Head of Industry Payments and Portfolio at Standard Bank, Johannesburg
Standard Bank · Johannesburg, Gauteng
Overview
Standard Bank is looking for a seasoned payments expert to lead its South Africa payments franchise. You will shape the country payments agenda across commercial priorities, customer experience, payment types and rails, platforms, operations and data. This is a senior leadership role in Johannesburg for someone with deep transactional banking experience who can drive integrated growth and represent SBSA in regulatory and industry discussions.
About the role
Standard Bank is seeking an Industry Payments & Portfolio Head to provide enterprise leadership across its South Africa payments franchise. In this role, you will set a progressive, forward looking country agenda that spans commercial priorities, customer experience, payment types and rails, platforms, operations and data. You will hold a clear country level mandate to align investment and execution, anticipate market and technology shifts and drive integrated growth outcomes.
You will build and represent an SBSA payments view at regulatory and industry interactions while enabling effective regulatory advocacy, compliance and change. You will also orchestrate complex execution across multiple business units, payment products, technology, operations, risk and control functions to deliver integrated outcomes.
Application note: You will apply on Standard Bank's official website. The listing directs you to the bank's own application system.
Requirements
- Masters degree or Postgraduate degree in Business Commerce, Finance and Accounting.
- 5 to 7 years broad knowledge of foreign exchange and cross border payments, cards, acquiring, cash, collections, payment rails, payment platforms and payments technology.
- 5 to 7 years essential knowledge and practical experience of payments regulation, regulatory engagement, compliance obligations and regulatory change in the South African payments environment.
- 8 to 10 years proven track record of orchestrating complex execution across multiple business units, payment products, technology, operations, risk and control functions.
- More than 10 years significant senior or executive level experience in payments within a large financial services institution.
- Experience as a transactional banking or payments professional with substantial leadership exposure across the payments value chain.
- Behavioural competencies include convincing people, developing expertise, developing strategies, directing people, empowering individuals, establishing rapport, examining information, exploring possibilities, interacting with people, making decisions, providing insights and taking action.
- Technical competencies include customer understanding in business and consumer banking, financial industry regulatory framework, knowledge management systems, stakeholder management and strategic planning and reporting.
Responsibilities
- Lead the South Africa payments franchise and industry interaction across business units.
- Set a forward looking country agenda covering commercial priorities, customer experience, payment types and rails, platforms, operations and data.
- Align investment and execution through a clear country level mandate while anticipating market and technology shifts.
- Drive integrated growth outcomes and enable effective regulatory advocacy, compliance and change.
- Build and represent an SBSA payments view at regulatory and industry interactions.
- Orchestrate complex execution across multiple business units, payment products, technology, operations, risk and control functions.
Job details
- Organisation
- Standard Bank
- Location
- Johannesburg, Gauteng
- Job type
- Full time
- Experience level
- Executive (10+ years)
- Education
- Master
- Category
- Banking & Insurance
- Posted
- 3 November 2026 (4 days ago)
- Application Method
- Apply online
Success Guide
This is a senior executive role, so your application needs to show more than a list of tasks. Standard Bank will want to see how you have shaped payments strategy, managed regulatory relationships and delivered complex projects across a large financial institution.
When you apply, highlight specific examples of payments products or platforms you have worked on and how you navigated the South African regulatory environment. Use real numbers or outcomes where you can, such as revenue growth, cost savings or successful compliance changes you led.
Because the role works across many business units, show that you can influence people at different levels and bring teams together. Tailor your CV to the banking and payments sector and make sure your qualifications are clearly listed. Good luck.
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