Head of IT / Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Responsibilities:

Technology Strategy & Leadership:

• Develop and implement an enterprise technology roadmap aligned with business strategy.
• Advise executive management on technology risks, investments, and innovation.
• Lead, mentor, and manage IT and engineering teams.

Payments & POS Infrastructure Management:

• Oversee the architecture and management of POS terminals and payment processing systems.
• Ensure system uptime, transaction reliability, and performance optimisation.
• Supervise API integrations with banks, switches, and payment networks.

Regulatory Compliance & Governance:

• Ensure full compliance with CBN PTSP guidelines and operational requirements.
• Implement and maintain PCI-DSS standards and secure payment practices.
• Establish robust cybersecurity, data protection, and fraud prevention frameworks.
• Lead internal and external technology audits.

Cybersecurity & Risk Management:

• Develop and implement enterprise-wide cybersecurity strategy
• Oversee vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, and incident response.
• Ensure data protection
• Contribute to product enhancement initiatives based on market input.
• Provide insights to the management team on growth opportunities and potential risks.

Infrastructure & System Management:

• Oversee cloud/on-premises infrastructure and disaster recovery planning
• Ensure business continuity and backup systems are operational.
• Implement a scalable architecture to support business expansion.
• Manage vendor relationships with technology service providers.
• Work closely with legal and finance teams to finalise contracts and secure successful closures.

Budgeting & Resource Management:

• Develop and manage the annual IT budget.
• Optimise technology spending while maintaining system reliability and security.
• Oversee procurement of IT hardware, software, and vendor services.
• Conduct cost-benefit analysis for new technology investments.

Technical & Domain Expertise:

• Deep understanding of the payment ecosystem, including
• POS / MPOS deployment and maintenance.
• Merchant onboarding, integration, and management.
• Online payment gateways and mobile wallet platforms.
• API integration with banks and payment switches.
• Compliance with CBN PTSP guidelines and PCI-DSS
• Transaction monitoring, fraud prevention, and cybersecurity.
• Scalable, high-availability payment systems.

Architecture, Development & Infrastructure:

• Software architecture design for secure, scalable systems.
• Cloud and hybrid infrastructure management (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and release management.
• Disaster recovery, business continuity, and system redundancy.
• IT infrastructure monitoring, performance optimisation, and cost efficiency.

Security & Compliance:

• PCI-DSS (Card payment security)
• Data protection standard
• Secure integrations and encryption
• Continuous monitoring

Requirements:

• A bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, information technology, engineering, or a related field.
• A master's degree (MBA) is an added advantage.
• Minimum of 8–12 years of progressive experience in IT/technology roles.
• At least 5 years in a senior leadership role (CTO, Head of IT, VP Engineering).
• Strong experience in fintech, banking technology, payment processing, or POS systems.
• Proven experience managing large-scale, high-availability systems.

Desirable Add -Ons:

• PMP / Agile / Scrum certifications
• Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Security certifications (CISSP, CISM, PCI-DSS)
• Experience with regulatory engagement