Lead Project Manager - Cards & Payments

Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE (Onsite)

Type: Contract – 12 Months (extendable)

Domain: Cards and Payments | Card Launches | PMO Governance

Reporting To: Head of Product – Cards (Operations)

Language Requirement: English (mandatory); Arabic is an advantage

Availability: Immediate

We’re placing an experienced Lead Project Manager – Cards & Payments with a leading global payments network, embedded with a bank in the UAE to run the cards change portfolio for a lean, digital-first cards team.

You’ll run the cards change portfolio: new credit card launches, scheme and regulatory mandates, digital wallet capabilities and a domestic scheme card programme. You’ll be the single point of coordination across the bank, the payments network and third parties, and you’ll own the plan, the governance and the result. A strong performer gets products to market faster and turns launches into active, spending cardholders.

Core Responsibilities

• Deliver launches (~35%): product and BIN setup, card production, digital wallet provisioning readiness, collateral and go-live
• Run the PMO (~25%): keep the integrated plan, the RAID log, steering committee packs and cross-team stand-ups
• Close mandates and dependencies (~20%): coordinate IT, processor, wallet and vendor testing through to certification and production sign-off
• Drive acquisition and portfolio performance (~20%): improve the application funnel, and track activation and spend after launch
• Set up and lead a PMO for the cards change portfolio. Agree one masterplan with the client and run Steering Committee governance
• Act as the single point of contact between the payments network and the client across all workstreams
• Deliver new credit card propositions end to end, from setup through to customers transacting
• Drive scheme and regulatory mandates to on-time compliance. Escalate blocking dependencies early, including wallet and provisioning compliance
• Coordinate the remaining domestic scheme card rollout, including the customer journey, communications and tracking activation after reissuance
• Diagnose and improve the acquisition funnel, focusing on approval rates, onboarding drop-off and eligibility rules, working with Credit, Product and Digital
• Coordinate client teams and vendors against the masterplan. Manage RAID and report portfolio performance regularly

KPIs

• At least 90% of milestones delivered on or before the baselined date
• Every in-scope mandate delivered by its deadline
• Activation rate and spend per active card in the first 90 days after each launch
• Application-to-issuance conversion improved against the agreed baseline
• RAID discipline: median time to close critical issues, and steering committee reporting delivered on time every cycle

Knowledge and Experience

• 10+ years in project management, with a focus on end-to-end delivery of complex projects in banking or payments, including card issuing launches or portfolio optimisation at a bank or payments provider
• Strong project management skills on large-scale conversion programmes, plus banking or payments product launches and solution deployments in multiple markets
• Good working knowledge of card management systems, processors, scheme certification, tokenisation and digital wallet provisioning; able to work through technical issues with technology teams
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder skills; confident presenting to senior committees
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and able to identify and manage project risks
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment with several priorities at once; proactive and detail-oriented
• PMP or similar project management certification; agile or hybrid delivery experience is valued
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (for example project management, engineering or technology)
• Arabic is an advantage

Mandatory Skills

• Excellent understanding of card technical portfolio optimisation and of the customer journey from acquisition to activation
• Hands-on delivery of at least one card product launch at an issuer
• End-to-end delivery of a card issuing programme (a launch, a migration or a mandate)
• Structured project management: planning, RAID and governance
• Professional fluency in English, including English for executive reporting
• Immediately available to start in the UAE

A note on applications

Shortlisting is based on profile fit against the above requirements. Applying does not guarantee a shortlist or interview. Only candidates closely matching the mandatory criteria will be contacted.

This role is being sourced by Hyper Lychee — a global tech staffing and consulting firm. The end client will be disclosed to shortlisted candidates only.

About Us

Hyper Lychee Labs is an IT services and consulting company committed to delivering innovative and impactful solutions to a diverse client base, including Fortune 500 companies, the Government of India, and forward-thinking startups. With a focus on leveraging technology for transformation, the company provides custom software development, complex systems implementation, and strategic consulting. Our team of talented professionals collaborates to ensure exceptional results tailored to clients’ needs. Dedicated to fostering a culture of creativity, diversity, and inclusion, Hyper Lychee Labs strives to empower businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.