Card Operations Manager

Job Purpose:

The Card Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing the end-to-end operational lifecycle of the bank's card products, including issuance, processing, settlements, compliance, and system administration. The role ensures operational excellence, regulatory adherence, accurate reporting, and timely service delivery to customers and partners.

Tasks:

1.Policy, Guidelines, and Procedures Oversight

• Lead the development and periodic review of policies, guidelines, SOPs, and process maps for all card-operations activities.
• Ensure all documentation aligns with UAE Central Bank regulations, internal controls, and industry best practices.
• Coordinate with Compliance, Risk, Audit, and Product teams to incorporate regulatory updates and operational controls
• Oversee implementation of new or revised procedures to ensure adherence and operational consistency.
• Identify gaps or inefficiencies in existing procedures and lead corrective or improvement initiatives.
• Maintain updated and auditable manuals covering operations, reconciliations, disputes, chargebacks, and vendor processes.
• Support staff training by providing updated procedural documents and communicating process changes.

2. Card Issuance & Customer Servicing – Oversee the service provider in the following areas -

• Configure product-specific ATM/POS/e-commerce limits and authorization rules.
• Manage manual bulk renewals, re-carding activities, and post-embossing courier tracking.
• Oversee statement generation, archival, and retrieval for customers.
• Generate confirmation letters/messages, goodwill credits, merchant refunds, and scheme reversals.
• Support communication channels (SMS, email, WhatsApp) for card-related notifications via the bank's approved systems.
• Manage templates for card-related events and communications.

3. Oversee Service provider on Fraud Management & Chargebacks

• Oversee execution of chargeback and recovery processes in line with scheme rules.
• Ensure compliance with scheme mandates, central bank reporting requirements, and scheme fraud reporting standards.
• Ensure Service provider monitors fraud trends, update network rules, and maintain updated client fraud contact lists and authorized signatory forms.
• Coordinate actions on fraud reports including investigations, reporting, or legal escalations.
• Oversee internal controls for actual or alleged fraud cases.

4. Settlement, Billing & Reconciliation

• Generate settlement positions for nostro funding and reconcile settlement files with nostro account debits/credits.
• Resolve discrepancies such as late postings and FX differences.
• Track settlement positions to ensure timely funding and post scheme fees, interchange income, and settlement entries to the GL.
• Monitor unmatched transactions and aging exceptions, coordinate with Finance to close breaks.
• Validate scheme invoices (assessment fees, processing fees) and reconcile billed amounts to transaction volumes.
• Highlight abnormal billing trends to management.

5. Card Systems Administration & Product Setup

• Set card product parameters (interest rates, fees, limits).
• Configure BIN ranges, MCC restrictions, and authorization rules.
• Coordinate with IT on system patches, upgrades, backups, and access controls.
• Track and implement scheme mandates, bulletins, and liability shifts (EMV, 3DS 2.x).
• Manage scheme certifications, project timelines, and operational enhancements.

6. Compliance, Regulatory & Audit

• Ensure adherence to Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) circulars and mandatory reporting (fraud ratios, chargeback statistics, transaction data).
• Prepare for and support internal/external audits (PCI-DSS, regulator inspections).

Qualification & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in business, Finance, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in card operations, including fraud and settlement functions.
• Strong knowledge of JAYWAN/VISA/Mastercard rules and standards, 3DS, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience with card management systems, core banking, and settlement platforms.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.