Partner Success & Strategic Payments Leader

Job Description

Ready to take your career global? 

Make your mark at one of the biggest names in payments. We’re looking for a Partner Success & Strategic Payments Leader to join our ever-evolving Global Payments for Platforms team and help shape the future of global commerce. 

What you’ll own

A recognized authority in payments partner success strategy and operations, this executive brings mastery of the integrated payments ecosystem — spanning payment cost economics, interchange optimization, acquiring, risk and compliance, payment facilitation, and the software platform go-to-market model. The role exercises independent judgment on novel and complex partner challenges, developing new frameworks and approaches where no established playbook exists.

This is a senior leadership role accountable for partner operational excellence across the full partner success lifecycle — from onboarding and launch readiness through adoption, expansion, and long-term value realization. The leader manages a multi-discipline team spanning Partner Success Operations, Partner experience, and Operations, with results that directly shape partner experience, retention, growth, and the quality of the payments experience delivered to hundreds of thousands of merchants through the partner portfolio.

As the architect of how Global Payments for Platforms enables, retains, and grows its software platform partners at scale, the primary mandate is clear: every partner activates faster, ramps to full payment volume, retains merchants, and continuously improves the economics of their payments program. Strategic and innovative thinking, balanced with commercial rigor and an unwavering focus on partner experience, defines how this leader operates.

• Partner Onboarding and Launch Success: Design and govern a structured (post implementation) partner onboarding and ramp process that drives 30/60/90-day ramp milestones. Develop launch playbooks, readiness checklists, and cross-functional coordination and enablement frameworks that ensure every new partner launches with confidence — from integration certification through merchant boarding (KYB/KYC, MID setup), volume and MID ramp.

• Partner Enablement Strategy: Build and continuously refine a multi-format enablement program that equips partners’ teams, and Global Payments Implementation, operations, and support teams with the knowledge and tools to drive payment adoption across their merchant portfolios. This includes payments education (transaction lifecycle, merchant boarding, risk and compliance fundamentals, interchange optimization), role-based training tracks, certification programs, and a self-service knowledge library structured for scale and RAG-ready deployment.

• Payments Cost and Margin Analysis: Own in-depth analysis of the payment cost drivers impacting partner margins, including interchange qualification rates by card type, industry, and ticket size; Level 2 and Level 3 (L2/L3) data pass-through optimization for B2B and government transactions; downgrade root cause analysis by MCC, card brand, and transaction type; and reclassification exposure reviews. Develop partner-facing margin optimization frameworks and lead structured interchange reviews that demonstrate measurable ROI.

• Business Process Optimization: Analyze, design, and continuously improve the operational processes that govern every stage of the partner payments lifecycle — from KYB/KYC and merchant boarding through payment processing, dispute management, reconciliation, and billing. Build and maintain a living process catalog, identify automation opportunities, and drive efficiency through orchestration across internal systems and partner touchpoints.

• Chargeback and Risk Program Management: Partner with Risk and Compliance to ensure software platforms and their merchant portfolios maintain healthy dispute ratios, understand Visa DMP and Mastercard ECP thresholds, and have access to proactive remediation guidance, CDRN and RDR enrollment support, and structured chargeback triage resources — including prioritization frameworks by transaction volume and partner revenue impact.

• Digital Transformation and Automation: Champion automation and AI-assisted workflow across the partner success function — including onboarding process automation, proactive portfolio health alerting, chargeback triage automation, AI-assisted merchant boarding, and intelligent enablement content delivery. Evaluate and deploy tools that increase partner engagement, reduce manual effort, and improve decision velocity.

• Performance Measurement and Executive Reporting: Establish and manage a robust KPI framework covering partner activation rates, GMV ramp velocity, L2/L3 qualification rates, chargeback ratios, merchant support ticket volumes, enablement completion rates, and partner NRR. Deliver regular executive-level reporting with clear trend narratives, risk flags, and strategic recommendations.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Sales, Product, Success, Implementation, Risk, Compliance, and Finance to ensure seamless lifecycle handoffs with clear ownership, documented SLAs, and continuous feedback loops. Represent the partner voice internally and serve as the escalation executive for issues that span teams or carry revenue risk.

• Leadership and Team Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Partner Success Managers, Partner Experience Managers, and Enablement Specialists. Establish performance standards, career development frameworks, and operational rhythms that drive accountability, payments expertise depth, and a partner-first culture.

• Conducts structured analysis of payment cost drivers impacting partner margins — including interchange qualification rates, L2/L3 data pass-through effectiveness, downgrade patterns by card type and MCC, and reclassification exposure — and facilitates optimization reviews with qualified platform partners.

• Monitors partner portfolio health through structured frameworks — intervening proactively when payment performance, chargeback ratios, or merchant support trends indicate elevated risk.

