DFS Manager – Card Issuing

KCB is seeking an experienced professional for the position of DFS Manager – Card Issuing. The role will be responsible for driving the growth and performance of the Bank’s card issuing business across retail, SME and corporate customer segments. The successful candidate will lead card portfolio strategies, product development, acquisition, activation, utilization and retention initiatives.

The position also involves managing relationships with major card schemes, technology partners and service providers while ensuring strong operational controls, regulatory compliance and customer experience. The successful candidate will contribute to the adoption of emerging payment technologies such as virtual cards, contactless payments and tokenization, while supporting revenue growth and profitability across the card business.

Responsibilities

Card Portfolio Management

• Develop and execute strategies to grow the Bank’s card issuing portfolio across retail, SME and corporate segments.

• Manage the complete lifecycle of card products, including:

  

  • Product design

  • Product launch

    

  • Product enhancement

  • Pricing

    

  • Product retirement

• Drive card acquisition initiatives.

  

• Increase card activation and utilization.

• Develop customer retention initiatives.

• Monitor card portfolio performance.

• Implement initiatives to increase transaction volumes.

• Drive growth in card-related fee income.

• Recommend innovative card solutions that respond to changing customer needs.

Business Growth and Product Development

• Develop annual business plans for the card business.

• Develop and implement card business growth strategies.

• Identify opportunities for new card products.

• Explore digital card solutions and value-added services.

• Drive adoption of emerging payment technologies, including:

  • Virtual cards

  • Contactless payments

  • Tokenization

• Identify opportunities to increase card usage and customer value.

• Support cross-selling opportunities across retail, SME and corporate customer segments.

Scheme and Partner Management

• Manage relationships with major card schemes, including:

  • Visa

  • Mastercard

  • UnionPay

  • Domestic payment networks

• Coordinate card scheme initiatives.

• Coordinate product certification activities.

• Support card scheme marketing campaigns.

• Ensure compliance with card scheme requirements.

• Engage technology partners, processors and service providers.

• Improve card services and customer experience through effective partner management.

• Negotiate commercial arrangements and partnership agreements.

• Optimize the value delivered to the Bank through card partnerships.

Operations, Risk and Compliance

• Oversee card issuance processes.

• Monitor card transactions.

• Oversee settlement and reconciliation activities.

• Manage card disputes.

• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

• Ensure adherence to card scheme rules.

• Ensure compliance with internal policies and procedures.

• Collaborate with Risk, Compliance and Fraud teams.

• Strengthen fraud prevention and risk management controls.

• Monitor card fraud trends.

• Implement appropriate fraud mitigation measures.

• Protect customers and the Bank from card-related risks.

• Ensure timely resolution of operational issues.

• Support resolution of customer service issues.

Customer Experience and Service Delivery

• Develop initiatives that improve the cardholder experience.

• Drive improvements in customer satisfaction.

• Monitor service levels for card issuance and support.

• Monitor turnaround times.

• Support customer awareness campaigns covering:

  • Card benefits

  • Card security

  • Proper card usage

• Drive digital adoption through seamless integration between card products and digital channels.

• Identify opportunities to simplify and improve card-related customer journeys.

Performance Management and Reporting

• Monitor key card business performance indicators, including:

  • Card issuance

  • Card activation

  • Transaction volumes

  • Revenue

  • Profitability

• Prepare management reports.

• Conduct business performance reviews.

• Track achievement against business targets.

• Identify performance gaps.

• Recommend and implement corrective actions where required.

• Manage budgets for the card business.

• Optimize operational efficiency and resource utilization.

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 6 years of relevant professional experience.

• Strong experience in card issuing and card portfolio management.

• Experience in card products, payment services or digital financial services.

• Experience managing relationships with card schemes, payment processors and technology partners will be an advantage.

• Experience in card operations, risk management and payment-related compliance will be beneficial.

• Experience driving card acquisition, activation, utilization and revenue growth will be an advantage.

Skills and Competencies

The ideal candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong knowledge of card issuing and payment services.

• Strong understanding of card lifecycle management.

• Knowledge of Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay and relevant domestic payment networks.

• Strong commercial and business development skills.

• Good understanding of emerging payment technologies.

• Strong analytical and performance management abilities.

• Excellent stakeholder and partner management skills.

• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills.

• Good understanding of card risk, fraud and compliance requirements.

• Strong leadership and decision-making skills.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and complex operational requirements.

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 Manager – Card Issuing position.

Final Thought

The DFS Manager – Card Issuing position offers an opportunity for an experienced banking or payments professional to lead the growth of a major card portfolio while contributing to digital payment innovation. Candidates with a Bachelor's degree in Banking, Finance or an equivalent qualification and at least six years of relevant experience should consider this opportunity.