Head of Payments Solutions

Head of Payments Solutions & Strategy

• based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• open to expats
• salary offerred around RM30k - RM35k per month
• permanent full time role

Our client is one of the leading Financial Services providers in the region, undergoing a major multi-year transformation to modernise and elevate its payments capabilities across the region. As part of this journey, they are seeking an accomplished Payments Solutions Strategist to drive the future direction of their payments business and support strategic decision-making at the highest levels of the organisation. This is a rare opportunity to influence the payments agenda of a major financial group and shape initiatives impacting millions of customers across multiple markets.

You will play a central role in defining the organization's long-term payments strategy, covering domestic and cross-border payments, real-time rails, digital wallets, merchant acquiring, ISO 20022 migration, and new payment innovations across the region.

You will work closely with C-suite and senior leadership teams, providing strategic insights, identifying growth opportunities, and shaping regional transformation roadmaps. This role is highly visible, advisory in nature, and ideal for a senior professional who has deep payments expertise and enjoys influencing business direction at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and continuous refinement of the group-wide Payments Strategy, ensuring strong alignment across business, operations, technology, and regulatory requirements.
• Define strategic priorities across real-time payments, QR adoption, cross-border interoperability, digital wallets, merchant acquiring, and emerging payment rails
• Create and maintain multi-year Payments Strategic Roadmaps, driving clarity on focus areas, investments, and transformation initiatives.
• Conduct market scans, competitor benchmarking, and industry research to provide forward-looking recommendations for the bank's payments evolution.
• Support the development of Target Operating Models for priority payments domains.
• Partner with cross-functional teams and senior leadership to ensure strategic alignment across the region.
• Ensure payments strategy adheres to regulatory expectations including BNM, MAS, BOT, OJK and related frameworks.
• Act as a thought leader, producing insights, recommendations, and executive-level presentations that inform strategic decisions.

What's In It for You

• A high-impact role that shapes the payments direction in the region.
• Opportunity to influence C-suite stakeholders and drive strategic transformation at scale.
• Regional exposure across multiple markets with diverse regulatory environments.
• Access to industry-leading innovation initiatives and next-generation payments programs.
• Attractive remuneration package with strong development and leadership pathways.

Key Requirements

• Extensive experience in financial services, with key focus in payments strategy, payments transformation, or related leadership roles.
• Deep understanding of regional payments landscapes, trends, business models, and regulatory frameworks.
• Proven ability to shape strategy, drive cross-functional alignment, and influence senior executives.
• Experience with initiatives such as ISO 20022, real-time payments, digital wallets, cross-border payments, merchant acquiring, alternative payments, or platform modernisation.
• Strong analytical, commercial, and strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent communication and executive stakeholder management capabilities.

Who Will Succeed in This Role

• A strategic thinker with strong payments domain expertise.
• Confident engaging with senior business and technology leaders.
• Passionate about shaping the future of payments in a rapidly evolving market.
• Comfortable operating in complex, multi-country, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Motivated by the opportunity to drive transformation at a regional scale.