Senior SME – Merchant Acquiring Transformation - Ektis

About us 
 
Specialized, disciplined, and driven by measurable growth across every engagement.  
 
Ektis, founded in 2025, is a financial services consulting firm built on decades of combined industry experience. Our diverse team of specialists brings deep sector expertise across the regional financial ecosystem, enabling us to turn complex challenges into practical, high-impact solutions. 
 
As an expert-led, boutique firm, we operate as an extension of our clients - partnering closely with financial institutions to translate ambition into measurable progress. We focus on building enduring internal capability and applying creative problem-solving that delivers lasting impact. 
 
Our approach integrates real-world insights with strategic thinking and disciplined execution. We define objectives with precision, map the pathways required, and deliver outcomes that work in practice - not just in presentation decks. Every deliverable is designed to be actionable, professional, and reflective of the capability and results our clients aim to achieve. 
 
Our Vision 
 
Redefining financial services consulting for a new era - accelerating ideas, deepening execution, and driving outcomes that matter. 
 
Our Mission 
 
We partner with financial institutions to turn ambition into measurable results. Guided by our entrepreneurial spirit, we integrate with client teams and combine strategic clarity, disciplined execution, and creative problem-solving to deliver lasting impact and build capabilities that endure 
 
About the Opportunity
 
Our client is a leading player within the Saudi payments market. As part of this engagement, Ektis is seeking a Senior SME to support the next phase of the programme. 
 
This is a highly hands-on role for an experienced payments professional with experience across merchant acquiring, payment gateways and fintech acquiring set-up. The successful candidate will bring a blend of commercial, technical and regulatory expertise, with the ability to support the design, launch and scaling of an acquiring business within Saudi Arabia. 
 
Role Focus 
 
To act as the lead SME across the merchant acquiring transformation programme, providing strategic guidance and hands-on support across the commercial model, technology architecture and Saudi regulatory requirements.  
 
The role will work closely with senior client stakeholders and the Ektis project team to help shape and deliver a modern acquiring proposition, ensuring it is commercially viable, technically robust and fully compliant with local regulations. 
 
Key Responsibilities  
 
Commercial & Business  
  • Define the commercial strategy and business model for the acquiring proposition. 
  • Shape the merchant services offering, including target customer segments, proposition, pricing and go-to-market approach. 
  • Develop the target operating model, including sales channels, merchant onboarding, partnerships and service structure. 
  • Build commercial forecasts, revenue models and business plans. 
  • Advise on acquiring economics, including interchange, scheme fees, merchant pricing and profitability. 
  • Identify partnership opportunities with banks, fintechs, payment gateways and payment service providers. 
  • Support the roadmap for launching and scaling the acquiring business.  
 
Technology & Platform  
  • Define the target technology architecture for the acquiring and payment gateway platform. 
  • Lead or advise on the technical set-up, integration and implementation of acquiring systems. 
  • Support build versus buy decisions and the selection of technology vendors and partners.  
  • Design the end-to-end payments architecture, including integration with banks, card schemes, processors and merchant systems. 
  • Provide expertise across payment gateways, merchant acquiring platforms, POS and SoftPOS, settlement, reconciliation and fraud systems. 
  • Ensure the solution is scalable, secure and aligned to PCI DSS, cybersecurity and data protection requirements.  
 
Regulatory & Compliance  
  • Advise on the Saudi regulatory requirements for establishing and operating a merchant acquiring business. 
  • Support the preparation and submission of acquiring license applications where required. 
  • Ensure the acquiring model and operating framework are aligned with local legal and regulatory obligations. 
  • Provide guidance across SAMA requirements, KYC, AML, merchant onboarding, transaction monitoring and settlement processes. 
  • Identify regulatory risks and recommend appropriate mitigation actions. 
  • Support engagement with regulators and key stakeholders across the Saudi payments ecosystem. 
 
Candidate Profile 
  • Minimum 7 years' experience within payments, merchant acquiring, payment gateways or fintech acquiring set-up. 
  • Proven experience helping banks, fintechs or payment providers establish, launch or transform acquiring businesses. 
  • Strong understanding of both the commercial and technical components of acquiring and payments. 
  • Deep familiarity with the Saudi payments landscape and regulatory environment.  
  • Experience working with SAMA, acquiring license processes and broader Saudi payments regulation is highly desirable.  
  • Background from Visa, Mastercard, a leading fintech, merchant acquirer, payment gateway provider or major payments organisation is strongly preferred.  
  • Acquiring Technology or Commercial Lead  
  • Strong understanding of merchant acquiring economics, payment gateway infrastructure, scheme integration and acquiring technology architecture.  
  • Existing experience within Saudi Arabia or the GCC is strongly preferred. 
  • Previous experience in roles such as: Head of Acquiring, Head of Merchant Services, Payments Transformation Lead, Senior Payments Consultant.
 
Key Skills 
  • Ability to operate at both strategic and hands-on delivery level. 
  • Strong stakeholder management skills with experience engaging senior leadership. 
  • Ability to work across commercial, technology and regulatory workstreams simultaneously.  
  • Excellent communication, presentation and influencing skills. 
  • Proven experience within fast-paced, transformation-led environments.  
  • Experience supporting greenfield or large-scale payments transformation programmes. 
 
Engagement Details  
  • Senior advisory / consulting engagement through Ektis
  • Project-based appointment  
  • Based in Saudi Arabia or the GCC, with travel as required 
  • Immediate or short-notice availability preferred