Digital Payments Ecosystem Expert

About Us

Karandaaz (KRN) believes that every Pakistani deserves to be Financially Included and Economically Empowered. Our mission at Karandaaz is to foster economic growth and create jobs through financial inclusion of unbanked individuals and unserved enterprises.

Karandaaz Pakistan is a not-for-profit organization, based out of Islamabad, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan under Section 42 of the Companies Act 2017. We are supported by Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Karandaaz is governed by an eminent board who set the strategy of the organization and steer it towards achievement of its objectives.

Karandaaz Digital aims to catalyze the financial services industry towards greater financial inclusion by employing cutting-edge innovations and digital solutions for social impact. Karandaaz collaborates across the financial services ecosystem to maximize impact through improved access to digital finance for low-income, rural, and otherwise excluded population segments, especially women. With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Karandaaz Digital aims to work with all stakeholders to facilitate digitization of government and other payment streams and provide support to innovative digital financial service startups. The focus areas of the unit are divided into four work streams.

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced and knowledgeable Digital Payments Ecosystem Expert to lead our efforts in driving the adoption of digital instant payments, particularly in the areas of Person-to-Person payments (P2P), Person-to-Merchant payments (P2M), merchant/retailers onboarding, partnership development, and additional instant payments related use case development. The successful candidate will lead strategic initiatives, navigate regulatory complexities, foster collaboration with stakeholders, drive innovation, and achieve business growth objectives in the instant payments industry.

Job Responsibilities

• Validate, enhance, and strengthen the adoption strategy for Raast
• Anchor the overall communications strategy for Raast
• Create and rollout awareness campaigns with a particular focus on usage, benefits and building trust.
• Develop a localized incentivization plan based on global learnings
• Drive product innovation by engaging and setting roadmaps for industry players
• Develop and run merchant onboarding and retention programs with a particular focus on alternate acquiring models with low cost of maintenance/onboarding
• Successfully run vendor selection and engagement
• Proactively drive industry engagements
• Any other task necessary to ensure the optimum performance of the digital stream

Eligibility

A preferred candidate will need to have:

Education & Experience

• Bachelors/Master’s degree in Business or a related discipline
• 12+ years of experience in the payments and banking domain, with a strong understanding of digital payments technologies and trends.
• Proven track record of successfully driving adoption and usage of digital instant payment solution
• Proven experience in navigating complex regulatory environments and ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards, particularly in the financial services or payments sector.
• Experience of working with financial institutions, fintech companies, Payment Services Providers (PSPs), government agencies.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Understanding of the digital instant payments domain, including emerging trends, technologies, and regulatory frameworks.
• Deep knowledge of instant payments, card payments, and regulatory landscape, particularly in Pakistan.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience of working with public sector entities.
• Intermediate level skill in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Google Suite
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to develop comprehensive strategies to drive the adoption of digital instant payments, increase transaction volumes, and expand market reach.
• Ability to identify opportunities for innovation, leveraging new technologies, and adapt strategies to meet changing market dynamics.
• Ability to collaborate with internal teams, external partners, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders essential for the success of digital instant payment initiatives.

Culture and Values at Karandaaz

Karandaaz Culture is guided by our values of Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Equity (ICARE). These values shape our choices on what we do and how we do it, both with colleagues internally and partners externally. We also believe that we are all responsible for creating a great place to work and are constantly looking to hire individuals who bring the same level of passion and commitment to the purpose of the organization.

If you believe in Karandaaz vision and values and feel excited about the work we are offering, please send us your resume for this position to careers@karandaaz.com.pk clearly mentioning the position title in the subject line. 

Karandaaz is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications by all population groups