The posting
Job Description
About Us:
Network International is the largest Financial Technology company in Middle East and Africa. Payments is our core business where we provide services in more than 50 countries – UAE, Jordan, South Africa, Egypt are some of our key markets. Apart from payments, we provide services on Data and Insights, Lending, Insurance, Risk Solutions, etc. Our core customers are businesses at every scale and segment, though recently we are growing in direct to consumer card segment as well.
Our EVP:
At Network International, we always stay ahead. . In the fast-paced world of financial services, we thrive on innovation, agility, and purposeful collaboration. We invest first in our people, empowering you to make bold decisions, learn fast, and grow your expertise alongside industry leaders. Here, solving complex problems means more than using cutting-edge technology; it’s about creating meaningful value for our customers, together. We foster a culture where trust, accountability, and achievement go hand in hand—because success isn’t just a goal; it’s how we work, every day, as one team.
About The Role:
We are looking to hire a product-governance leader to strengthen compliance across Network International’s product portfolio and drive the New Product Approval Process (NPAP) from submission through closure. You will translate card-scheme mandates into clear product requirements, lead cross-functional governance, unblock complex approval matters and advance automation and AI-enabled ways of working. The role sits at the intersection of Product, Technology, Risk, Operations, Finance and the card schemes, requiring sound judgement, organizational authority and the ability to turn regulatory and scheme obligations into practical delivery priorities.
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:
Lead product compliance across the portfolio:
- Translate card-scheme mandates and compliance obligations into clear, actionable product requirements before prioritization with Technology and relevant delivery teams.
- Maintain end-to-end oversight of product compliance across the portfolio, ensuring requirements, ownership, dependencies, decisions and delivery status are visible and actively governed.
- Own and continuously improve the Product Compliance Tracker, assessing each mandate’s impact on customer experience, product roadmaps, technical complexity, delivery priorities and commercial outcomes.
- Act as the Product Single Point of Contact and governance lead for Group Product Scheme Compliance, providing clear direction and escalation across affected teams.
Protect the business from scheme and delivery risk:
- Identify potential non-compliance exposure early and coordinate practical mitigation plans with Product, Technology, Risk, Operations and other accountable stakeholders.
- Proactively reduce scheme-penalty risk through disciplined prioritization, evidence-based mandate discussions, negotiations and waiver requests where appropriate.
- Monitor critical milestones, dependencies and unresolved decisions, escalating material risks through the appropriate governance forums.
- Provide concise executive-level updates on compliance exposure, delivery progress, decisions required and the commercial or customer implications of delay.
Govern the New Product Approval Process:
- Serve as the Product SPOC and governance lead for Group Products across Acquiring, Operations and Risk.
- Chair and manage the NPAP Steering Committee across all NPAP levels, creating effective cross-functional alignment, decision clarity and timely progression toward approval or closure.
- Drive resolution of critical blockers involving Product, Technology, Risk, Operations, Finance and other stakeholders.
- Use the appropriate executive governance forums across Product, Risk, Technology, Operations and Finance to secure decisions and drive closure when issues cannot be resolved at Product Manager, SVP or Risk Manager level.
- Maintain clear governance records covering submissions, conditions, actions, accountable owners, target dates, decisions, exceptions and final closure.
Funnel Performance & Conversion Insights:
- Monitor and analyze end-to-end funnel performance.
- Identify key friction points and provide data-backed recommendations to improve conversion rates.
Advance automation and AI-enabled product governance:
- Lead the automation of product-compliance processes, controls, reporting and governance workflows to improve visibility, consistency and cycle time.
- Continue supporting the NPAP Copilot initiative as AI Co-Champion alongside the Lead, providing governance guidance, product expertise and stakeholder alignment following the transition of primary ownership.
- Contribute to broader AI-enabled product initiatives where strategic guidance, governance oversight or product-domain expertise is required.
- Help product teams identify and implement responsible AI opportunities, particularly where additional product expertise, governance clarity or cross-functional alignment is needed.
- Promote practical adoption by defining use cases, clarifying decision rights, supporting testing and ensuring human accountability remains embedded in AI-assisted processes.
Qualifications
Key Requirements:
- A relevant degree in Business, Finance, Risk, Law, Technology or a related discipline; professional credentials in payments, risk, compliance, governance or product management would be advantageous.
- Substantial experience in product governance, product compliance, scheme compliance, risk, payments product management or a closely related role within payments, fintech, banking or financial services.
- Demonstrated experience interpreting card-scheme mandates, regulatory obligations or enterprise control requirements and converting them into actionable product or technology requirements.
- Proven leadership of cross-functional governance involving Product, Technology, Risk, Operations, Finance and senior decision-makers.
- Experience chairing Steering Committees, approval forums or equivalent governance bodies and driving complex issues through to decision and closure.
- Strong understanding of product lifecycles, prioritization, change delivery, operational readiness, risk acceptance and approval controls.
- Ability to manage detailed trackers, actions, dependencies and executive reporting without losing sight of customer and commercial impact.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to simplify complex obligations and frame clear decisions for senior stakeholders.
Network International is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, nationalities, and experience levels. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where innovation, diversity, and performance thrive.
