Ruchika Sharma

• Payment Gateway Integration: Led end-to-end payment gateway integration projects, ensuring seamless communication between systems and optimizing payment success rates.
• Collaboration with Partners: Partnered with acquiring banks, payment processors, and vendors to resolve integration challenges, enhance system performance, and deliver high-quality payment solutions.
• Terminal Operations: Configured and managed payment terminals, facilitated secure remote key injections, and ensured smooth terminal operations.
• Key Exchange Ceremony: Performed secure key exchange ceremonies for POS systems as a designated key custodian, adhering to compliance and security standards.
• Daily Payment Operations: Oversaw and managed daily processes, including product setup, authorizations, clearing, settlement, reconciliation, and customer support for payment-related issues.
• Issue Resolution: Investigated card decline issues, performed root cause analyses, and collaborated with vendors to identify and implement resolutions.
• API Integration: Managed API integrations with payment schemes and processors, improving transaction success rates and reducing errors.
• Compliance and Regulatory Updates: Provided expert guidance on compliance with PSD2, GDPR, and card scheme requirements. Collaborated with banks on scheme mandate changes and compliance testing.
• Data-Driven Insights: Leveraged SQL and advanced analytics tools to generate reports, monitor performance metrics, and support data-informed decision-making.
• PSP Onboarding: Successfully onboarded and integrated three new payment service providers, streamlining operational workflows and expanding payment options.
• Secure Transactions: Tested and validated secure authentication protocols using OAuth and JWT standards to ensure robust system security.
• Agile Practices: Applied agile methodologies, including sprint planning, backlog grooming, and cross-functional collaboration, to drive continuous process improvement and ensure alignment with business goals.
• Incident Management: Monitored and resolved production issues, ensuring minimal disruption to payment operations.
• Product Backlog Management: Developed and prioritized the product backlog, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and delivering features that meet customer and business needs.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Conducted workshops with stakeholders to gather requirements, validate features, and ensure the product aligns with market trends and organizational goals.

Certification Lead Analyst - Discover Financial Services

• Technology Adoption: Partnered with Issuers, Acquirers, and Merchants to promote and implement payment solutions such as Contactless, QR Code, 3D Secure, and Transit/Connect. Collaborated with external consultants and vendors to ensure seamless enablement and support.
• Certification Leadership: Led the certification of Acquirers, Issuers, and Processors for Authorization (POS/ATM, 3DS), Settlement, and Dispute systems, ensuring compliance with network schemes like Discover.
• Transaction Optimization: Conducted root cause analysis for declined transactions, identifying issues and optimizing parameters to improve authorization success rates.
• Subject Matter Expertise: Provided operational support and expertise on Discover Global Network processes, resolving operational challenges and improving efficiency.
• Performance Reporting: Developed comprehensive reports on card performance metrics, identifying trends and providing actionable recommendations for process improvements.
• Transaction Monitoring: Utilized Splunk to analyze transaction data, identifying and addressing failures caused by missing data elements or environmental issues.
• Terminal Setup & Configuration: Worked with terminal vendors to configure POS and ATM systems in line with network scheme requirements. Conducted certifications for banks’ Authorization Hosts, Interchange systems, and terminals.
• Incident Management: Investigated and resolved transaction issues related to Authorization, Clearing, and Reconciliation. Addressed service tickets by coordinating with technical teams and implementing solutions.
• Testing & Validation: Analyzed business and functional requirements, designed test cases, and conducted walkthroughs with stakeholders. Simulated and validated transactions to ensure compliance with Authorization Specifications. Issued certification letters for production readiness.
• Operational Expertise: Supported Discover Global Network operations, optimizing payment processes and addressing queries in collaboration with internal business, product, and operations teams.
• End-to-End Certification: Managed the complete certification lifecycle for Acquirer and Issuer systems, working closely with banks and payment processors to meet network standards.
• System Readiness: Simulated transactions and monitored logs to ensure systems were prepared for production deployment.
• Partner Reporting: Delivered detailed reports to business partners, addressing gaps and discrepancies in transaction handling while recommending improvements.

• Managed requirements gathering, incident resolution, and development for critical RBS Insurance projects
• Led a cross-functional team in developing and testing business solutions, ensuring timely delivery of project milestones
• Provided technical leadership in coding, reviewing, and enhancing business processes to support RBS's insurance operations

• Led the design, development, and deployment of batch processes for HSBC's Vision Plus credit card systems
• Analysed functional specifications and prepared technical documentation to guide development efforts
• Managed code baselines across multiple regions, ensuring that all systems were aligned with business requirements
• Planned and executed system implementations, ensuring smooth deployments with minimal downtime