Senior Manager Channel Operations

About the role

Sidian Bank is hiring a Senior Manager Channel Operations for a full-time management role in Nairobi. The holder provides end-to-end back-office operational leadership for the bank's delivery channels, overseeing Digital Banking Operations, Merchant & Agency Banking Operations and Channels Monitoring & Service Delivery. The role is a second-line operational support function to customer-facing teams and does not serve customers directly.

Key responsibilities

• Set the channels operations strategy, operating model, annual plan, service standards, control framework and improvement roadmap, and maintain procedures, SLAs, escalation matrices, capacity plans and management information.
• Lead Digital Banking Operations (mobile banking, internet banking, USSD, wallets, cards, ATMs, payment gateways, APIs, account-to-account transfers) and ensure timely processing, settlement support, exception handling and closure of aged items.
• Lead Merchant & Agency Banking Operations, including onboarding, terminal setup, settlement, commission and fee processing, reconciliation, chargebacks and disputes.
• Monitor channel availability, success rates and settlement status, coordinate incident response and service recovery, run post-incident reviews and publish service reports.
• Establish and test operational controls, risk assessments, key risk indicators and audit evidence, and support investigations into incidents, fraud and complaints.
• Manage the department's budget, workforce, vendors and resources, define KPIs, drive automation and prepare management reports for the Head of Operations.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Banking, Finance, IT, Engineering or a related discipline; a postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
• Desirable certifications such as ITIL, PMP/PRINCE2, Lean Six Sigma or equivalent.
• At least 8 years of progressive experience in banking operations, payments, digital channels, merchant acquiring or agency banking, including 3+ years in a leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience managing high-volume back-office operations, reconciliations, settlements, incidents and vendors.

Required skills

• Digital banking, cards, ATMs, merchant acquiring, agency banking, wallets, APIs, payment gateways, clearing, reconciliation and settlement.
• Service monitoring, incident and problem management, business continuity, operational readiness and vendor governance.
• Operational risk, internal controls, scheme rules, data protection and information security.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, vendor negotiation and analytical skills.

The application is made through the recruiting agency that posted the vacancy.