Senior Project Manager, Banking Payments at FNB Johannesburg
FNB · Johannesburg, Gauteng
Overview
FNB is looking for an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead large-scale card and payments projects in Johannesburg. You will drive Visa and Mastercard implementations across retail, commercial, and corporate banking, working with senior stakeholders on complex, high-impact change. This is a full-time role for someone with deep project management and banking payments experience who wants to shape core banking transformation at one of South Africa's biggest banks.
About the role
As a Senior Project Manager at FNB in Johannesburg, you will coordinate people and processes to deliver business change through structured project implementation within time, resource, budget, and scope constraints. The role focuses on medium to large and medium to highly complex business unit and portfolio projects.
You will lead the end-to-end execution of Visa and Mastercard-based implementation initiatives across core retail, commercial, and corporate banking segments within transactional banking environments. Day to day, you can expect to develop and manage project delivery plans, oversee risk and change control, and coordinate cross-functional teams including business stakeholders, technical leads, external vendors, and subject matter experts.
You will govern project oversight through steering committees, formal governance frameworks, and client-facing progress reporting. You will also direct requirements elicitation, gap analysis, and solution design, and provide mentorship to junior project team members.
Important application note: Applications will not be accepted on or after the closing date of 15 November 2026, so submit your application well ahead of time. All appointments will be made in line with FirstRand Group's Employment Equity plan. Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to disclose their disability information on a voluntary basis, and this information will be kept confidential.
Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Finance, or Project Management
- 8 to 10 years of significant experience in end-to-end management of large-scale strategic and tactical projects, leading and coordinating a large project team
- 5 or more years of overall IT SDLC and BDLC delivery experience, with 8 or more years in project management roles
- At least 10 years of project or programme management experience in the financial services sector, including at least one full-cycle project involving a banking license application or major regulatory transformation in South Africa
- Proven ability to work with diverse stakeholders in local and international payments integration environments
- Experience in a Portfolio Management Office, Program Management Office, or Project Management Office overseeing multiple interdependent cross-functional projects
- Demonstrated experience in commercial and corporate banking processes, products, solutions, and operations
- Solid background in commercial banking and Four-Party Model consultancy engagement, preferably with top-tier card acquiring consulting or system integration firms
- Strong understanding of core and commercial banking regulations, industry compliance standards, and applied mandates best practices
- Knowledge of merchant onboarding workflows, KYC requirements, and terminal provisioning
- Understanding of EMVCo specifications for chip-based card transactions, and knowledge of PCI DSS, PA-DSS, and other security standards relevant to EMV acquiring
- Advanced proficiency in project and task management tools such as MS Project, JIRA, Confluence, Asana, Go2PPO, ClickUp, and Trello
- Strong financial acumen and critical thinking skills
- Preferred: postgraduate qualification such as Honours, MBA, or Master's in a relevant field
- Preferred certifications: PMP, PRINCE2, PMI-ACP, CSM, SAFe Agilist, EMV or PCI DSS certifications, TOGAF, ITIL, or relevant systems integration credentials
Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end execution of Visa and Mastercard-based implementation initiatives across core retail, commercial, and corporate banking segments
- Develop and manage comprehensive project delivery plans within defined scope, budget, quality standards, and timelines
- Oversee risk identification, mitigation strategies, issue resolution, and change control throughout the project lifecycle
- Coordinate and align cross-functional teams including business stakeholders, technical leads, external vendors, and subject matter experts
- Govern project oversight through structured steering committees, formal governance frameworks, and client-facing progress reporting
- Direct requirements elicitation, gap analysis, and solution design activities aligned to strategic business objectives
- Ensure seamless integration with existing systems and adherence to regulatory and compliance requirements
- Provide mentorship and leadership to junior project team members as a subject matter expert in core banking transformation
- Influence senior management and key stakeholder groups to secure alignment and strategic decision-making
- Identify risks, opportunities, and challenges, and recommend actionable, data-driven solutions
- Resolve complex delivery challenges independently within an owner-manager culture
- Use project and task management tools such as MS Project, JIRA, Confluence, Asana, Go2PPO, ClickUp, and Trello to manage execution and reporting
- Apply financial acumen to interpret business and financial metrics and identify strategic insights and value drivers
- Facilitate strategic discussions that drive improved decision-making and organizational performance
Job details
- Organisation
- FNB
- Location
- Johannesburg, Gauteng
- Job type
- Full time
- Experience level
- Senior (10+ years)
- Education
- Bachelor
- Category
- Banking & Insurance
- Posted
- 3 November 2026 (4 days ago)
- Closing date
- 15 November 2026
- Application Method
- Apply online
Success Guide
This is a senior role at FNB, so your application needs to show real depth in card and payments project delivery, not just general project management. Before you apply, update your CV to highlight specific Visa or Mastercard implementation projects you have led, the budgets and team sizes involved, and any work with regulatory or banking license transformation in South Africa.
If you have certifications like PMP, PRINCE2, or EMV and PCI DSS training, list them clearly near the top. The application goes through FNB's Workday portal, so set aside time to create a profile and upload your degree certificate alongside your CV. Because the closing date is 15 November 2026, apply early rather than waiting. In interviews, expect questions about how you have managed cross-functional teams, handled risk, and influenced senior stakeholders in a banking environment.
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