Job Title: Head of Merchant Acquiring & Digital Payments
Location: Doha, Qatar
Level: Director / Senior Management
Industry: Banking / Payments / Fintech
Experience Required: 15+ years in merchant acquiring, cards and payments, with 5+ years in a senior leadership role
Role Purpose
Lead the bank’s merchant acquiring and digital payments business. Drive growth in merchant acquisition, transaction volumes, and fee-based income, while delivering innovative payment solutions and keeping operations compliant and secure.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and execute the strategy for merchant acquiring, cards, and digital payment products (POS, e-commerce, mobile wallets, QR, SoftPOS/Tap on Phone).
- Own the Acquiring P&L, including annual business plans, budgets, targets, and cost control.
- Acquire, retain, and grow key merchant accounts across sectors such as hospitality, retail, healthcare, and travel.
- Build and manage relationships with card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, UPI, Amex) and payment partners.
- Oversee payment gateway operations, merchant servicing, transaction processing, and fraud management.
- Lead product development and management for credit, debit, loyalty, rewards, and co-brand cards.
- Negotiate partnership agreements with banks, financial institutions, and technology providers.
- Lead the delivery of new payment solutions and projects (contactless, mobile and digital wallets, MPOS, DCC, 3DS/secure e-commerce).
- Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, scheme rules, and PCI-DSS standards.
- Monitor KPIs, market share, and competitor activity, and report on performance to senior management and C-level stakeholders.
- Lead, coach, and develop the acquiring, sales, and operations teams.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Management, Information Systems, Finance, or a related field (MBA preferred).
- 15+ years in banking or payments, with proven experience in merchant acquiring.
- Hands-on experience with POS, payment gateways (e.g., MPGS), and digital wallet and QR solutions.
- Strong knowledge of scheme regulations, fraud and risk management, and the GCC/Qatar payments landscape.
Skills & Competencies
- Strategic planning and P&L management
- Negotiation and stakeholder management
- Business development and key account management
- Team leadership and cross-functional collaboration
- Data analysis, budgeting, and forecasting
- Fluent English and Arabic
