[Hiring] Information Security Lead @Mama Money

Role Description

You'll own security at Mama Money end to end. Your main focus is our APIs and the third-party calls our products depend on: payout partners, banks, card and KYC providers. Endpoints come second, but they matter too.

This is a lead role, not a management layer. You'll set the standards and make the calls, and you'll also do the work:

• Threat modelling
• Reviewing code and integrations
• Running incidents

A big part of the role is explaining risk clearly to engineers, leadership, and regulators, so clear writing matters as much as technical depth.

After-hours: you'll be the escalation point for security incidents.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in information security, with at least 3 in application, API or cloud security.
• Hands-on API security: OAuth 2.0 and OIDC, JWT, mTLS, request signing, and the OWASP API Security Top 10.
• Practical AWS security: IAM, KMS, CloudTrail, GuardDuty, Security Hub, WAF.
• Experience threat modelling systems and reviewing code for security issues.
• Experience scoping penetration tests and driving remediation.
• Experience leading incident response, from detection to post-mortem.
• Experience managing an outsourced security provider against clear standards.
• Scripting in Python or Bash, enough to automate checks and pull evidence.
• One or more of: CISSP or CISM; OSCP, OSWE or GWAPT; AWS Certified Security, Specialty.

Requirements

• Experience in a regulated environment, ideally payments or banking; FSCA, SARB or FIC exposure is a plus.
• PCI DSS experience.
• ISO 27001 implementation or audit experience.
• SIEM and detection engineering.
• Kubernetes and container security.
• Terraform or other infrastructure-as-code.

Benefits

• We build products that help people do more with their money — from sending money home, to saving, to accessing money in ways that feel safe and simple.
• We're not afraid to give things a go, and we take ownership of what we do.
• We keep learning, support each other, and stay focused on what matters most.
• If you're after meaningful work and a team that genuinely cares about what they're building — this could be your next move.

Company Description

Mama Money is a growth-stage fintech on a mission to improve the financial lives of migrants and underserved communities across Africa and beyond. What started in 2015 as a cross-border payments service has grown into a multi-product financial platform — giving people the tools to send, save, and manage money on their own terms, at a socially fair price.

Mama HQ is in beautiful Cape Town. We're 157 people strong (and counting), representing 19 countries across Africa, Asia, the UK, and Europe. Everything we build is in service of people who deserve better — and our culture reflects that same commitment.

We've had good times and tough times, but the focus never shifts: people over profit, always.