Authorization Optimization Lead

Job Title: Authorization Optimization Lead (Digital Payments)

Employment type: Contract (On-site)

Contract length: 6 months

Location: Gaborone Botswana

PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

We are seeking an experienced Payments & Authorization Optimization Lead to support a strategic card authorization improvement program within a leading African banking group. As an embedded resource you will work across business operations fraud risk technology and payments teams to improve approval rates reduce avoidable declines unlock payment volume growth and support measurable business outcomes.

Core Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Lead day-to-day coordination of the Authorization Optimization Program.
• Drive implementation of authorization improvement initiatives across issuing portfolios.
• Coordinate stakeholders across payments fraud risk operations technology and business teams.
• Facilitate workshops governance forums and executive updates.
• Track actions risks dependencies milestones and delivery progress.
• Support benefits realization and performance measurement.
• Document processes recommendations decisions and implementation outcomes.

Knowledge and Experience:

• 6 - 10 years of professional experience in payments cards banking fintech or financial services.
• Strong knowledge of card issuing card processing acquiring digital payments and scheme management.
• Experience in authorization management and optimisation fraud operations risk management cross-border and card-not-present (CNP) payments.
• Skilled in program and project management PMO governance change management and benefits realisation.
• Expertise in business analysis stakeholder management workshop facilitation and executive communication.
• Strong capabilities in process improvement data interpretation insight generation and payments industry knowledge.
• Experience managing complex programs projects or transformation initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder management delivery and execution experience.

Mandatory Skills:

• Bachelors degree in Finance Economics Business Administration Computer Science Information Technology or a related field (Masters preferred).
• Previous experience within Banking Digital Payment & Card solutions or the FinTech industry.
• Regional experience including working in a faced-paced matrix organisation.
• Excellent communication skills in English (written verbal and presentation).

Preferred Skills:

• The ability to analyse data troubleshoot payment issues optimize processes and make data-driven decisions.
• Good understanding of payment systems digital platforms system workflows security basics and industry technologies.
• An understanding of regional regulations across financial services or payment networks.