Head, Merchant Services at Unified Payment Services Limited

Job Objectives

• As the Head, Merchant Services, you will lead cross-functional teams and collaborate with technology, product, and compliance units to ensure seamless and value-driven merchant experience while advancing the company’s market positioning as a leading fintech provider of payment and commerce solutions.
• The ideal candidate will be responsible for driving the vision, strategy, operations, and growth of our merchant acquiring and servicing business.
• This includes expanding merchant acquisition, enhancing onboarding and retention processes, and optimizing product offerings across retail, SME, and enterprise segments.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Planning:

• Define and execute the department’s short and long-term strategies to drive merchant acquisition, activation, and revenue growth.
• Develop strategic partnerships with key players in retail, hospitality, e-commerce, logistics, and other high-volume transaction sectors.
• Expand the merchant base through direct sales, channel partnerships, aggregators, and digital acquisition tools.
• Business Development & Client Engagement: Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality service and support to existing merchants.
• Operations & Performance Management: Collaborate with product and engineering teams to tailor payment solutions (POS, online payments, QR, SoftPOS, etc.) that meet diverse merchant needs.
• Team Leadership & Development: Build and lead a high-performing Merchant Services team, including sales, account management, support, and field operations.
• Set performance targets and KPIs, manage departmental budgets, and provide coaching for team development. Staff Attraction, Motivation, and Retention:
• Fill vacant roles within the department in a timely manner and provide opportunities for growth and development.
• Provide training, mentorship, and upskilling programs.
• Recognize and reward individual and team achievements and contributions.
• Encourage open communication and feedback.
• Give employees autonomy and ownership of their work to motivate them.
• Foster a positive work culture that encourages collaboration, innovation, and creativity.
• Regularly engage direct reports to understand their needs and concerns.
• Foster a diverse and inclusive work environment that values different perspectives and backgrounds.

Job Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, Economics, or a related field (MBA or advanced degree is a plus).
• Experience: Minimum 9 years of relevant experience in fintech, banking, or payments, with at least 3 years in a senior or departmental leadership role. Post NYSC experience.

Knowledge / Experience:

• Demonstrated success in merchant acquisition, channel development, or payment processing strategy.
• Strong understanding of POS, online payments, settlement processes, and merchant APIs.
• Proven ability to drive commercial performance and manage complex stakeholder relationships.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce), and reporting/analytics tools.
• Prior work experience with a PSP, acquiring bank, aggregator, or digital payments platform.
• Familiarity with the Nigerian merchant ecosystem (SMEs, retail, e-commerce).
• Experience with emerging payment technologies such as SoftPOS, QR payments, tap-to-pay, etc.