Location: Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt
Department: Retail / Shared Services
Employment Type: Full-Time
Experience: 10+ Years
Level: Head of Department

About Axis

Axis is an Egyptian fintech company focused on making financial services simpler, smarter, and more accessible through innovative digital solutions.

Role Overview

Axis is seeking a highly experienced, commercially driven, and results-oriented Head of Retail to lead and scale our retail operations, strengthen customer experience, drive business growth, and ensure operational excellence across all retail channels and customer touchpoints.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong combination of retail banking expertise, digital financial services knowledge, operational leadership, and commercial execution, with a proven track record of managing large-scale retail operations, optimizing distribution networks, and delivering measurable business results.

This is a senior leadership position responsible for building a high-performing retail function that supports Axis's expansion, customer acquisition, service delivery, and long-term business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Retail Strategy & Business Growth

• Develop and execute Axis's retail strategy, operating model, and expansion roadmap in alignment with the company's overall business objectives.

• Lead the growth and performance of retail channels, physical touchpoints, and distribution networks to maximize market reach and customer accessibility.

• Identify opportunities for retail expansion, new service locations, channel optimization, and improved customer penetration.

• Drive retail business performance through customer acquisition, activation, transaction growth, product adoption, and revenue generation.

• Establish retail business plans, annual budgets, performance targets, and operational KPIs.

• Evaluate retail channel profitability, cost efficiency, and return on investment to ensure sustainable growth.

• Collaborate with Commercial, Product, and Marketing teams to support go-to-market initiatives, promotional campaigns, and customer acquisition strategies.

Retail Operations & Service Excellence

• Oversee end-to-end retail operations, ensuring consistent service quality, operational efficiency, and compliance across all retail locations and channels.

• Develop and standardize retail operating procedures, service delivery frameworks, and performance management practices.

• Ensure operational readiness for new retail locations, services, products, and business expansion initiatives.

• Lead initiatives to improve customer experience, service turnaround times, transaction efficiency, and overall customer satisfaction.

• Monitor retail operational performance, identify service gaps, and implement corrective actions.

• Establish effective controls for cash handling, transaction processing, reconciliation, and operational risk management, where applicable.

• Ensure retail operations comply with company policies, internal controls, and applicable financial services regulations.

Retail Network & Channel Management

• Lead the management and optimization of Axis's retail network, ensuring consistent operational standards and performance across all locations.

• Develop retail channel strategies that integrate physical and digital customer journeys to deliver a seamless customer experience.

• Evaluate retail location performance, customer traffic, transaction volumes, operational costs, and commercial contribution.

• Oversee retail expansion projects, including location selection, operational setup, staffing requirements, and launch readiness.

• Manage relationships with relevant service providers, vendors, and operational partners supporting retail activities.

• Identify opportunities to improve retail productivity, automate operational processes, and enhance channel efficiency.

Customer Experience & Business Performance

• Establish and monitor retail performance indicators, including customer acquisition, activation, transaction volumes, service quality, customer satisfaction, and channel profitability.

• Drive initiatives to improve customer engagement, service accessibility, and overall retail experience.

• Analyze customer behavior, retail performance trends, and operational insights to identify improvement opportunities.

• Work closely with Customer Support and Operations teams to ensure effective complaint resolution, issue escalation, and service recovery.

• Partner with Product and Technology teams to enhance retail systems, digital tools, and operational capabilities.

• Ensure consistent implementation of Axis's customer service standards and brand experience across retail channels.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure retail activities comply with applicable regulatory requirements, internal policies, and operational risk frameworks.

• Collaborate with Compliance, Risk, Legal, and Internal Audit teams to maintain effective controls and address identified risks.

• Oversee implementation of relevant KYC, AML, fraud prevention, and customer verification procedures across retail operations.

• Ensure appropriate management of operational incidents, customer complaints, security concerns, and regulatory requirements.

• Promote a culture of accountability, integrity, compliance, and customer protection.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing retail team, establishing clear accountability, performance expectations, and development plans.

• Lead workforce planning, organizational structure development, and staffing requirements for retail operations.

• Establish performance management frameworks, productivity targets, and incentive structures aligned with business objectives.

• Collaborate with senior leadership across Commercial, Product, Technology, Finance, Operations, People & Culture, and Compliance.

• Prepare and present retail performance reports, expansion plans, operational insights, and strategic recommendations to executive management.

• Drive continuous improvement, operational discipline, and a strong customer-centric culture across the retail function.

Qualifications & Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Retail Banking, Retail Operations, Financial Services Distribution, Digital Financial Services, or related sectors.

• At least 5 years in a senior leadership position, managing retail operations, distribution channels, or multi-location business operations.

• Strong experience in Retail Banking, Fintech, Payments, Digital Financial Services, or Consumer Financial Services.

• Proven track record in developing and executing retail strategies, scaling operations, and driving measurable commercial and operational performance.

• Demonstrated experience managing retail networks, physical distribution channels, service locations, or large-scale customer-facing operations.

• Strong understanding of retail financial products, payment services, customer onboarding, transaction processing, and customer service operations.

• Solid knowledge of the Egyptian financial services market, customer behavior, regulatory requirements, and retail distribution landscape.

• Strong expertise in retail network expansion, channel optimization, operational efficiency, and performance management.

• Proven ability to manage budgets, financial targets, cost optimization initiatives, and retail profitability.

• Strong understanding of KYC, AML, fraud prevention, operational risk, and compliance requirements within financial services.

• Experience integrating physical and digital retail channels to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.

• Demonstrated ability to lead large teams, develop managers, and establish high-performance cultures.

• Strong analytical and commercial acumen, with experience using operational dashboards, performance metrics, and business intelligence tools.

• Excellent strategic thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and execution capabilities.

• Strong stakeholder management, negotiation, communication, and presentation skills.

• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-growth environment while balancing business expansion, operational control, and customer experience.

• Excellent command of English and Arabic.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Management, or a related field. An MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification is highly preferred.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The Head of Retail will be accountable for delivering measurable performance across the following areas:

• Retail network growth and expansion.

• Retail channel revenue and profitability.

• Customer acquisition and activation through retail channels.

• Transaction volume, value, and frequency.

• Retail operating cost and cost-to-serve.

• Customer satisfaction and service quality.

• Retail productivity and employee performance.

• Operational efficiency and service turnaround times.

• Regulatory compliance and operational risk management.

• Retail location and channel performance against business targets.

Perks of Working @ Axis

• Competitive executive compensation package.

• Performance-based incentives.

• Medical insurance for you and your family.

• Life insurance.

• Gym subscription.

• Flexible paid time off (PTO).

• Competitive leave policy, including extended maternity and paternity leave.

• Professional development and leadership growth opportunities.

• The opportunity to lead and scale a critical business function within a fast-growing fintech company.