Special Initiatives Consultant - Acquiring & Cash Management System - Contractual

At Outsized, we match clients in financial services and management consulting to high quality independent consultants and boutique/specialist firms for the execution of their key projects.

Our client, a Global consulting firm, is seeking a Special Initiatives consultant responsible for optimizing, re-engineering, and implementing new initiatives within the Acquiring & Cash Management team. This role requires expertise in process analysis, automation, compliance alignment, and stakeholder coordination to drive operational efficiency, enhance customer experience, and support business growth.

This is a 12-month contractual opportunity in Riyadh, KSA.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Process Optimization :

- Conduct end-to-end analysis of merchant onboarding, transaction processing, reconciliation, and settlements to identify inefficiencies.

- Streamline operational workflows across acquiring, risk, compliance, and finance teams.

- Identify and implement automation opportunities in merchant servicing, reporting, and reconciliation.

- Develop dashboards and KPIs to track and monitor operational effectiveness.

2. Process Re-engineering :

- Redesign the merchant underwriting process to improve risk assessment and approval speed.

- Enhance merchant integration with the banks acquiring platform (APIs, payment gateways, etc.).

- Improve merchant payout processes for faster, error-free settlements.

- Review and refine fee structures and billing processes for transparency and efficiency.

- Implement advanced risk monitoring tools for fraud detection and compliance adherence.

3. Implementation of New Initiatives :

- Lead the rollout of new payment solutions such as Soft POS, QR-based payments, and alternative acquiring models.

- Support the launch of self-service digital platforms for merchant onboarding and servicing.

- Work closely with technology teams to enhance system capabilities and improve the merchant experience.

- Develop training materials and operational manuals for new processes and initiatives.

- Ensure compliance with regulatory changes affecting acquiring and cash management.

Key Skills & Qualifications :

Experience : 10+ years in merchant acquiring, payments, cash management, or process optimization roles in banking or fintech.

Technical Knowledge : Strong understanding of payment processing, merchant acquiring models, settlement cycles, and reconciliation.

Process Improvement : Hands-on experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or other process optimization methodologies.

Regulatory Awareness : Knowledge of AML, KYC, PCI-DSS, and other compliance requirements.

Project Management : Proven ability to lead and execute initiatives independently.

Analytical Thinking : Strong data-driven decision-making skills.

Collaboration & Communication : Ability to work across departments and present findings effectively.