosystems, payment schemes, and acquiring processes
• Experience working with regulated financial institutions, fintechs, or payment service providers
• Experience managing third-party providers and payment partners

Skills and Competencies

• Strong leadership and management skills
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Strong understanding of card scheme rules and compliance requirements
• Knowledge of fraud prevention and transaction monitoring controls
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and evolving environment
• Commercial awareness and strategic thinking capabilities

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with EMI, PSP, or fintech environments
• Knowledge of PCI-DSS and card scheme certification processes
• Familiarity with international payments and cross-border acquiring
• Professional certifications in payments, compliance, or risk management are considered an asset