Senior Card Scheme & Transaction Processing Product Owner

We are looking for a hands-on, self-driven Cards & Payments expert to take ownership of our end-to-end card scheme management, transaction lifecycle and reconciliation processes. This is a high-impact role where you will drive operational excellence, financial control, and continuous improvement across our card payment ecosystem.

If you thrive in a fast-moving environment and enjoy working at the intersection of finance, operations, and technology, this role is for you.

What You’ll Do

• Own the full card transaction lifecycle (authorization, clearing, settlement, posting), govern Visa/Mastercard scheme changes, and continuously improve process frameworks and operating procedures
• Oversee all reconciliation activities (scheme/network, settlement, GL), drive timely resolution of breaks and discrepancies, and set tolerance thresholds, controls, and escalation frameworks
• Act as the central point of contact for Finance & Accounting, Operations, Technology, and external partners (schemes, processors, vendors), enabling cross-functional collaboration to drive issue resolution
• Define and track KPIs (reconciliation timeliness, processing accuracy), build reporting dashboards for leadership, and conduct root cause analysis to eliminate recurring issues
• Identify and implement automation, digitization, and standardization opportunities, including platform migrations, reconciliation tool implementations, and best practices like auto-matching and exception-based processing
• Ensure adherence to card scheme rules (Visa, Mastercard), regulatory requirements (PSD2, AML), and internal governance policies, while managing the impact of regulatory changes and maintaining incident tracking for governance forums

• 5+ years of experience in leading card scheme management, payments, or financial operations
• Strong understanding of:
• Card transaction lifecycle
• Reconciliation processes
• Payment schemes (Visa/Mastercard)
• Experience working across finance, operations, and technology teams
• Fluent in English
• A self-driven, proactive mindset with ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment