Partner Payments Expert
Location - needs to be UK based and work 2 days out of London office (Tue & Thurs)
Duration of contract - 1 year
Desired Start Date - ASAP
Are you the person everyone turns to when payment conversations become commercially complex?
My client provide a Global marketplace for Travel engagement, they are looking for a senior payments expert who can bridge the gap between deep payments knowledge and commercial advisory. This isn't a product management, delivery or implementation role. Instead, you'll become the trusted subject matter expert helping both internal commercial teams and some of platforms largest accommodation / travel partners understand the commercial realities of virtual B4B Payments.
You'll advise on topics including interchange, scheme fees, acquirer and PSP pricing, FX, payout models, payment economics and cost optimisation, translating complex payment concepts into practical commercial recommendations that build trust with partners.
Working across several strategic initiatives, you'll help shape partner payment strategies, support high-value commercial conversations and influence decisions that improve payment value, operational efficiency and partner experience. You'll also create guidance and best practices that enable commercial teams to confidently navigate sensitive payment discussions.
I’m looking for someone who understands the payments ecosystem end-to-end and enjoys solving business problems rather than simply delivering payment products. You'll be equally comfortable analysing payment costs in Excel, challenging commercial assumptions, considering wider implications such as tax, reconciliation or settlement, and presenting your recommendations directly to senior stakeholders and enterprise customers.
Role overview:
- The partner payments portfolio is growing across virtual cards, bank transfer, and other payout solutions. As this portfolio evolves, partners need clear, commercially grounded guidance on payment options, cost drivers, payment value, and which setup best fits their business.
- This is a Commercial team role focused on Partner Payments advisory. The Partner Payments Expert will support complex partner payment conversations by combining payments knowledge, commercial judgment, and strong communication skills. The role requires the ability to understand partner needs, explain payment topics clearly, and help teams navigate sensitive conversations in a thoughtful and partner-appropriate way.
Key responsibilities:
- Lead and contribute as a subject matter expert to partner payment advisory work across scheme economics, interchange, pricing models, cost drivers, and partner-level payment economics.
- Act as a trusted advisor to commercial and partner-facing teams, explaining complex payment topics in a clear and commercially relevant way.
- Support partner-specific payment discussions by listening to partner questions, identifying the underlying business or payment concern, and helping shape thoughtful, accurate, and partner-appropriate responses.
- Serve as a senior SME on payment economics, including PSP / acquirer pricing, scheme fees, interchange, issuer context, FX, chargebacks, and cost optimisation levers.
Job Description:
- Help colleagues understand what can be shared externally, what should remain internal, and how to frame sensitive payment topics appropriately in partner conversations.
- Apply specialist knowledge and commercial judgment to assess which payment setup best fits the partner’s needs across value, payout timing, payment certainty, risk, reconciliation, and operational fit.
- Contribute to reusable guidance, playbooks, FAQs, and partner-facing explanations based on recurring partner questions and learnings.
Required experience/What you'll bring:
- 5–10 years of experience in payments, fintech, acquiring, merchant payments, payment consulting, commercial payments, or a related field.
- Strong understanding of payment economics, including interchange, scheme fees, PSP/acquirer fees, pass-through pricing, FX, chargebacks, and cost drivers.
- Ability to explain complex payment topics in simple, commercially relevant language for non-payments audiences.
- Strong partner-facing communication skills, including active listening, structured questioning, and the ability to build trust in sensitive commercial conversations.
- Good judgment in handling commercially sensitive information and adapting messages appropriately for external audiences.
- Commercial acumen and experience applying payment economics insight to real-world business decisions, partner discussions, or advisory work.