Financial Institutions Partnerships Director

The company name will be disclosed to shortlisted candidates. This role is being recruited on an exclusive and confidential basis. Our client is a NYSE-listed global commerce platform with over four decades of experience simplifying complex payment ecosystems for businesses across the world. Operating across fleet, travel payments, and healthcare segments, the business employs approximately 6,600 people globally and generated record revenue in 2025, exceeding $2.7 billion. With a strong footprint across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, they are a trusted partner to some of the world's largest enterprises and financial institutions. Their travel payments division is a significant and growing part of the business, providing virtual payment solutions that power the global travel industry. This is a business of genuine scale and ambition — with the culture and pace to match.

Location: London (Hybrid – 3 days in office)
Contract: Permanent
Salary: Highly competitive basic salary + annual bonus + exceptional benefits

The Opportunity

A rare and high-impact opportunity has arisen within a leading global payments business for a commercially sharp and technically grounded Commercial Contracts Director. This is a newly created, critical role sitting at the heart of the organisation's Global Travel Payments division — one of the most strategically important areas of the business. Reporting to Senior Director level, you will own the end-to-end commercial performance and operational delivery of relationships with major global payment networks, spanning multiple regions and internal business units. This is a role for someone who thrives at the intersection of compliance, commercial strategy, and financial performance — and who wants genuine influence over how a global payments business manages its most important external relationships.

What You'll Be Doing

• Owning Commercial Performance: You will take full ownership of network contracts, ensuring the business meets its financial targets, revenue goals, and margin expectations. This includes analysing fee schedules, rebate structures, and volume commitments — and acting decisively to secure incentives and protect commercial outcomes.
• Managing Compliance at Scale: You will oversee the review and operational implementation of over 2,000 network rule updates and bulletins annually, each with the potential to impact core operating systems and card payment processing compliance. You'll establish robust internal controls and act as the go-to expert for compliance guidance across the business.
• Shaping Strategy: Working closely with Solutions SMEs and product specialists, you'll evaluate the financial, operational, and contractual implications of new network initiatives and rule changes — feeding directly into future product and commercial strategy.
• Influencing at the Top: You will prepare and present monthly reports to senior leadership, translating complex contract performance data into clear narratives around risk, opportunity, and financial impact.

What You'll Bring

Our client is looking for a self-sufficient, results-driven professional who combines deep contractual expertise with strong commercial and financial instincts. The following experience is essential:

• Substantial experience in contract management, commercial, or financial services roles with direct exposure to major payment networks (Visa, Mastercard, or equivalent).
• Deep, inside-out knowledge of the card issuing or card payments industry — including network rules, compliance frameworks, and the Visa/Mastercard ecosystem.
• A proven track record of delivering measurable ROI from complex commercial agreements, including deal bidding and negotiation.
• Strong financial management and reporting skills, including financial modelling and data analysis (Excel, Google Suite, or equivalent).
• A Bachelor's degree in Law, Finance, Business, or a related discipline.
• Willingness to travel internationally (quarterly, e.g. to the US) and domestically (e.g. to the North of England) as required.

The Package

• Highly competitive base salary.
• Annual performance bonus.
• Industry-leading pension scheme.
• Private medical insurance.
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays, with the option to buy more.
• Life assurance.