Cards Technical Implementation Lead

Job Title: Cards Technical Implementation Lead Term: 12 months Location: Riyadh, KSA- onsite Division: Cards & Payments/ Retail Banking Relevant experience: 10+ years in payments technology, card issuing/processing, and technical implementation Mandatory requirements: - Hands-on end-to-end technical implementation experience across consumer and commercial card programs (credit + wallet/prepaid) - Direct experience with principal membership setup and ICA enablement with a major card scheme - Processor integration experience (e.g. tier-1 issuer processor) - Knowledge of SAMA regulatory framework for card issuance and consumer finance licensing - Fluent English; immediately available or within 30-day notice Purpose of Project: A BNPL platform launching mass consumer credit cards, wallet-linked prepaid cards, and commercial card products. This role embeds a dedicated specialist within the client's KSA technology and product teams to drive the full technical implementation and productionisation of card programs. The KSA market operates under a principal membership model with the Processor — requiring BIN request and setup, ICA assignment, scheme certification, and physical/digital card launch. For the right candidate, this is a rare opportunity to lead a greenfield card launch for a high-profile fintech, directly shaping how card products reach millions of consumers. Key Activities Core Responsibilities And Accountabilities - Lead the full technical delivery lifecycle across consumer credit, wallet linked, and commercial card programs for the KSA market — developing and maintaining comprehensive project plans covering BIN request/setup, ICA assignment, CMS integration, processor connectivity, and Mastercard scheme certification — measured by on?time milestone delivery 90% - Drive principal membership enablement, coordinating ICA assignment, membership documentation, and regulatory submissions to SAMA — ensuring membership is operationally active within the first 8 weeks - Oversee card productionisation and digital issuance from card design and personalisation through production, fulfilment, and digital provisioning — ensuring integration with NI processing platform personalization bureau per scheme requirements - Execute digital wallet and tokenisation launch (Apple Pay, Google Pay, xPay) including MDES setup, tokenisation services deployment to production, 3DS authentication configuration, and end-to-end digital provisioning flow validation - Lead scheme certification and quality assurance including MIP testing, parametrisation workbook completion, package configuration, SIT/UAT, performance testing, and security testing — ensuring 100% of P1/P2 defects are resolved prior to go-live - Manage authorisation, authentication, and dispute management configuration — ensuring post-launch operational readiness including production incident management, initial stabilisation, and comprehensive handover documentation for BAU operations teams. - Coordinate across all parties —Processor, personalization bureaus, and the client's product, technology, and compliance functions — facilitating workshops, solution design sessions, and weekly/monthly governance cadence KPIs (indicative) - Card programs technically launch-ready (BIN setup + scheme certification within first 3 months) - Project milestones delivered on-time (Against agreed project plan) - Critical defects resolved pre-launch / Prior to go-live - Digital wallet (xPay) provisioning live / Apple Pay, Google Pay minimum - Weekly status reporting & monthly SteerCo cadence - Stakeholder satisfaction (client feedback) - Quarterly feedback from client Head of Personal Banking Knowledge and Experience Domain Expertise: - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field - 10+ years in payments technology, card issuing/processing, and technical implementation program management - Proven track record delivering card product launches (credit, wallet/prepaid, commercial) across multiple markets, ideally in the GCC/MENA region - Deep understanding of card management systems (e.g., PowerCARD, Way4, VisionPLUS, Cortex, Prime), issuer processing, and card lifecycle (issuance authorisation clearing settlement disputes) Technical Knowledge: - ISO 8583 / ISO 20022 messaging standards, BIN management, personalisation, tokenisation (MDES/VTS), 3DS, and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) - PCI-DSS compliance requirements and security standards for card issuance - API-based integrations, simulator/certification environments, and cloud native architectures Regulatory & Regional: - Strong knowledge of SAMA regulatory framework for card issuance and consumer finance - Familiarity with Mastercard products, services, CIS processes, and scheme rules - Understanding of Shariah-compliant financial products is a plus Industry & Sector: - Experience working with fintech or BNPL companies is highly desirable - Exposure to greenfield card program launches (vs. migration/enhancement) preferred Tools & Platforms: - Project management tools: JIRA, Confluence, MS Project, or equivalent - Testing and certification tools: Mastercard MIP, scheme simulators, API testing suites (Postman, SoapUI) MANDATORY SKILLS** - End-to-end card technical implementation and productionisation (credit, wallet, commercial) - BIN setup, ICA assignment, and Mastercard scheme certification - Processor integration experience - Digital wallet/tokenisation (MDES, xPay) - Fluent English; Client working language; Arabic is a plus Preferred but not mandatory: - PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent project management certification - Mastercard Certified Associate or Professional (Dispute Resolution or Fraud Management) - Arabic language proficiency

• Cards Technical Implementation Lead

  Hiresquad Resources · Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

• Cards Technical Implementation Lead

  Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

• Cards Technical Implementation Lead

  Hiresquad Resources · Riyadh, Saudi Arabia