Payment Operations Director

Who Are We

HALA is a leading fintech player in the MENAP region that aims to redefine financial services and build the future bank of SMEs. HALA aims at empowering SMEs to start, run, and grow their businesses by providing them with cutting-edge financial and technological tools.

HALA currently holds multiple entities in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt (including HALA Payments, HALA Cashier and HALA Logistics) and offers solutions that enable merchants to digitize their payments as well as manage their sales and operations.

Founded in 2017, HALA is currently duly licensed by the Saudi Arabian Central Bank as well as the Financials Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) in Abu Dhabi Global Market.

About the Role

We are looking for a strategic and execution-driven Director of Payment Operations to work within the operations department along with all cross functioning units  This role is essential to scaling our fintech infrastructure, ensuring operational excellence, compliance, and seamless experiences for merchants and cardholders. The ideal candidate has deep technical and operational knowledge of both sides of the payment value chain and thrives in fast-moving, high-growth fintech environments.

Key Responsibilities:

Acquiring Operations:

• Oversee full merchant lifecycle operations including onboarding, KYC, terminal/POS deployment, SoftPOS, and payment gateway integration.

• Manage transaction monitoring, clearing & settlement processes, and interchange optimisation.

• Lead chargeback and dispute operations, ensuring compliance with Mada,Visa, Mastercard.

• Collaborate with Compliance ,Risk, Product, and Tech teams to enhance merchant experience.

Issuing Operations:

• Manage card issuance lifecycle: BIN sponsorship, card production, tokenization (Apple Pay, Google Pay), activation, and expiry.

• Supervise transaction authorization, real-time fraud prevention, and cardholder dispute management.

• Ensure seamless integration with core banking and card processor platforms.

• Support the rollout of new card programs (debit, prepaid, virtual cards) with operational readiness.

Operational Excellence:

• Define, track, and report OKRs and SLAs,for payment operations.

• Establish robust SOPs, workflows, and controls to support scalability and regulatory compliance.

What You Bring:

• 7+ years of experience in payments, with at least 5 years in a leadership role in fintech or digital banking.

• Strong expertise across both acquiring and issuing operations.

• Experience working with payment processors, card networks, and banking partners.

• Familiarity with BASE24, ISO 8583, EMV standards, and real-time payment systems (Sarie, IPS).

• Excellent stakeholder management, cross-functional leadership, and analytical skills.

• Deep understanding of payment compliance, risk, and scheme regulations.

Nice to Have:

• Previous experience launching SoftPOS or card issuing platforms in a startup/scale-up.

• Understanding of SAMA regulatory frameworks and certifications.

• Experience with PCI-DSS, 3DS, and fraud management platforms.

• We have an inclusive and diverse culture that encourages innovation and flexibility in remote, in-office, and hybrid work setups.
• We offer highly competitive compensation packages, including the potential for shares.
• We prioritize personal development and offer regular training and an annual learning stipend to tackle new challenges and grow your career in a hyper-growth environment.
• Join a talented team of over 30 nationalities working in 7 countries and gain valuable experience in an exciting industry.
• We offer autonomy, mentoring, and challenging goals that create incredible opportunities for both you and the company.
• You will be given a lot of responsibility and trust. We believe that the best results come when the people responsible for a function are given the freedom to do what they think is best.