Platform Lead - Payment Infrastructure

About Qena:

Qena is Ethiopia’s first digital financial solutions provider leveraging on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assess the creditworthiness of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Small-Holder Farmers (SHFs) & Individuals. Qena was established in 2015 as a subsidiary of Kifiya Financial Technologies to create small-ticket financial products for individuals & enterprises. Since its start, Qena has worked to develop its AI-powered Credit Scoring System and Digital Financing Platform to offer commercial banks a digitized underwriting process for quicker and more accurate credit & finance decisions, without requiring collateral. We collaborate, train, assist and co-create innovative solutions for financial institutions to provide access to finance for unserved and under-served segments. Qena has gained widespread recognition for its innovative digital lending product, Michu, which is provided in partnership with the Cooperative Bank of Oromia. In just 8 months, Michu has already disbursed over 1 billion Birr in loans, making it a popular choice among borrowers in Ethiopia..

Job Overview:

As a Senior Platform Lead for Payment Infrastructure, your responsibilities would include overseeing the technical direction and development of the payment infrastructure, managing the platform engineering team, ensuring the platform's scalability, security and reliability, and collaborating with other teams to deliver seamless and innovative financial services to customers.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the strategic development and implementation of payment infrastructure strategies, aligning them with our company's long-term goals and industry standards.
• Architect and manage robust, scalable, and secure payment systems, covering areas such as transaction processing, settlement, and reconciliation.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product, engineering, and operations, to seamlessly integrate payment systems into our digital lending platform.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on payment-related regulations, compliance, and security standards, ensuring adherence to industry best practices.
• Oversee the selection and integration of third-party payment providers, maintaining strong relationships and ensuring optimal vendor performance.
• Continuously monitor and enhance payment system performance, proactively identifying and resolving bottlenecks to optimize efficiency and mitigate risks.
• Drive innovation by researching and implementing cutting-edge payment technologies and solutions, elevating the user experience and keeping us at the forefront of industry trends.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to a team of payment system specialists, fostering their professional growth and inspiring a culture of excellence.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field.
• Proven track record (2+ years) of successfully developing and managing payment infrastructure systems, ideally within the Fin-tech industry.
• Deep knowledge of payment technologies, including payment gateways, card networks, digital wallets, and emerging payment methods.
• Expertise in payment-related regulations, compliance standards (e.g., PCI-DSS), and security protocols.
• Proficiency in programming languages and frameworks commonly used in payment system development.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex payment-related issues and devise effective solutions.
• Strong leadership abilities, with prior experience in managing teams and driving cross-functional collaboration.
• Excellent communication skills, enabling you to effectively communicate