Job Title: Head, Domestic Switching & Terminal Operations
Unified Payment Services Limited, also known as UP, is a Nigerian payments and financial technology company established in 1997 by a consortium of leading Nigerian banks. The company provides shared payment infrastructure for the banking industry and payment services within and outside Nigeria, with a vision to become Africa’s most preferred electronic payment service provider.
Unified Payment Services Limited is seeking an experienced professional to lead its domestic switching and terminal operations in Lagos.
Job Details
Company: Unified Payment Services Limited
Location: Lagos State
Employment Type: Full-time
Job Category: Information Technology and Payment Operations
Qualification: Bachelor’s degree or HND; postgraduate qualification preferred
Experience: Minimum of 10 years
Application Closing Date: Not Specified
Job Summary
The Head, Domestic Switching & Terminal Operations will oversee domestic transaction switching, payment terminal operations, settlement, reconciliation and dispute resolution. The role is responsible for maintaining reliable payment processing, improving transaction success rates, ensuring regulatory compliance and delivering efficient services across the company’s domestic payment infrastructure.
Responsibilities
Switching Operations Management
- Oversee domestic transaction switching, routing and authorisation across POS, web, mobile, ATM and QR payment channels.
- Monitor switching platform performance, system uptime and transaction processing efficiency.
- Coordinate with technology, infrastructure and network partners to maintain reliable transaction throughput and minimise latency.
- Manage integration and certification processes involving banks, aggregators and payment partners.
- Implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance transaction reliability and customer experience.
Terminal and POS Operations
- Oversee the complete POS and payment terminal lifecycle, including deployment, activation, monitoring, firmware updates and maintenance.
- Establish performance metrics for terminal uptime, transaction success rates and field operations.
- Coordinate with terminal vendors, acquirers and Payment Terminal Service Aggregator (PTSA) partners.
- Improve merchant satisfaction by ensuring reliable terminal performance and prompt resolution of technical and transaction-related issues.
Settlement, Reconciliation and Dispute Resolution
- Supervise daily settlement and reconciliation of POS and card transactions involving partner banks and payment processors.
- Ensure accurate transaction postings and timely resolution of settlement discrepancies.
- Manage chargebacks and payment disputes in line with card scheme requirements and regulatory timelines.
- Collaborate with Finance, Risk and IT teams to maintain transparency and effective controls over transaction settlements.
Risk Management and Regulatory Compliance
- Ensure compliance with applicable Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) PTSP/PTSA regulations, NIBSS standards and industry requirements.
- Maintain operational controls to mitigate fraud, data breaches and transaction-related risks.
- Respond to audit queries, coordinate compliance reviews and monitor the implementation of corrective actions.
- Maintain accurate documentation for regulatory and industry audits.
Technology and Process Improvement
- Collaborate with Engineering and IT teams to improve switching architecture, APIs and transaction monitoring tools.
- Promote process automation, monitoring dashboards and data-driven operational decisions.
- Participate in user acceptance testing (UAT), system releases and new product deployments.
- Drive improvements in scalability, redundancy and resilience across switching infrastructure.
Leadership and Team Management
- Lead, mentor and develop the Switching and Terminal Operations team.
- Establish clear responsibilities, performance expectations and accountability across the team.
- Promote collaboration, agility and continuous improvement.
- Oversee workforce planning, training and professional development.
Reporting and Stakeholder Engagement
- Prepare daily, weekly and monthly reports on transaction volumes, switching performance, settlements and dispute trends.
- Maintain effective working relationships with partner banks, NIBSS, card schemes such as Verve, Visa and Mastercard, and merchants.
- Serve as the primary operational escalation point for switching and terminal-related issues.
Key Performance Indicators
- Transaction uptime and switching success rates.
- Accuracy and timeliness of settlements and reconciliations.
- Frequency of downtime and time to recovery.
- Reduction in failed transactions, chargebacks and operational exceptions.
- Compliance audit performance and incident reduction.
- Merchant and payment partner satisfaction.
Requirements
- A first degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Finance or a related discipline.
- A master’s degree or MBA will be an advantage.
- At least 10 years of experience in payment operations, transaction switching or electronic banking.
- A minimum of three years in a leadership role within a fintech company or Payment Service Provider (PSP) environment.
- Strong knowledge of domestic payment processing, POS operations, transaction settlement and reconciliation.
- Understanding of payment regulations, card scheme requirements, operational risk and compliance controls.
- Strong leadership, analytical, problem-solving and stakeholder management skills.
Application Closing Date: Not Specified.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV to [email protected], using Head, Domestic Switching & Terminal Operations as the subject of the email.