At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the strategic development and innovation of payment services in a dynamic financial environment.
- Company: Join a growing, innovative financial services organisation shaping the future of payments.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career growth opportunities, and a chance to drive meaningful change.
- Other info: Collaborative culture focused on innovation and operational excellence.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of payment technology and make a real impact on customer experiences.
- Qualifications: Extensive leadership experience in payments and strong knowledge of payment schemes required.
A growing and innovative regulated financial services organisation is seeking an experienced Payments Director to lead the strategic development, governance, operational performance, and future evolution of its payments function. This senior leadership role is responsible for overseeing payment operations, payment schemes, technology delivery, and transformation initiatives across a broad range of payment services. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping the future payments landscape by driving innovation, operational excellence, and the adoption of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and automation. The role requires a highly capable leader who can operate strategically while remaining close to operational delivery, ensuring payment services are efficient, scalable, compliant, and customer-focused.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership
- Develop and deliver the organisation's payments strategy across existing and emerging payment solutions.
- Act as the senior payments subject matter expert across all payment rails and payment-related initiatives.
- Partner with Product, Technology, Risk, and Operations teams to drive innovation and enhance payment capabilities.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, customer experience, and scalability through automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
- Ensure the payments function supports the organisation's growth ambitions and strategic objectives.
- Payments Operations
- Oversee end-to-end payment operations across card payments, Direct Debit and Direct Credit services, real-time payment schemes, and international payment services.
- Ensure payment processes are efficient, resilient, scalable, and customer-centric.
- Establish meaningful management information and performance metrics to monitor service delivery and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Maintain high levels of operational performance and service reliability.
- Provide leadership and support during operational incidents and critical business activities where required.
- Scheme Governance & Partner Management
- Own and manage relationships with key payment schemes and payment service providers.
- Ensure full compliance with all scheme rules, mandates, operational requirements, and service obligations.
- Provide guidance and oversight regarding industry developments, scheme changes, and regulatory requirements.
- Support the expansion and optimisation of payment capabilities across multiple payment rails and services.
- Maintain strong governance frameworks across all payment-related partnerships and activities.
- Technology, Product & Change Delivery
- Work closely with Technology and Product teams to design, develop, and implement new payment products and enhancements.
- Provide subject matter expertise on payment infrastructure, integrations, and payment technologies.
- Lead payment-related transformation and change initiatives from concept through to delivery.
- Ensure projects are delivered in line with operational, regulatory, and customer requirements.
- Support the adoption of modern technologies and payment innovations to maintain a competitive market position.
- Automation, AI & Operational Efficiency
- Champion the use of automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data-driven decision making across the payments function.
- Drive efficiency improvements across payment processing, reconciliation and settlement, exception management, fraud monitoring and prevention, and operational workflows and controls.
- Utilise data and analytics to improve performance, reduce costs, and enhance customer outcomes.
- Risk, Compliance & Governance
- Ensure payment activities operate within applicable regulatory, legal, and industry frameworks.
- Maintain robust controls, governance standards, and audit readiness across all payment operations.
- Support safeguarding obligations, financial crime prevention measures, and operational resilience requirements.
- Assess and manage risks associated with new products, technologies, partnerships, and payment flows.
- Promote a culture of strong governance, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing payments team.
- Build capability across payment operations, scheme management, and payment technologies.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Support succession planning, talent development, and employee engagement initiatives.
- Provide effective leadership across multiple teams and stakeholders.
Skills & Experience
- Essential
- Significant senior leadership experience within payments in a bank, fintech, payment institution, or regulated financial services environment.
- Extensive knowledge of card payment schemes, including scheme governance and compliance requirements.
- Strong experience across UK payment schemes and international payment services.
- Proven experience working closely with Technology and Product teams to deliver payment solutions and enhancements.
- Demonstrable success leading operational teams within a fast-paced and evolving environment.
- Strong track record of driving operational improvements, automation, and change initiatives.
