Head of Financial Services at PnP

About the position

Role Summary

Value Added Services (VAS) is a rapidly growing division within the Pick n Pay Group, operating across PnP Supermarkets, PnP Hypermarkets, PnP Clothing, PnP Franchise, PnP Africa, and all Omni-Channel touchpoints. The division consists of 5 strategic units: Financial Services, Value Added Services, Mobile, VAS Marketing and VAS Trade & Operations.
The Financial Services portfolio sits at the heart of PnP's aspiration to build a modern retail ecosystem, offering customers accessible, low-cost and innovative financial products across payments, money movement, insurance, lending and cross-border remittances.
Joining the VAS team provides the unique opportunity to work in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced environment while benefiting from the support, infrastructure and cross-functional integration of a major South African retailer.

The Head of Financial Services is accountable for designing, scaling and commercialising PnP's Financial Services ecosystem.

This leader oversees key strategic partnerships and owns the full end-to-end product portfolio, including:

Cash withdrawals and deposits
Domestic & cross-border money transfers
Payments & acceptance innovation
Insurance (funeral, life, pet, device, etc.)
Lending and credit-enablement solutions

The role carries full P&L ownership, responsible for revenue growth, profitability, operational excellence, customer value creation, and regulatory compliance while orchestrating collaboration across multiple industries (banks, fintechs, insurers, MNOs, regulators, and technology partners).

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Commerce, or related field (MBA preferred) and or, proven experience in Financial Services strategy, product development, and ecosystem management (preferably in retail, fintech, or banking environments).

Demonstrated success in managing strategic partnerships across financial institutions, fintechs, or insurers.

Strong track record of owning revenue and profitability targets with meaningful PnL responsibility.

Exceptional leadership, coaching, and people development skills.

Strong commercial acumen, negotiation capability, and data-driven decision-making.

Excellent communication and influencing skills, including experience presenting to senior executives and external partners.

Working knowledge of regulatory frameworks, compliance requirements, and emerging industry trends in payments, money movement, insurance and lending.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Services Strategy & Growth

• Develop and execute the Financial Services strategy that aligns with PnP's customer, commercial and digital transformation priorities.
• Identify and incubate new revenue streams, customer value propositions, and innovative financial products.
• Drive a retail-led financial inclusion agenda that strengthens PnP's positioning in the market.

2. Product Ownership & Execution

• Lead the full lifecycle management of FS products: design, pricing, business case development, operational readiness, go-to-market, and continuous optimisation.
• Ensure smooth integration between product, store operations, IT, risk, finance, and marketing teams.
• Leverage data insights to shape product decisions and customer segmentation strategies.

3. Partnerships & Ecosystem Management

• Build and deepen partnerships with banks, fintechs, insurers, payment service providers, and regulatory and industry bodies.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, service levels, joint business plans, and shared innovation pipelines.
• Ensure partners deliver consistently against performance, compliance, and customer experience expectations.

4. Revenue & PnL Management

• Own the Financial Services PnL, including revenue, gross profit, opex allocations, targets and forecasting.
• Drive performance management rhythms including weekly trading, monthly business reviews, and quarterly strategy check-ins.
• Continuously identify margin opportunities, cost efficiencies, risk mitigations, and operational improvements.

5. Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Influence

• Collaborate with internal teams (Commercial, Omni-Channel, IS&T, Marketing, Finance, Risk, Operations) to deliver seamless execution.
• Represent Financial Services in senior forums, steering committees, and strategic decision-making sessions.
• Advocate for a customer-first mindset across all FS initiatives.

6. Reporting, Insights & Governance

• Produce clear, data-driven performance reports, dashboards, and board-level presentations.
• Ensure compliance with financial regulations, internal controls, data privacy standards, and risk requirements.
• Monitor industry trends to inform future investment and innovation decisions.

7. Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead and mentor a team of Product Managers, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and performance.
• Build a robust succession pipeline by developing future leaders and attracting high-calibre talent.
• Promote a collaborative and entrepreneurial culture within the VAS division.

Competencies:

Strategic Agility:
Anticipates market shifts and adapts strategies to maintain a competitive edge.

Change Leadership:
Drives transformation and fosters a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement:
Builds trust and rapport with diverse internal and external stakeholders, including regulators, partners, and executive leadership.

Commercial Foresight:
Identifies emerging opportunities and risks, translating insights into actionable business initiatives.

Digital Fluency:
Leverages digital tools and analytics to inform decision-making and enhance customer experience.

Resilience & Adaptability:
Thrives in high-pressure, fast-paced environments, navigating ambiguity with confidence.

Ethical Judgment:
Upholds the highest standards of integrity, compliance, and ethical conduct.

Talent Magnetism:
Attracts, inspires, and retains top talent, cultivating a high-performance team culture.

Closing date: 23 December 2025