I’m hiring for a global fintech in the financial services space that has quietly built something serious. They’ve developed their own modern payment orchestration platform. API-first. Modular. Built properly. Now they need someone to turn it into a commercial engine. This is not a “Head of Payments Ops” role. This is a build mandate. If you think about payments as margin, routing logic, FX optimisation and product strategy — not just uptime and reconciliations — this will interest you. The Brief Our client operates across multiple regulated financial services verticals globally. They’ve internalised a critical layer of their payments stack and are ready for the next step. The mandate is clear: Phase 1 – Optimise • Stress test the orchestration architecture • Improve approval rates through intelligent routing • Reduce processing costs and FX leakage • Expand and diversify PSP and acquirer relationships • Build performance reporting discipline Phase 2 – Productise • Formalise payments as a standalone internal business unit • Implement SLAs and internal transfer pricing • Own the payments P&L • Align product, compliance and engineering • Create structure, accountability and commercial metrics Phase 3 – Commercialise • Define a payments-as-a-service proposition • Build pricing strategy and unit economics • Identify external merchant opportunities • Scale the platform into a revenue stream If you only talk optimisation, you’re an operator. If you jump straight to external sales, you’re a dreamer. They’re looking for someone who understands sequencing. What They’re Really Hiring For • 8 years in payments leadership • Strong PSP and acquirer network across regions • Deep experience in regulated or complex merchant environments • Commercial thinker comfortable owning or influencing a P&L • Technically fluent in orchestration logic, API architecture and PCI environments • Builder mindset This is a strategic growth role with direct executive access. There’s autonomy. There’s mandate. And there’s genuine commercial upside. If you’ve ever looked at a payments stack and thought, “This should be its own business,” this is that opportunity. If it sounds like you, or someone in your network, let’s talk confidentially.