- Excellent understanding of payment operations, governance, risk management, and customer outcomes.
- Ability to operate both strategically and hands-on when required.
- Desirable
- Experience across multiple card schemes and payment networks.
- Knowledge of additional UK and international payment infrastructures.
- Understanding of regulatory requirements relating to payments and e-money services.
- Experience implementing AI, automation, machine learning, or advanced analytics within operational environments.
- Exposure to European payment schemes and cross-border payment solutions.
Personal Attributes
- Strategic and commercially minded.
- Passionate about innovation and emerging technologies.
- Strong leadership and stakeholder management capabilities.
- Customer-focused with a commitment to service excellence.
- Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable operating in a dynamic environment.
- Collaborative and influential, with the ability to build strong internal and external relationships.
- Results-driven with a focus on continuous improvement and delivery.
What Success Looks Like
- Delivery of a scalable and future-ready payments strategy.
- Strong operational performance across all payment services.
- Measurable efficiency gains through automation and innovation.
- Robust governance and compliance standards across payment activities.
- Successful delivery of new payment products, capabilities, and enhancements.
- A highly engaged and high-performing payments team.
- Excellent customer outcomes and consistently reliable payment services.
Why Join Us?
This is an opportunity to join a growing financial services organisation at an exciting stage of its journey. You will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the payments function, influencing strategic direction, driving innovation, and delivering meaningful change across a business committed to growth, customer excellence, and technological advancement.
Interested? Please Click Apply Now!
Payments Director in Manchester employer: Adria Solutions Ltd
Join a dynamic and innovative financial services organisation that prioritises employee growth and development. As a Payments Director, you will be part of a collaborative work culture that embraces cutting-edge technologies and encourages strategic thinking, ensuring your contributions directly impact the future of payment solutions. With a commitment to operational excellence and customer satisfaction, this role offers a unique opportunity to lead transformative initiatives in a supportive environment that values innovation and teamwork.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Payments Director in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry folks on LinkedIn or at events. You never know who might have the inside scoop on a Payments Director role that’s not even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your expertise! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, make sure to highlight your experience with payment schemes and operational excellence. They want to see how you can drive innovation and efficiency.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on the latest trends in payments technology, like AI and automation. Be ready to discuss how you can leverage these to enhance customer outcomes and operational performance.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are genuinely interested in joining our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Payments Director in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in payments and leadership. We want to see how your skills align with our needs, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!
Showcase Your Strategic Mindset:In your application, emphasise your ability to think strategically while also being hands-on. We’re looking for someone who can balance high-level planning with operational delivery, so share examples that demonstrate this dual capability.
Highlight Innovation and Technology Experience:Since we’re all about driving innovation, make sure to mention any experience you have with emerging technologies like AI and automation. We love seeing candidates who are passionate about leveraging tech to improve payment services!
Keep It Professional Yet Engaging:While we appreciate a friendly tone, remember to keep your application professional. Use clear language and structure your thoughts well. And don’t forget, applying through our website is the best way to get noticed!
How to prepare for a job interview at Adria Solutions Ltd
✨Know Your Payments Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of various payment schemes and technologies. Be prepared to discuss how you've successfully led payment operations in the past, and think about specific examples where you've driven innovation or improved efficiency.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Payments Director, you'll need to demonstrate strong leadership capabilities. Prepare to share experiences where you've inspired teams, managed stakeholders, and fostered a culture of collaboration and accountability. Highlight any successful team development initiatives you've led.
✨Be Ready for Strategic Discussions
Expect questions that assess your strategic thinking. Think about how you would develop and deliver a payments strategy that aligns with the organisation's growth ambitions. Be ready to discuss how you would leverage emerging technologies like AI and automation to enhance payment services.
✨Prepare for Compliance and Risk Questions
Given the regulatory nature of the role, be prepared to discuss how you've ensured compliance in previous positions. Have examples ready that illustrate your understanding of governance frameworks and risk management within payment operations.
