Project Manager V (Banking License)

About Kueski

At Kueski, we're dedicated to improving the financial lives of people in Mexico. Since 2012, we've been the leading buy now, pay later (BNPL) and online consumer credit platform in Latin America, known for our innovative financial services. Our flagship product, Kueski Pay, provides seamless payment solutions for both online and in-store transactions, establishing itself as the preferred option for a quarter of Mexico's top e-commerce merchants. Notably, we were the first to introduce BNPL on Amazon Mexico.

We're a tech company with a culture geared toward innovation, collaboration, and impact, fostering a strong, diverse, and inclusive company culture. In 2023, Kueski was recognized as the top BNPL platform by Fintech Breakthrough and earned the title of one of Mexico's most ethical companies from AMITAI. Additionally, we ranked as one of the Best Companies for Female Talent by EFY.

Purpose

The purpose of this Project Manager role with experience in Banking and Finance, as well as  licensing processes, is to plan, oversee, and lead the banking license project and objectives; from ideation through to completion. This person should ensure that all stages of the project are executed effectively and efficiently. This means collaborating and coordinating relevant departments at Kueski to formulate a comprehensive strategy for obtaining a banking license and getting to operate as a Bank, preparing a detailed business case, and ensuring that the project aligns with regulatory requirements and that the license will be obtained and the company will be operating as a Bank in the shortest time possible. 

Likewise, once the Banking License is up and running, meaning the company is already operating as a Bank, this Project Manager will ensure that the company keeps operating adequately as such and will be the bridge between all the relevant departments to do so. 

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with relevant departments at Kueski to formulate a comprehensive strategy for obtaining a banking license, including detailed strategies for deposit acquisition, cost analysis, profitability assessment, headcount and tech stack requirements, and regulatory compliance

• Work closely with all Kueski departments to gather input and ensure alignment with the overall business case and regulatory requirements

• Plan all stages of the project, ensuring that the strategy and business case are well-defined and address the specific needs of the banking license application

• Oversee the completion of all tasks associated with the project, ensuring that each stage is executed effectively and efficiently and that the business case is prepared in detail

• Assign tasks to team members across departments, ensuring collaboration and input from relevant stakeholders, and coordinate the preparation of the detailed business case

• Create a comprehensive budget and timeline for the project, monitoring progress to ensure adherence to the established plan, including the cost and resource requirements outlined in the business case

• Identify areas of risk and develop strategies to minimize risk, ensuring successful completion of the project and addressing any regulatory concerns

• Facilitate meetings with the project team and communicate project status to managers, peers, and business partners, ensuring that the business case is well-understood and supported across the organization

• Evaluate the success of the project and suggest improvements as needed, based on the detailed business case prepared, and ensure that the strategy aligns with the regulatory perspective

• Analyze and report project risks, costs, and benefits to ensure efficient delivery, acting as a communication channel for status and issues, and addressing any regulatory implications

• Proactively track project schedules to agreed targets and act as the owner for specific banking processes, providing timely updates and escalating material issues, particularly related to regulatory compliance

• Communicate technology initiatives and changes to end users and senior management effectively, ensuring smooth business adoption of new solutions, and addressing any technology requirements outlined in the business case

• Develop use cases to explain and demonstrate business requirements and specifications to IT teams, fostering effective collaboration and understanding across departments, and ensuring that the technology stack aligns with the business case

• Define and deliver strategic project initiatives in coordination with the Rapid Response team, ensuring timely delivery and correct prioritization, and aligning with the business case and regulatory requirements

Position Requirements (Experience & Competencies)

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or a related field

• 7+ years of experience in the finance sector (Banking, Fintech, SOFOM), ideally in project management at a large financial services organization.

• Proven experience in obtaining authorizations before CNBV such as Banking Licenses or SOFIPO's

• Proven experience obtaining authorizations before Banxico (i.e. SPEI).

• Expertise in workflow and operating model design, process improvement, business analysis, and project management

• Proven track record of project management in banking with experience preparing companies for banking licenses

• Excellent communication and organization skills, leadership, attention to detail, organization, and the ability to work with others effectively  

• Fluency in both English and Spanish

• Certifications such as PMP, PMI, ITIL, SCRUM, AWS, CTP, SM, PM, AGILE, or PMBOK preferred