DFS Card Issuing Specialist

KCB is seeking a qualified and experienced professional for the position of DFS Card Issuing Specialist. The role will support the growth and effective management of the Bank’s card portfolio by driving card issuance, activation, utilization and transaction volumes across debit, credit, prepaid and virtual card products.

The successful candidate will coordinate card issuance operations while working closely with branches, customer service teams, sales, marketing, digital channels, card schemes and service providers. The position also requires strong analytical and operational capabilities to improve card fulfillment, customer experience, portfolio performance and adoption of emerging digital payment technologies.

Responsibilities

Card Portfolio Growth

• Support the growth of the card portfolio in line with business targets.

• Drive issuance, activation and utilization of:

  

  • Debit cards

  • Credit cards

    

  • Prepaid cards

  • Virtual cards

    

• Identify opportunities to increase customer adoption.

• Support initiatives aimed at increasing card transaction volumes and usage.

  

Card Issuance and Fulfillment

• Coordinate end-to-end card issuance processes.

• Manage card production and personalization activities.

• Coordinate card activation processes.

• Support card renewal and replacement.

• Coordinate card delivery to customers.

• Ensure cards are issued accurately and within required timelines.

• Monitor the card fulfillment process to ensure efficient service delivery.

Card Performance Analysis

• Analyse card issuance trends.

• Monitor card activation rates.

• Analyse card transaction trends.

• Identify opportunities to increase customer adoption and utilization.

• Monitor transaction volumes.

• Analyse customer usage patterns.

• Provide insights to support portfolio growth and optimization.

Customer Experience and Issue Resolution

• Liaise with branches and customer service teams on card-related matters.

• Coordinate with relevant support functions to resolve card issues.

• Ensure timely resolution of customer card-related queries.

• Support initiatives designed to improve customer experience.

• Help ensure efficient card delivery and service.

Card Scheme and Service Provider Management

• Manage operational relationships with card schemes.

• Coordinate with card personalization bureaus.

• Work with other card-related service providers.

• Monitor service delivery against agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

• Ensure service providers meet required quality standards.

• Follow up on operational issues affecting card issuance and fulfillment.

Performance Monitoring and Reporting

• Monitor key card performance indicators, including:

  • Card issuance volumes

  • Activation rates

  • Portfolio growth

  • Transaction volumes

  • Revenue generation

  • Customer usage trends

• Prepare periodic performance reports.

• Provide business insights to management.

• Support decision-making through card portfolio analysis.

• Identify opportunities for improved portfolio performance.

Card Acquisition and Usage Campaigns

• Collaborate with sales teams to promote card acquisition.

• Work with marketing teams to support card campaigns.

• Collaborate with digital channels teams to promote card usage.

• Support initiatives designed to increase card activation.

• Develop or support campaigns that encourage ongoing card utilization.

• Contribute to initiatives aimed at increasing transaction volumes.

Process Improvement

• Identify weaknesses and inefficiencies in card issuance processes.

• Implement improvements to card issuance and fulfillment procedures.

• Improve turnaround times.

• Support operational efficiency initiatives.

• Contribute to improved customer satisfaction.

• Identify opportunities to reduce operational costs.

• Promote efficient and customer-focused card fulfillment processes.

Digital Payment and Card Technology

• Support implementation of emerging card technologies.

• Support adoption of digital payment solutions.

• Contribute to initiatives involving:

  • Tokenization

  • Mobile wallets

  • Contactless payments

  • Virtual cards

• Support the integration and adoption of new card technologies.

• Monitor developments in digital payments that may improve the card portfolio.

Business Insights and Strategic Support

• Prepare periodic card portfolio performance reports.

• Analyse business and customer data.

• Identify trends and growth opportunities.

• Provide insights to support portfolio optimization.

• Support strategic card growth initiatives.

• Recommend improvements based on portfolio and customer performance.

Qualifications Required

Applicants should have:

• A Bachelor's degree in Banking, Finance or an equivalent field.

• A professional qualification or background in Merchant Acquiring and card operations will be an added advantage.

• A Master's degree in Business Administration will be an added advantage.

Experience Required

Candidates should have:

• At least 4 years of relevant professional experience.

• Experience in card issuing, card operations, digital payments or related banking services will be beneficial.

• Experience working with card schemes, personalization bureaus or other card service providers will be an advantage.

• Experience in card portfolio management, merchant acquiring or payment services will be beneficial.

Skills and Competencies

The ideal candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong knowledge of card products and card issuance processes.

• Understanding of digital payments and emerging card technologies.

• Strong analytical and reporting skills.

• Good understanding of customer adoption and card utilization.

• Strong stakeholder management skills.

• Excellent problem-solving abilities.

• Strong communication and coordination skills.

• Good understanding of operational processes and service-level management.

• Ability to analyse card performance data and identify growth opportunities.

• Strong customer-service orientation.

• Ability to work effectively with multiple internal and external stakeholders.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications through the official KCB recruitment platform. Applicants should provide accurate information and ensure that their academic qualifications and professional experience meet the requirements for the DFS Card Issuing Specialist position.

Final Thought

The DFS Card Issuing Specialist position offers an opportunity to contribute to the growth of digital payments and card services while gaining exposure to card operations, portfolio management, customer experience, analytics and emerging payment technologies. Candidates with a Bachelor's degree in Banking, Finance or an equivalent field and at least four years of relevant experience should consider applying for this opportunity.