Project Manager – Product Portfolio (CH1211)

Our client, operating in the Payments and Lending industry, is seeking a Project Manager to join their team.

Purpose of the Role:

The Project Manager – Special Projects is responsible for leading strategic, cross-functional initiatives that support growth, enhance operational efficiency, strengthen compliance readiness, and advance digital transformation within a retail financial services environment. The role focuses on complex, non-BAU projects that require strong project discipline, sound regulatory understanding, and the ability to bring together stakeholders across product, credit, risk, operations, retail, and technology.

Qualification & Experience Requirements: • Bachelor’s degree in commerce (BCom), Business Management, Finance, or a related field is required • Project Management Professional (PMP) certification (or equivalent) is strongly preferred. • 10–15 years in project management within financial services, retail credit, fintech, or regulated environments. • Proven track record delivering cross-functional or compliance-heavy projects. • Experience with digital transformation, operational optimisation, or customer journey redesign. • Exposure to retail environments (store operations, POS systems, customer support) is advantageous. Core Competencies: • Strong project management capability (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid). • Ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams in a high-volume, regulated environment. • Exceptional organisational, analytical, and problem-solving skills. • Strong communication and stakeholder engagement across technical and nontechnical teams. Technical & Functional Skills: • Experience in retail financial services: lending, payments, insurance, credit, or collections. • Familiarity with digital product development, workflow automation, and operational systems. • Proficiency with project tools (Jira, Asana, MS Project, Power BI, Excel).

Key Performance Areas:

Strategic Project Delivery • Lead end-to-end delivery of high-impact projects across lending, payments, insurance, collections, customer experience, and retail channels. • Build structured project plans with clear milestones, dependencies, and regulatory considerations. • Drive alignment between business units, retail operations, technology, compliance, and external partners. • Ensure projects land on time, within scope, and with measurable business impact. Stakeholder & Partner Management • Engage senior leadership, business units, technology teams, and external vendors with clarity and confidence. • Facilitate steering committees, stand-ups, and cross-functional workshops. • Manage expectations, resolve conflicts, and maintain transparent communication. Reporting, Governance & Risk Management • Produce executive-ready reporting, dashboards, and project scorecards. • Maintain risk registers, decision logs, and compliance documentation. Leadership Behaviors • High accountability and ownership. • Calm, structured, and decisive under pressure. • Ability to navigate ambiguity and bring clarity. • Collaborative, influential, and able to drive alignment across diverse teams.

General: • We are committed to fair and inclusive hiring. All suitably qualified applicants are welcome to apply. • Preference may be given in line with our client’s Employment Equity plan and applicable legislation. • Applicants must have the legal right to work in South Africa at the time of application. • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within 30 days, please consider your application unsuccessful. • Please include your current remuneration (CTC), salary expectation, and notice period (optional but helpful for screening). • By applying, you consent to the processing of your personal information for recruitment purposes in accordance with POPIA.

Desired Skills: • Financial Services • Product Development • Project Management • Retail • Stakeholder Management • Transformation • Workflow Management