Cards & Payments - Consultant

As a Cards & Payments Consultant, your main responsibilities include overseeing the ISO 20022 implementation process, integrating messaging standards with payment gateways, and collaborating with stakeholders to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. You'll manage end-to-end project lifecycles, provide technical guidance on message formats, and contribute to business development efforts.

Ideal candidates for the Cards & Payments Consultant role should have 4 to 6 years of experience in payments and relevant technical expertise in ISO 20022 implementation, payment system integration, and project management. A strong understanding of messaging standards, middleware, and APIs is critical, along with excellent communication skills for stakeholder collaboration.

In the role of Cards & Payments Consultant, you will manage full lifecycle project phases which include requirements gathering, planning, execution, and post-implementation support. Your ability to communicate with cross-functional teams and maintain project documentation is essential to ensure the successful delivery of ISO 20022 solutions.

As a Cards & Payments Consultant, you will work with a variety of payment systems, including real-time payment solutions, cross-border payment platforms, and instant payment schemes such as SEPA, SWIFT, FedNow, and UPI. Your work will also involve integrating these systems with ISO 20022 messaging standards.

A Cards & Payments Consultant must stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes associated with ISO 20022 and payment systems. You will conduct regular audits and risk assessments to ensure compliance with standards, as well as ongoing learning to enhance your skills in payments and operational innovation.

To effectively answer this question, outline specific projects you've worked on where you led the design, configuration, and deployment of ISO 20022-compliant payment solutions. Be prepared to discuss challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

Discuss the steps you would take, such as gathering requirements, creating a project plan, coordinating with stakeholders, and managing key timelines. Emphasize your attention to detail and communication skills to ensure successful collaboration.

Mention resources you use such as industry publications, webinars, and professional networks. Highlight your proactive approach in staying informed about changes in ISO 20022 standards and how that could benefit your role.

Provide examples such as dealing with legacy systems, ensuring compatibility between different platforms, and maintaining data integrity. Also, suggest strategies you have used in the past to mitigate these issues.

Explain your techniques for engagement, such as regular meetings, status updates, and using project management tools. Emphasize the importance of clear communication and collaborative problem-solving.

Detail your direct involvement with various payment gateways and clearing systems, highlighting any specific projects and your role in configuring or customizing middleware to support ISO 20022 messaging.

Discuss the significance of performance tuning in optimizing payment systems for handling high volumes of ISO 20022 messages, ensuring low latency, and ultimately delivering a seamless customer experience.

Provide a specific instance where you detected and resolved a problem related to message parsing or validation. Your answer should demonstrate analytical thinking and a systematic approach to problem-solving.

Emphasize the importance of comprehensive documentation throughout the project lifecycle. Discuss how structured documentation helps ensure clarity and serves as a reference point for all team members.

Discuss the types of feedback critical for project success, such as usability insights and compliance checks. Showcase your commitment to incorporating stakeholder feedback to enhance project outcomes.