Country Director Job at Talent Safari

Country Director

Talent Safari

Location:
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Category:
Finance

Contract Type:
Not provided

Salary:

Not provided

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Job Description:

As the Country Director at pawaPay, you will lead the company’s operations and partner relationships within DRC. This role combines relationship management, business development execution, and operational oversight with core governance duties. You will support the execution of the Group strategy locally, helping identify growth opportunities while ensuring that pawaPay delivers exceptional service levels and strong partner performance in the market. You will work closely with cross-functional teams across Product, Sales, Operations, Compliance, Finance, and Legal, ensuring effective coordination and a seamless experience for our partners. This position requires a proactive, strategic, and highly organised leader with excellent stakeholder management capability and a deep understanding of the mobile money and fintech ecosystem in Africa.

Job Responsibility:

Serve as the primary relationship holder for all in-country partners, including MMOs, banks, and financial institutions
Lead ongoing partner engagement, ensuring clear and consistent communication, alignment to Group strategy, and proactive management of partner expectations
Own and lead all in-country service review meetings, including weekly, monthly, and quarterly performance reviews
Maintain partner satisfaction through regular in-person and virtual engagements, ensuring strong local presence and responsiveness
Act as the in-country escalation point for all partner issues, resolving disputes where possible and escalating to Cluster Leads or Group where necessary
Maintain a single, consolidated view of the partnership at the market level, documenting key issues, opportunities, and performance trends
Support Group-level partnership owners (Head of Africa Ops) in cross-jurisdiction engagements by providing updates, insights, and local intelligence
Lead initial commercial conversations with MMO and banking partners in-country, identifying opportunities for improved commercial performance, new initiatives, and strengthened collaboration
Drive end-to-end onboarding, integration, and go-live processes with partners, coordinating with Operations, Product, Tech, and Compliance teams
Ensure robust post–go-live support, collecting feedback, monitoring adoption, and leading in-country follow-up
Identify opportunities for product expansion, improved use of existing APIs, and new value propositions for partners
coordinate with the Integrations team on execution
Ensure all partner engagements align to Group’s pricing, product, and commercial strategy
Provide local insights to Sales and Expansion PMs to support business cases for commercial or product changes
Generate leads for the Group sales team of qualified local merchant opportunities
Own local issue resolution, working directly with partner operational teams to diagnose, triage, and resolve challenges
Coordinate with central operations, engineering, and support teams to ensure timely resolution of escalations
Manage local administrative requirements, including (but not limited to) KYC documentation, collection of API documentation, local verification processes, and notarisation of required documents
Support service uptime, transaction performance improvements, and operational SLAs by maintaining close relationships with partner technical teams
Provide ongoing monitoring of operational KPIs and flag issues requiring escalation or intervention
Oversee local office operations, including lease agreements, utilities, test phones, and office maintenance
The CD provides targeted local support to Group functions where in-country presence is required
Source and recommend local legal counsel where required
Facilitate meetings between Group Legal and external counsel
Support local contractual formalities such as notarisation or regulatory submissions
Work closely with the MLRO and Group Head of GRC, supporting regulatory filings, inspections, and relationship-building with local regulators
Assist in monitoring adherence to local directives and ensuring timely responses to regulatory requests
Identify local accounting, tax, and audit providers
coordinate introductions with Group Finance
Facilitate exchange of documents and operational support where required
Liaise with local tax authorities on any matters as they pertain to the Company
Provide ad-hoc local assistance on hiring, labour law considerations, and onboarding of new employees
Support People Ops in identifying market-specific challenges or risks
Act as a Company Director, signing documents on behalf of the local entity, subject to Group policies
Serve as a bank account signatory, authorising transactions and ensuring proper financial controls
Prepare and submit monthly country reports covering performance, risks, opportunities, and partner updates
Prepare market materials for quarterly board packs and attend quarterly board meetings to present on the country’s performance
Ensure compliance with all local statutory obligations, including filings, office administration, and maintenance of local corporate records
Provide comprehensive insights on competitor activity, regulatory changes, market conditions, and industry trends
Support Group decision-making by supplying accurate and timely market intelligence
Monitor MMO and banking ecosystem changes, reporting potential risks or opportunities for pawaPay
Represent pawaPay at in-country events, conferences, and high-level meetings
Act as a strong brand ambassador, aligning all external engagements with pawaPay’s values and strategic positioning
Support the organisation’s visibility among regulators, MMOs, banks, fintech partners, and industry associations
Where necessary, support the launch of new neighbouring markets, providing local insights, introductions, regulatory context, and operational guidance as needed
Serve as a resource to newly appointed Country Directors in neighbouring markets during their onboarding and initial setup period
Provide early-stage in-country assistance during integration, onboarding, or pilot activities where proximity and local experience add value

Requirements:

5+ years of experience in stakeholder management, business development, regulatory liaison, or operational leadership within fintech, mobile money, telecoms, or financial services
Proven experience managing senior external stakeholders, including regulators, mobile network operators, and banks
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field (MBA preferred)
Strong understanding of the African payments industry
Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional initiatives and coordinating multiple internal teams
Excellent relationship-building skills, with strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving abilities
Ability to work under pressure, multitask effectively, and maintain high responsiveness
Fluency in English
and local languages spoken in DRC
High integrity, strong organisational skills, and a proactive, “ownership-driven” mindset
Ability to travel regularly to partner offices, regulators, or occasional cross-border events

What we offer:

Help improve financial access in Africa
Being part of an amazing team that shapes the company’s culture as a great place to be
An ambitious, talented, and diverse team that 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

Additional Information:

Job Posted:
March 10, 2026

Employment Type:

Fulltime

Work Type:

On-site work

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Job Link Share:

Country Director

Talent Safari

Location:
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Category:
Finance

Contract Type:
Not provided

Salary:

Job Description:

Job Responsibility:

Requirements:

Additional Information:

Job Posted:
March 10, 2026

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