Project Manager - Cards
Reports to: Head of Projects
HFCB Group Plc is an integrated financial and Property solutions provider that is registered as a nonoperating holding company (under the Banking Act Cap.488) and licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). The Group commenced operations on November 18th 1965, and has diversified from being a mortgage financier to a provider of integrated financial solutions with interests in banking, property and insurance. HFCB Group has been listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange since 1992. The Group which repositioned its identity in May 2026 in order to operate under one unified brand name, has four subsidiaries including HFCB Limited, HFCB Properties Limited, HFCB Bancassurance Intermediary and HFCB Foundation.
About the Role
The Project Manager will be responsible for for planning, coordination, implementation and governance of the card issuing and payment system projects that support the organization's strategic objectives while ensuring compliance with Visa regulations, industry standards, security requirements, and operational excellence. The role is accountable for delivering card-related projects on time, within budget, and according to agreed quality standards while ensuring effective stakeholder management and business readiness.
Key Accountabilities
Visa Product Project Management
- Lead end-to-end implementation of Visa card products and services.
- Coordinate project activities between business teams, Visa, processors, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
- Manage Visa product launches including: Business cards, HNW cards, Virtual cards, Tokenization solutions, Instant Issuance, BNPL – Buy now pay later, Digital wallet integrations
- Ensure compliance with Visa mandates, rules, operating regulations, and implementation requirements.
- Manage Visa certification activities and project sign-offs.
- Coordinate Visa testing and approval processes.
Card Management System (CMS) Projects
- Lead implementation, upgrade, migration, and enhancement projects for card management systems.
- Coordinate CMS setup and configuration activities.
- Define and document business requirements and functional specifications.
- Manage -
- Card lifecycle management
- Card personalization requirements
- Customer onboarding processes
- Limit management
- Fee configurations
- Risk and fraud parameters
- PIN management
- Account linking and settlement processes
- Work with vendors and technical teams to implement required system enhancements.
Payment Switch Projects
- Manage payment switch implementation and integration projects.
- Coordinate connectivity and certification with:
- Visa
- ATM networks
- Acquiring partners
- National payment switches
- Third-party processors
- Manage switch configuration changes.
- Ensure successful transaction routing, authorization, settlement, and reconciliation processes.
- Coordinate end-to-end switch testing activities
ATM Project Management
- Lead ATM deployment and enhancement projects.
- Manage ATM software and hardware implementation programs.
- Coordinate ATM integrations with CMS and payment switch platforms.
- Support implementation of:
- Cash withdrawal services
- Balance inquiry
- Mini statements
- PIN services
- Cardless services
- Contactless ATM functionality
- Ensure ATM transaction monitoring and successful production rollout - Certification Testing & Pilot Testing
- Coordinate issue tracking and defect resolution.
- Validate test results and obtain stakeholder sign-off.
- Ensure production readiness before deployment.
Stakeholder Management
Manage relationships with stakeholders including Visa, Card Vendors, Card Processors, Technology teams, Business units, Compliance teams, Operations teams, Regulators
- Coordinate project steering committee meetings.
- Prepare project status reports and management updates.
- Escalate risks and issues appropriately.
Principal Outcomes for this Role
- On-time project delivery.
- Budget adherence.
- Successful go-live with minimal defects.
- Stakeholder satisfaction.
- Regulatory and scheme compliance.
- Achievement of card business benefits (activation, transaction growth, revenue impact).
Qualifications
Academic & Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree.
- Professional Project Management certification preferred:
PMP
PRINCE2
- Professional certifications in payments or banking are an advantage.
Experience
- Minimum 5–10 years' experience in card and payments projects.
- Proven experience implementing Visa card issuing products.
- Experience managing Card Management System projects.
- Knowledge of card issuing and acquiring business models.
Competencies
Technical competencies
- Demonstrates in depth knowledge in Project Management Methodologies
- Demonstrates knowledge in managing Card Management Systems
- Demonstrate knowledge in governance management, reporting and running projects through the full cycle.
- Customer centric mindset
- Results oriented with strong execution skills