Data Subject Matter Expert (SME) – Banking & Payments

Role Overview:
The Data SME will provide expert guidance and support for technology and consulting engagement within the banking and payments domain. This role bridges business technology and data teams to ensure the successful delivery of data-driven solutions aligned with banking and payments industry standards and regulatory requirements. The Data SME will leverage deep expertise in payment systems banking data flows and regulatory frameworks to drive solution design implementation and optimization.

Key Responsibilities:
Act as the primary subject matter expert on data structures flows and standards across banking and payment systems (ACH RTGS SWIFT ISO20022 SEPA Faster Payments BACS CHAPS cards etc.).
Collaborate with business stakeholders product owners IT development and operations to define and refine data requirements for payment-related solutions.
Support the development integration and implementation of new payment products services and compliance initiatives ensuring data integrity and adherence to regulatory mandates.
Provide input on solution architecture data mapping and interface design for payment hubs and related banking platforms.
Lead or support data migration transformation and reconciliation activities as part of system upgrades or new implementations.
Maintain up-to-date documentation on data processes controls and payment transaction lifecycles.
Advise on data governance quality and security best practices in line with industry and regulatory standards.
Troubleshoot and resolve complex data and payment issues collaborating with internal and external partners as needed.
Additional Responsibilities: Test Data Preparation

Design and develop comprehensive test data sets that accurately reflect real-world banking and payment scenarios including a variety of payment methods transaction types currencies and regulatory compliance requirements.
Collaborate with business analysts QA teams and developers to define test data requirements for payment workflows ensuring coverage of both positive and negative test cases (e.g. successful transactions failed payments expired cards insufficient funds chargebacks refunds and fraud scenarios).
Generate and manage input files (e.g. plain text XML/ISO20022 proprietary formats) for payment hubs and gateways simulating diverse user personas and transaction flows.
Ensure test data complies with data privacy and security standards including masking or anonymizing sensitive information to adhere to PCI DSS GDPR and other regulatory mandates.
Automate test data creation and maintenance to support efficient repeatable and scalable testing processes for payment system implementations and upgrades.
Validate and cross-check input and output files to ensure the payment system processes and generates data correctly supporting end-to-end and regression testing efforts.
Document test data preparation procedures and maintain up-to-date records to support audit compliance and knowledge transfer activities.
Support certification and pre-certification testing by preparing data sets required for scheme compliance (e.g. MasterCard Visa EMVCo) and regulatory reporting.
Required Qualifications:

Bachelors or masters degree in computer science Information Systems Finance or related field.
7 years of experience in banking payments or financial services with a focus on data analysis data management or payment operations.
In-depth knowledge of payment scheme rules data standards (SWIFT ISO20022) and regulatory frameworks (PSD2 AML PCI-DSS).
Proven experience in data mapping migration and reconciliation for banking/payment systems.
Strong analytical problem-solving and documentation skills.
Excellent communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management.
Experience supporting technology implementation or consulting engagements in banking/payments is highly desirable.
Preferred Skills:

Familiarity with API-driven payment platforms open banking and emerging fintech solutions.
Experience with cloud-based data architectures and microservices.
Knowledge of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and its application in payments.
Advanced Excel and data visualization/reporting skills.
Personal Attributes:

Self-starter with the ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
High attention to detail and commitment to data quality and compliance.
Strong judgment and ability to challenge assumptions or propose improvements where appropriate.