Senior KYC and Onboarding Specialist

Ozow is a leading fintech company that's redefining digital payments in South Africa and beyond. We're dedicated to making payments more accessible, secure, and convenient for both businesses and consumers. As a fast-growing player in the financial technology sector, Ozow fosters a culture of innovation, diversity, and inclusivity. We believe in pushing the boundaries of what's possible and are committed to making a positive impact on the world through our payment solutions.

As a Senior KYC & Onboarding Specialist at Ozow, you will play a crucial role in ensuring a seamless onboarding experience for our merchants, compliance with regulatory requirements, and mitigating financial risks associated with our fast-paced fintech payments operations. You will take ownership of in-depth customer and merchant due diligence, lead on higher-risk and complex cases, and provide coaching and guidance to more junior members of the KYC & Onboarding team. This is a hands-on specialist role that combines deep subject-matter expertise with the judgement to navigate nuanced documentation and risk scenarios, and the commercial EQ to engage confidently with merchants, banks and other external parties.

Onboarding

• →Oversee the full onboarding process for new merchants, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and adherence to regulatory requirements.
• →Handle more complex or high-value onboarding cases, providing guidance on nuanced documentation or risk scenarios.

Customer Due Diligence (CDD)

• →Conduct in-depth KYC reviews of new customers and merchants, with a particular focus on higher risk or more complex cases.
• →Analyse customer- and merchant-provided documentation, including identification, financial records and business structures, and escalate anomalies or red flags.
• →Conduct advanced reviews and updates of customer and merchant profiles to ensure ongoing compliance and accuracy.

Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)

• →Lead the assessment of high-risk customers and merchants by performing enhanced due diligence in line with regulatory and internal standards across Ozow's various products.
• →Investigate and document sources of funds and transaction purposes for high-value or suspicious activities, ensuring thorough and defensible audit trails.

Risk Assessment

• →Perform detailed risk assessments and assign risk ratings for merchants, applying judgement to ambiguous or escalated cases.
• →Escalate significant risks or potential breaches to the Compliance team and management, providing clear recommendations.

Regulatory Compliance

• →Stay abreast of evolving regulations and industry best practices, and advise the team on their practical application.
• →Contribute to the refinement of KYC policies and procedures, and provide input for internal training and knowledge-sharing sessions.

Ongoing Monitoring

• →Take ownership of monitoring and investigating unusual or suspicious customer activity, particularly in complex or high-risk cases.

Coaching & Team Support

• →Provide coaching and guidance to more junior KYC & Onboarding Specialists in the team.
• →Act as a point of reference on complex or sensitive cases, sharing knowledge and supporting consistent application of standards.

Reporting

• →Prepare detailed and analytical reports on KYC findings for Compliance leadership and the Head of Legal.
• →Collaborate with internal teams, sharing insights and trends identified through advanced KYC analysis.

Customer and Merchant Communication

• →Communicate with customers and merchants on complex or sensitive KYC matters, ensuring clarity and professionalism.
• →Handle escalated queries and guide merchants through detailed compliance requirements, demonstrating commercial EQ when engaging external parties.

Technology Utilization

• →Leverage KYC tools and databases for efficient verification, monitoring and case tracking.
• →Recommend improvements or efficiencies in the use of technology to strengthen KYC processes.

• A bachelor's degree in law, finance, business, or a related field.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in KYC/AML compliance in the fintech, banking, or financial services industry.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements specific to card acquiring and payment processing.
• Strong understanding of KYC/AML regulations and industry best practices.
• Experience with ISO Card / EFT / RTP.
• Proficiency in using KYC software and databases.
• Excellent analytical and investigative skills with sharp attention to detail.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to interact effectively with customers, merchants and internal teams.
• The ability to communicate with external parties demonstrating commercial EQ.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and guide more junior team members.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, adapting to changing priorities and requirements.
• Commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and confidentiality.

• You eagerly embrace change, absorb cross-functional skills, and connect ideas across disciplines to drive fresh thinking and innovation. 
• Ability to initiate, develop, maintain and leverage outstanding relationships to influence a wide network, both inside and outside the company. 
• A trailblazer who steps up, takes charge, and creates meaningful impact—those driven by performance and purpose to lead from the front and make a real difference every day. 
• You thrive in collaboration, embrace inclusion, and bring a genuine curiosity for global cultures—valuing collective success over individual credit. 
• Demonstrate strategic foresight, sound judgement, and the ability to make confident decisions under uncertainty, always working toward the best possible outcomes. 
• You challenge norms, champion innovation, and constantly seek growth—for themselves, their team, and the solutions they build. 
• You are a decisive doer—those who take initiative, follow through with confidence, and ensure results through courageous, hands-on leadership. 
• We value optimism, agility, and the strength to persevere under pressure—balancing performance with positivity, even in challenging environments. 
• You are driven, proactive individuals who take ownership, face challenges with grit, and consistently push for excellence—not just as participants, but as catalysts for success. 

During the interview process you will meet with the People team, the hiring manager, and relevant CSuite. Be prepared to complete a technical assessment that will showcase your skills.  

Join Ozow and become part of an elite force that challenges the ordinary and achieves the extraordinary. If you're driven to make an impact, embrace challenges, and seek unparalleled opportunities for growth, your journey starts here.

As a fintech company, we prioritize data security, confidentiality, regulatory and compliance. Due to the sensitive nature of our work, we require individuals with a high level of integrity and trustworthiness to ensure adherence to financial regulations and industry standards. Given the sensitive nature of our work, all employees are expected to demonstrate professionalism, accountability, and a commitment to ethical conduct in line with financial regulations and industry standards

Interested in joining our rocket ship?  

To find out more about life at Ozow, head over to our Careers Page here!