Cybersecurity Officer – West Africa

Who is PawaPay

PawaPay is a pan-African fintech enabling local payment channels used by the mass market to both local and international merchants. We operate in a highly regulated, partner-driven environment and are in scale-up mode, with ambitious growth plans across multiple African markets.

Our vision is to simplify business for companies and consumers in Africa and we do that by ensuring that payments simply work, at scale, despite fragmentation and complexity that exists on the Continent.

Through our payments API we already facilitate over 4 million transactions a day across 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.  We are the largest PSP on the Continent for the processing of mobile money payments, and have positioned ourselves well to lead the payment space as it grows over the next decade.

At PawaPay, there is an entrepreneurial spirit coupled with a modern and professional working culture. The fast-paced, ever-changing environment will suit someone who can adapt and think on their feet. In return, you will have the opportunity to work alongside a group of dedicated and smart individuals working towards the same mission. We work as a remote team and have team members in Europe, Africa and Asia.

The Role

As Cybersecurity Officer for West Africa, you will be responsible for executing PawaPay's cybersecurity programme across the region.

Reporting to the Head of Cybersecurity, you will serve as PawaPay's primary cybersecurity representative across Francophone and Anglophone West Africa. You will implement the company's global cybersecurity strategy while ensuring security controls, regulatory requirements and operational practices are effectively applied within the regional context.

This is a hands-on operational role requiring someone who is equally comfortable discussing technical security issues with Engineering teams as they are supporting regulators, auditors and business stakeholders.

You will own day-to-day regional cybersecurity activities, coordinate security operations, drive remediation of security risks and audit findings, and ensure cybersecurity remains embedded within the way pawaPay operates across West Africa.

Salary: USD 30,000–45,000 per annum, depending on experience, skills and location.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute PawaPay's cybersecurity programme across West African operations in line with the company's global cybersecurity strategy and standards.
• Conduct security risk assessments, vulnerability reviews and security control assessments, ensuring risks are prioritised and practical remediation plans are implemented.
• Coordinate regional security incident response activities, working closely with Engineering and Operations teams to investigate, contain and remediate security issues.
• Drive timely remediation of vulnerabilities, penetration test findings, audit actions and security risks by working cross-functionally with Engineering, Product, Operations and Compliance teams.
• Support regulatory engagements, security audits and compliance reviews with central banks, regulators, cybersecurity authorities and data protection authorities across Francophone and Anglophone West Africa.
• Ensure regional adoption of pawaPay's security policies, standards and control frameworks while adapting implementation to local regulatory requirements where appropriate.
• Act as the primary cybersecurity point of contact across West Africa, providing practical guidance to internal stakeholders and building trusted relationships across technical and non-technical teams.
• Coordinate third-party security assessments, penetration tests and security reviews, ensuring findings are tracked through to completion.
• Deliver regional security awareness initiatives and promote a strong security culture across the business.
• Monitor the evolving cybersecurity and regulatory landscape across West Africa, identifying emerging risks and recommending appropriate improvements.

You Are a Great Fit If You Have

• 4+ years' experience in cybersecurity, information security or IT security within fintech, telecommunications, banking or another regulated industry.
• Professional fluency in both English and French (written and spoken). This is essential for supporting our Francophone West Africa operations.
• Practical experience implementing and applying recognised security frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST, PCI-DSS or similar within regulated environments.
• Hands-on experience with vulnerability management, security incident response, security monitoring and risk management.
• Experience supporting security audits, regulatory reviews or compliance assessments.
• Familiarity with mobile money ecosystems, payment infrastructure, API-driven platforms or financial services technology.
• Experience working with security technologies such as SIEM, EDR, vulnerability management platforms or similar security tooling.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence Engineering, Product and Operations teams and drive security improvements without direct authority.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate technical risks into clear, business-focused recommendations.
• A Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Technology or a related discipline.
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISA, CEH, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor/Implementer or equivalent are advantageous.

Success in this Role

Within your first year you will:

• Become the trusted cybersecurity point of contact across West Africa.
• Successfully support regulatory, audit and compliance engagements with minimal escalation.
• Drive timely closure of security vulnerabilities, penetration test findings and audit actions across the region.
• Build strong working relationships with Engineering, Operations, Product, Compliance and Regulatory teams.
• Strengthen pawaPay's cybersecurity posture by ensuring regional risks are proactively identified, prioritised and remediated.

Why PawaPay?

• Help improve financial access in Africa
• Being part of an amazing team that shapes company’s culture as a great place to be
• An ambitious, talented, and diverse team who always has your back
• We grow fast, and you will grow fast with us
• Competitive remuneration
• 35 days of paid leave per year (inclusive of public holidays) and more.