• Builds and maintains a robust partner knowledge base and enablement content library — including payment integration guides, merchant onboarding SOPs, risk and compliance references (KYB/KYC, PCI DSS, AML), and interchange optimization guides — structured for self-service and RAG-ready deployment.

• Manage expectations internally and externally; maintains comprehensive knowledge of applicable payments products, services, card network rules, and company policies and procedures.

• Keeps abreast of evolving industry trends — including real-time payments (RTP/FedNow), embedded finance, PayFac and ISO regulatory changes, card network rule updates, and emerging fraud and risk patterns that may impact the partner portfolio.

• Identifies opportunities for continuous process improvement across partner onboarding, enablement, and support functions; oversees implementation and measures impact.

• Selects, develops, and evaluates personnel to ensure the efficient operation of the Partner Success function.

• May work at a Global Payments or partner location. Travel required.

What you’ll bring 

• Deep domain expertise in payments — including acquiring, ISO and PayFac models, payment facilitation economics, card network rules and fee structures, interchange categories and qualification logic, and the integrated software platform ecosystem.

• Demonstrated command of payments cost analysis — including interchange qualification by card type, industry, and ticket size; L2/L3 data pass-through for B2B and government transactions; downgrade root cause identification; and strategies to reduce reclassification and non-qualified interchange exposure.

• Proven track record in partner or customer success leadership within a payment processor, acquirer, or B2B payments platform — with direct accountability customer success operations.

• Experience designing and scaling partner enablement programs — including onboarding curricula, payment certification tracks, go-live playbooks, and self-service knowledge resources tailored to software platforms and their merchant segments.

• Strong command of the full payments lifecycle — from integration certification and merchant boarding (KYB/KYC, MID setup) through transaction processing, settlement, dispute management, reconciliation, and billing — with the ability to identify and resolve partner pain points at every stage.

• Expertise in chargeback and dispute management — including Visa DMP and Mastercard ECP program thresholds, CDRN and RDR enrollment, chargeback triage frameworks, and partner-level ratio remediation strategies.

• Familiarity with PCI DSS compliance requirements and scope reduction strategies, including network tokenization, P2PE, and tokenized credential management in improving partner security posture and authorization rates.

• Strong analytical skills with fluency in payments data — able to build interchange margin models, portfolio health scorecards, downgrade analysis waterfall reports, and partner performance dashboards that inform executive-level decisions.

• Excellent executive communication and presentation skills — able to translate complex payment economics, interchange exposure, and operational performance into clear, compelling narratives for software platform executives and internal leadership.

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and drive alignment across Sales, Product, Risk, Compliance, Implementation, and Operations teams in a matrixed organization.

• Experience with business process design and optimization in a payments operations context — including SLA governance, escalation routing, ticketing workflows, and partner-facing service delivery models.

• Proven ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing teams — selecting talent, setting expectations, coaching performance, and fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and partner-first thinking.

• Communicates ideas both verbally and in written form in a clear, concise, and professional manner; viewed as a payments authority by peers, partners, and executive leadership. 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Computer Science, or a related discipline, or equivalent combination of education, training, and work experience. MBA or advanced degree preferred.

About the team 

Our inclusive and global teams win together every day. We’re proud to have the best minds in the industry, who you can learn from as you grow your career. The people, the energy, the connections

– it’s unmatched. Come and be part of an ever-evolving company and get dynamic opportunities that go beyond borders. 

What makes a Globalpayer? 

Globalpayers think like a client, act like an owner and win as one team. We’re curious and innovative – always finding better ways to deliver impact. We empower each other to make decisions, and it’s our passion that drives excellence in everything we set out to do.  

Does this sound like you? Then you sound like a Globalpayer. Apply now to take your career global.  

Worldpay is dedicated to offering individuals rewarding career opportunities and competitive compensation. For this full-time position, the good faith estimated annual salary range upon hire is $219,000.00-$330,750.00. This range reflects what we reasonably expect to offer based on the role’s responsibilities, level, and geographic location. The actual starting salary will be determined by a candidate’s experience, job-related skills, and relevant education or training. Please note that changes in work location may impact the final offered salary. We encourage you to consult with your recruiter to confirm the budget for your location and to better understand the applicable pay scale.  This position is eligible for bonus.

Candidates and applicants are advised they may redact age information from requested items like transcripts, resumes, and certificates attached to their application for positions that can be performed in Colorado.

EEOC Statement

Worldpay is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, genetic information, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other protected characteristics. The EEO is the Law poster is available here.

If you are made a conditional offer of employment and will be working in the United States, you will be required to undergo a drug test. In developing this job description care was taken to include all competencies and requirements needed to successfully perform the position. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for individuals with qualified disabilities both during the hiring process, as well as to allow the individual to perform the essential functions of the job, if hired.