Senior Payments Program Manager, Pliant

• 5+ years of experience in payments, card issuing, or fintech, with a strong focus on the UK market
• Expertise in Visa/Mastercard schemes, payment processing, and banking partnerships
• Deep understanding of UK payments regulations (FCA, PSD2, Open Banking, AML/KYC)
• Strong background in card programme strategy, BIN management, and operational risk management. Ability to troubleshoot payment issues, investigate fraud cases, and optimise payment flows
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience liaising with card networks, acquirers, and regulators

Desirable

• We are looking for a (Senior) Payments Program Manager - UK to drive the success of our card issuing and payment operations in the UK
• This role will focus on optimising payment processes, ensuring regulatory compliance, and managing relationships with card networks, issuers, and banking partners
• You will play a pivotal role in developing and scaling our UK-focused card programmes, ensuring smooth transactions, minimising fraud risks, and improving overall payment efficiency
• You’ll also work cross-functionally with Payment Operations, Product, Finance, Compliance, and Engineering teams to enhance our payments infrastructure
• Oversee the end-to-end management of card programmes, ensuring smooth issuance, processing, and settlement
• Ensure compliance with UK-specific financial regulations, including FCA requirements, Open Banking, and PSD2
• Manage relationships with card schemes, issuing banks, and payment processors to optimise authorisation rates
• Lead initiatives to improve FX management, cross-border payments, and treasury operations
• Monitor decline rates, fraud patterns, and operational inefficiencies, driving strategic improvements
• Act as the primary point of contact for UK banking partners, acquirers, and payment processors
• Collaborate with internal teams, including Payment Operations, Product, Engineering, Finance and Compliance, to align payment strategies with business goals
• Negotiate contracts and service-level agreements with card schemes and third-party providers
• Oversee and troubleshoot payment failures, declines, and processing delays, leveraging UK market insights
• Work with fraud and compliance teams to ensure robust transaction monitoring and risk mitigation
• Lead incident management efforts, including dispute resolution, chargebacks, and compliance audits
• Use SQL, APIs, or automation tools to extract and analyse UK payment trends
• Provide regular performance reports, including transaction volumes, authorisation rates, and fraud trends
• Identify inefficiencies and implement process improvements to enhance UK payment operations