Project Manager – Credit Card Migration

We are looking for a Project Manager - Credit Card Migration to join a well-known Islamic Bank in Bahrain. The Ideal candidate will lead and deliver end-to-end credit card system and/or portfolio migration initiatives, ensuring successful execution across scope, time, budget, quality, and operational readiness. Own the migration governance, planning, stakeholder coordination, execution, cutover, and post go-live stabilization while ensuring accurate data reconciliation and business sign-off.

Key Responsibilities

1) Project Governance & Delivery Management

• Define and apply an appropriate project management framework and delivery governance (steering, working groups, RAID, milestones, reporting cadence) to ensure completion within agreed scope, quality, and timelines.
• Prepare the project brief/charter and initiation documentation; establish clear scope boundaries, assumptions, dependencies, and acceptance criteria.
• Manage scope changes through structured change control; drive decisions and approvals in a timely manner.
• Manage project risks/issues and ensure mitigation plans are actively owned and executed.

2) Credit Card Migration Planning & Execution

• Own the end-to-end migration approach for new Credit Card system setup and/or system/portfolio migration, including strategy, sequencing, trial conversions, and final migration execution.
• Lead the planning and execution of parallel run and cutover planning.
• Lead data reconciliation and business sign-off activities.
• Manage migration of account, card, transaction, installment, and fee data.
• Ensure readiness for authorization, clearing, billing, settlement, and collections flows.
• Ensure migration readiness across business, operations, technology, and vendors, including runbooks, cutover checklists, and rollback considerations.

3) Testing & Environment Readiness (SIT/UAT/Parallel Run)

• Plan and manage SIT, UAT, and Parallel Run activities end-to-end, including test strategy, scope, entry/exit criteria, defect triage, and governance.
• Coordinate business users for UAT execution and sign-off.
• Drive closure of defects, gaps, and reconciliation breaks prior to go-live.

4) Data Migration, Reconciliation & Controls

• Lead the data migration lifecycle: strategy, mapping, extraction, transformation, loading, trial runs, and reconciliation.
• Establish reconciliation controls and sign-off packs between old and new systems.
• Ensure accuracy and completeness for key datasets and balances; drive resolution of discrepancies.

5) Scheme & Platform / Vendor Coordination

• Work effectively with CMS platforms (VisionPLUS) and associated vendors/partners, ensuring delivery alignment, integration readiness, and clear responsibilities (RACI).
• Ensure the migration scope covers Visa/Mastercard data and scheme-related flows in alignment with business requirements and operational cutover needs.

6) Shariah-Compliant Product Considerations (Preferred)

• Ensure the solution and migration approach supports Shariah-compliant card structures, preferably Tawarruq/Murabaha-based settlement and profit calculation rules.
• Coordinate requirements validation and sign-offs with relevant product owners and compliance stakeholders as applicable.

7) Go-Live Command Center & Hypercare

• Lead the cutover and go-live command center, including war-room governance, tracking, and escalation management.
• Lead post go-live hypercare, ensuring issue triage, prioritization, resolution tracking, and stabilization closure with formal acceptance.

Required Knowledge & Experience (Must Have)

• In-depth understanding of credit card lifecycle including: issuance, authorization, billing, settlement, reconciliation, collections, disputes, and chargebacks.
• Proven experience managing and executing credit card migration projects (system migration and/or portfolio migration).
• Knowledge of CMS platforms (VisionPLUS).
• In-depth understanding and experience on: parallel run and cutover planning; data reconciliation and sign-off; account, card, transaction, installment, and fee data; authorization, clearing, billing, and collections flows; data migration strategy, trial conversions, and reconciliation.
• Experience working on Visa/Mastercard data.
• Hands-on experience managing SIT, UAT, and Parallel Run.
• Experience leading cutover planning and Go Live command center.
• Proven ability to lead post GoLive hypercare and issue resolution.

Preferred / Advantage

• Understanding of Shariah-compliant card structures, preferably Tawarruq/Murabaha-based settlement and profit calculation rules.
• Experience in setting up a new Credit Card system (greenfield implementation) in addition to migration.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline.
• PMI certification (or equivalent) is strongly preferred.

Core Competencies & Skills

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management across business, technology, and vendors.
• Customer focus and outcome-driven delivery mindset.
• Strong planning and organizing skills with governance discipline and structured execution.
• Problem solving, analytical thinking, and a strong reconciliation mindset.
• Accountability and ownership; ability to lead under pressure during cutover/go-live.
• Ability to negotiate, influence, and broker alignment across multiple stakeholders.

Key Deliverables (Examples)

• Project charter, integrated plan, governance calendar, RAID log, and weekly/monthly status reports.
• Migration strategy and detailed cutover runbook (including rehearsal outcomes).
• Trial conversion results and reconciliation sign-off packs.
• SIT/UAT/Parallel Run plans, defect dashboards, and final readiness assessment.
• Go-live command center tracker and hypercare closure report.

Stakeholders / Interfaces

• Cards Business/Product, Operations (billing/settlement/collections), IT delivery teams, Data/Integration teams.
• Vendors (CMS/VisionPLUS), scheme partners (Visa/Mastercard), and internal governance (PMO/SteerCo).