1. JOB PURPOSE:

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership for Savanna PayPulse Limited’s day-to-day business operations and ensuring the efficient, secure, reliable and compliant delivery of the Company’s payment and digital financial services.

The COO will oversee operational processes supporting customers, agents, merchants, transaction processing, settlements, reconciliations, customer service, service availability, operational controls and third-party operational relationships.

The role will ensure that Savanna PayPulse Limited operates with strong operational discipline, appropriate controls, efficient processes and high service standards, while supporting business growth and maintaining compliance with applicable Bank of Uganda requirements, the National Payment Systems Act, 2020, applicable regulations and internal policies.

2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

A. Operations Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and implement the Company’s operational strategy aligned with the overall business strategy.
• Provide leadership and oversight across all operational functions.
• Establish operational standards, procedures, service levels and performance targets.
• Ensure operational resources, systems and processes are adequate to support business growth.
• Continuously review and improve operational processes and controls.
• Promote operational efficiency, accountability and customer-focused service delivery.

B. Payment and Transaction Operations

• Oversee end-to-end processing of SavMoney transactions across all approved channels.
• Ensure timely, accurate and secure processing of cash-in, cash-out, transfers, payments and other approved transactions.
• Monitor transaction exceptions, reversals, failed transactions and operational incidents.
• Ensure appropriate maker-checker, approval and reconciliation controls are implemented.
• Oversee settlement processes with banks, mobile money networks and other payment partners.
• Ensure transaction records and operational audit trails are maintained.

C. Agent and Merchant Operations

• Oversee agent and merchant operational management and service delivery.
• Ensure effective agent and merchant onboarding, activation, training and support.
• Monitor agent and merchant liquidity and operational performance.
• Ensure compliance with approved agent and merchant operating procedures.
• Monitor agent/merchant fraud, operational incidents and customer complaints and ensure timely resolution.
• Establish appropriate controls over agent and merchant transactions and access.

D. Customer Service and Complaints

• Oversee customer service operations and service delivery standards.
• Ensure customer complaints, disputes, reversals and transaction issues are logged, investigated and resolved within approved timelines.
• Monitor customer service SLAs and operational performance.
• Ensure appropriate escalation mechanisms for material customer-impacting incidents.
• Use customer complaints and operational data to identify recurring issues and process improvements.

E. Operational Risk and Controls

• Ensure effective operational controls are implemented across business processes.
• Identify and manage operational risks, process weaknesses and control gaps.
• Work with Risk & Compliance to ensure operational processes comply with applicable laws, regulations and internal policies.
• Ensure operational incidents and losses are documented, investigated and escalated.
• Implement corrective actions arising from audits, incidents, complaints and regulatory reviews.
• Maintain appropriate segregation of duties within operational processes.

F. Business Continuity and Operational Resilience

• Ensure operational readiness and resilience of critical business processes.
• Implement and maintain operational Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery arrangements in coordination with relevant functions.
• Participate in BCP and DR testing and ensure identified gaps are addressed.
• Establish contingency procedures for system outages, banking disruptions, network failures and other operational incidents.
• Ensure critical operational dependencies are identified and monitored.

G. Technology and Systems Operations

• Work closely with Technology to ensure operational requirements are adequately supported by systems.
• Monitor availability and performance of critical transaction and operational platforms.
• Ensure system changes affecting operations are appropriately tested, approved and implemented.
• Ensure operational reports and dashboards are accurate and available.
• Escalate system issues that may affect customers, transactions, settlements or regulatory obligations.

H. Third-Party and Partner Operations

• Oversee operational relationships with banks, payment networks, technology providers and other critical service providers.
• Monitor service levels and contractual operational obligations.
• Ensure operational issues with third parties are promptly escalated and resolved.
• Participate in vendor performance reviews and operational due diligence.
• Ensure appropriate contingency arrangements exist for critical third-party dependencies.

I. Operational Reporting

• Establish operational dashboards and performance reports.
• Report operational performance, incidents, transaction volumes, service availability, complaints and exceptions to Management.
• Escalate material operational risks and incidents to the CEO and relevant governance structures.
• Ensure accurate and timely operational information is available for regulatory and management reporting.

3. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs):

• Transaction processing success rate and operational accuracy.
• System and service availability.
• Timely resolution of operational incidents and exceptions.
• Customer complaint resolution within approved SLAs.
• Agent and merchant activation, productivity and service performance.
• Reduction in operational losses and recurring operational incidents.
• Timeliness and accuracy of reconciliations and settlements.
• Compliance with approved operational procedures and controls.
• Business continuity and disaster recovery testing performance.
• Third-party service-level performance.
• Operational cost efficiency.
• Implementation rate of audit, risk and compliance corrective actions.

4. QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

A. Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Finance, Economics, Information Technology or a related field.
• Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Operations, Finance or a related field is desirable.

B. Professional Qualifications

Professional certification in one or more of the following is desirable:

• PMP or equivalent project management qualification.
• Certified Risk Management qualification.
• ITIL or operational service-management certification.
• Certified Payments Professional or relevant fintech qualification.

C. Experience

• Minimum 8–10 years’ relevant experience, with at least 5 years in a senior operations management role.
• Experience in one or more of the following sectors is preferred:
  • Fintech
  • Payment Service Providers
  • Mobile Money
  • Banking
  • Telecommunications
  • Financial Services
• Strong experience managing high-volume digital transaction operations, agent networks and customer-facing financial services.
• Experience working with regulated financial institutions and payment ecosystems is highly desirable.
• Experience managing banks, payment processors, technology providers and other strategic partners is an advantage.

5. KEY COMPETENCIES:

• Strong operational leadership and execution capability.
• Strong understanding of payment and digital financial services.
• Knowledge of mobile money and agent/merchant operations.
• Strong process improvement and operational control skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong understanding of operational risk and business continuity.
• Strong customer-service orientation.
• Ability to manage high-volume and time-sensitive operations.
• Strong stakeholder and vendor-management skills.
• Strong decision-making and escalation skills.
• High level of integrity, accountability and professionalism.
• Strong communication and people-management skills.

6. AUTHORITY:

The Chief Operations Officer shall have appropriate authority, within approved delegations, to manage operational activities, allocate operational resources, enforce operational procedures and escalate material operational risks and incidents to the Chief Executive Officer and relevant governance structures.

The COO shall not assume independent responsibility for Risk & Compliance or Internal Audit functions and shall operate within the Company’s approved segregation-of-duties framework.

7. CORE DELIVERABLES:

The Chief Operations Officer will be responsible for maintaining and producing, as applicable:

• Annual Operations Plan.
• Operations Policies and Procedures.
• Operational Performance Dashboard.
• Agent and Merchant Operations Reports.
• Transaction Operations Reports.
• Customer Service and Complaints Reports.
• Operational Incident and Loss Reports.
• Settlement and Operational Exception Reports.
• Business Continuity and Operational Resilience Reports.
• Third-Party Service Performance Reports.
• Operational Risk and Control Improvement Plans.
• Monthly and Quarterly Operations Reports.
• Annual Operations Performance Report.

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